The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused large-scale sediment transport, resulting in substantial scour around a huge number of structures. In this study, tsunami-induced local scour around a land-based structure with a rectangular cross-section on a sand foundation was investigated with a series of hydraulic model experiments and numerical simulations. It was, as a result, revealed that local scour around the seaward corner of the structure could be evaluated with not only flow velocities on the sand foundation but effective stresses near the surface of the sand substrate, that is, flow velocities with a large Shields number resulted in a scour hole around the seaward corner of the structure during restricting force between sand particles fell down due to a decrease in effective stresses inside the sand substrate.


Objectives:Various models of spinal cord injury in rodents have been established, and also techniques for lesion quantification. Measurement of the extent of the underlying injury is essential for monitoring the reproducibility of the experimental injury and assessment of therapeutic effects. In this study, we tested manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) for postmortem quantification of experimental spinal cord injury in rats. Materials and Methods:Twelve rats were subjected to contusion injuries at the 11th thoracic vertebra, followed by MnCl2 injections into the cisterna magna. After 3 days of observation, postmortem MEMRI-features were correlated with values of locomotion testing and histology. Results:MnCl2 yielded a strong contrast enhancement of the uninjured spinal cord, whereas no enhancement was observed at the injury site or caudally. Magnetic resonance imaging findings correlate closely with locomotor ratings. Conclusions:MEMRI represents a reliable method for visualization and functional assessment of spinal cord integrity in rats.


The present study describes the development of a novel analytical approach that can reduce the consumption of organic solvents in the charge transfer (CT)-based spectrophotometric analysis of losartan potassium (LOS) by 50-fold. The proposed approach employed 96-microwell assay plates for carrying out the reaction. In this approach, the CT reaction between LOS and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as a p-electron acceptor was performed in the microwells (200-µl of organic solvent). The color signals of the CT complex were measured at 460 nm by microwell-plate reader. The optimum conditions for the proposed approach were established and the analytical procedures were recommended. The proposed approach offered high sensitivity and precision; the limits of detection and quantitation were 2.47 and 7.49 µg ml-1, respectively. The proposed approach was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical dosage forms that contain LOS with good accuracy and precision, and the results were compared favorably with a reference method. The approach described herein has great practical value in the routine analysis of LOS in quality control laboratories, as it offers the reduction in the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, reduction in the analysis cost by 50-fold, and it has a high throughput property. Although the approach was validated for LOS, however, the same methodology could be used for any electron-donating analyte for which a CT reaction can be performed.


COMBREX (http://combrex.bu.edu) is a project to increase the speed of the functional annotation of new bacterial and archaeal genomes. It consists of a database of functional predictions produced by computational biologists and a mechanism for experimental biochemists to bid for the validation of those predictions. Small grants are available to support successful bids.


Since 2003 there have been discussions over the creation of a single equality body. This will now become a reality following the passing of the Equality Act 2006 which provides for the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), therefore not just a single equality body but a human rights commission as well. This is similar to many other countries across the world which also have human rights and equality commissions, e.g. Australia, Canada and New Zealand to name but a few.

In addition to introducing the creation of the CEHR, the Equality Act also extended the provisions on equality around certain strands, thus providing better protection to members of those groups.


OBJECTIVES
This study aims to investigate the outcomes of cardiac surgery in patients with abdominal solid organ transplants and to compare them with the case-matched population undergoing cardiac surgery.

METHODS
Data from all transplant recipients abdominal solid organ transplant (ASOT) N = 36 (30 renal and 6 hepatic) who underwent cardiac surgery in a single centre during the period from January 1997 to December 2010 were collected from hospital transplant registries and the cardiac database. The transplant recipients were case matched (CM) with 104 patients in terms of the variables of age, sex and the type of cardiac surgery. Follow-up data were obtained from medical records and by a set of questionnaire through telephonic interviews.

RESULTS
Follow-up times were 4.5 ± 3.2 and 3.9 ± 3.2 years in the transplant and CM groups, respectively. Follow-up in the transplant group was 100%. There was no 30-day mortality in the transplant group. Thirty-day combined major morbidities were 9% in the matched group vs 11% in the transplant patients (P = 0.6). Median length of stay was 6 days (inter-quartile range, IQR 5.9) for ASOT vs 5 days (IQR 4.6) for CM (P < 0.01). New dialysis was 8.3% in transplant patients compared with 0.96% in the matched population, while infection was 16.66 vs 0.42% in the CM cohort. There was no allograft failure/dysfunction at the time of death or latest follow-up. Late deaths were 8 of 36 (22%) in ASOT vs 6 of 104 (6%) in CM. Infection (63%) was the most frequent major cause of death in transplant patients. One-, 2-, 5- and 10-year survivals for ASOT vs CM were 94, 88, 80, 59 vs 99, 99, 91, 85%, respectively. Multivariate predictors of mortality were increasing age (hazard ratio, HR 1.1, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.04-1.18; P = 0.003) and solid organ transplantation (HR 3.44, CI 1.19-9.98; P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac surgery can be performed in patients with abdominal solid organ tranpslant recipients with acceptable early morbidity and mortality. However, long-term survival in transplant patients is poor. Infection remains the most common cause of death.


The last ten years have witnessed explosive growth in the number of subscribers for mobile telephony. The technology has evolved from early voice only services to today's mobile wireless broadband (Internet) data delivery. The increasing use of wireless connectivity via smartphones and laptops has led to an exponential surge in network traffic. Meeting traffic demands will cause a significant increase in operator energy cost as an enlarged network of radio base stations will be needed to support mobile broadband effectively and maintain operational competitiveness. This article explores approaches that will assist in delivering significant energy efficiency gains in future wireless networks, easing the burden on network operators. It investigates three approaches to saving energy in future wireless networks. These include sleep mode techniques to switch off radio transmissions whenever possible; femtocell and relay deployments; and multiple antenna wireless systems. The impact of these approaches on achieving energy-efficient wireless communication systems is discussed.


Hierarchical pore structures exhibit morphological features on several length scales, which govern important materials properties in catalysis, such as catalytic activity, diffusivity or selectivity. Correlative tomography offers unique opportunities for a comprehensive and scale‐bridging 3D characterization of such complex pore morphologies, which is crucial to further optimize materials design and synthesis routines. This study explores the capabilities of correlative 360° electron tomography (ET) and lab‐based nano X‐ray computed tomography (Nano‐CT) enabling 3D analyses of volumes of up to (60 µm)³ with down to nm resolution, as demonstrated for zeolite particles with embedded macropores. By first applying the two techniques to the same particle the higher resolution and fidelity of ET are used to improve the segmentation of pore space in the Nano‐CT reconstruction. Extended statistical relevance and access to interparticle pore space are obtained from reconstructions of larger particle agglomerates, using the large‐field‐of‐view mode of the Nano‐CT. The presented correlative approach enables real space analyses of important pore characteristics for comparison with complementary pore characterization techniques. Moreover, by investigating samples from different stages of the synthesis, 360°‐ET and Nano‐CT provide unique insights into the formation mechanism of porous materials, as demonstrated for the steam‐assisted crystallization of the macroporous zeolite particles.


Data collected from 193 farmers of coastal Odisha were analysed to find out the extent of migration, sources of employment and income. It is revealed from the analysis that out of the total male labour employment, 62 per cent were employed in non-farm and 32 per cent in on-farm work. Females were much less employed than male workers. There is widespread unemployment prevalent in coastal Odisha, as only 55 per cent of the days in a year, the male workers got employment. It was found that maximum number of people had migrated to places out of state followed by out of district and out of village. Remittances accounted for 25 per cent of total family income of all farmers followed by other non-farm activities and income from rice. The remittance was highest from the workers those who had migrated to out of state followed by out of district, out of village and out of country. Four sources of income like remittances, salaried job, other non-farm activities and rice were found to contribute more than 95 per cent of the income inequalities.


Index triggers have enabled the extension of insurance to disaster risks by providing a simple mechanism to determine insurance payment. Disaster risks are notoriously difficult to insure against due to the covariant nature of risks, moral hazard and adverse selection. Index based risk transfer minimizes these obstacles by not fully insuring the risk. However, such incompleteness generates basis risk, that is the risk that claims do not match losses. This paper analyzes the upside basis risk (receiving a claim without a loss) and downside basis risk (having a loss but no claim) to determine a partial order ranking of indices for any risk averse individual. The partial ranking allows the selection of an index that is optimal for any individual with unknown risk aversion. Results demonstrate that correlation and covariance can provide incorrect comparisons between indices.


In tracking multiple objects, it is often assumed that each observation (measurement) is originated from one and only one object. However, we may encounter a situation that each measurement may or may not be associated with multiple objects at each time step --spawning. Therefore, the association of each measurement to multiple objects is a crucial task to perform in order to track multiple objects with birth and death. In this paper, we introduce a novel Bayesian nonparametric approach that models a scenario where each observation may be drawn from an unknown number of objects for which it provides a tractable Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach to sample from the posterior distribution. The number of objects at each time step, itself, is also assumed to be unknown. We, then, show through experiments the advantage of nonparametric modeling to scenarios with spawning events. Our experiment results also demonstrate the advantages of our framework over the existing methods.


Abstract Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a common chronic disease in modern society, and the etiology and pathogenesis of it is still unknown. For its main symptoms: disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism, the usual treatment is applying statin and hypoglycemic drugs. Comparing to the long-term application of these drugs which may cost great side effects, Dendrobium Nobile Lindl (DN) has been proved for its hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering effects without obvious side effects. So this trial is aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DN-powder in intervention of MS, and to explore the mechanism of action of DN through multi-group correlation analysis. Methods: This clinical trial is a single-arm, non-randomized, open, exploratory trial. A total of 30 participants who are suffering from MS will be assigned into therapy group (n = 30). The treatment course will last for 8 weeks, and a follow-up period for 4 weeks. The participants will receive DN-powder for 6 g, twice a day during the study period. The primary outcome will be the change of lipid and glucose metabolism. Other outcomes will be the body weight and body mass index (BMI) which will be assessments record in every 2 weeks. Participants who quit the trial due to untolerable reactions or uncontrollable conditions will enter into a follow-up period after the last treatment. All participants will enter into a follow-up period for 4 weeks after the last treatment. Adverse events will be recorded during the whole study. Discussion: The results of the trial are aim to provide evidence of the safety and efficacy of DN-powder in intervention of MS which may be potential to become an important alternative therapy for certain patients. Trial registration: It has been registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=55914. (Identifier: ChiCTR2000034550), Registered 9 July 2020.


Abstract Although the use of ECT has declined dramatically from its inception, this decrease has recently shown signs of leveling out because of ECT's powerful therapeutic effect in severely ill depressed individuals who either do not respond to pharmacologic alternatives or are too ill to tolerate a relatively lengthy drug trial. Notwithstanding its therapeutic benefits, ECT has also remained a controversial treatment modality, particularly in the eye of the public. Given the unsavory qualities associated with the word "electroconvulsive," claims of possible, probable, or even certain brain damage with ECT have easily found listeners. A careful, nonselective assessment of data covering the areas of pathology, radiology, electrophysiology, biochemistry, and neuropsychology leads both to certain conclusions and to certain unanswered questions. ECT is not the devastating purveyor of wholesale brain damage that some of its detractors claim. For the typical individual receiving ECT, no detectable correlates of irreversible brain damage appear to occur. Still, there remains the possibility that either subtle, objectively undetectable persistent deficits, particularly in the area of autobiographic memory function, occur, or that a rarely occurring syndrome of more pervasive persistent deficits related to ECT use may be present. Clearly, more research directed toward answering these questions needs to be carried out so that the role of ECT can be more rigorously defined. While such research is pending, however, we cannot expect that the conditions that predispose to clinical referrals for ECT will disappear. Given the misery, anguish, and risk of death by suicide, starvation, or debilitation associated with severe depressive illness, for example, it still appears that ECT, at least for the present, must continue to be available.


In Reply.— If our article was "troubling", then it probably served its purpose. Unfortunately, the various diagnostic criteria are being widely and uncritically adopted without adequate validation. Our article was not intended as a criticism of any particular approach to operationalizing diagnostic criteria. It was intended merely to emphasize the need for empirical evaluation and validation of whatever approach is ultimately accepted. The rebuttal by Spitzer and colleagues states that the purpose of the Washington University criteria, the New York criteria, and the DSM-III criteria is to improve clinical practice by incorporating into diagnostic criteria distinctions that have been shown "by research study" to have some validity in terms of such variables as course, response to specific therapy, familial pattern, etc. Instead of repeating the oft-stated research claims, would it not be more convincing to document them? Dr Spitzer obviously recognizes the critical difference that specific wording of diagnostic criteria can


The isotope composition (δ18O and δD) of surface waters was measured over a 26-month period near three localities situated along the northern coast of Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada. To characterize the present-day local hydrological settings, the oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were measured from precipitation and were compared to local and regional climate data. We show that the modern surface waters contain information on climate and that this relationship is likely to be transferred to biotic components within the lakes. These components, once sedimented, are therefore likely to form an archive of climate change. The new data presented here show the possibility of isotope paleoclimatic investigation based on lake sediments in the northern coastal region of Ungava Peninsula.


abstract Two M s = 7 earthquakes struck in April and May of 1976 near the town of Gazli, Uzbekistan in the Soviet Union causing extensive damage. The focal mechanisms of the two events have been determined by modeling the long-period body waves with synthetic seismograms. Both events have large components of thrust faulting, but they vary measurably in azimuthal orientation. The moment of the first event was 2.1 × 10 26 dyne-cm and of the second was 2.4 × 10 26 dyne-cm. The stress drops were around 50 bars which is typical for intraplate events. The surrounding region had been assigned a low seismic risk based on recent patterns of seismicity. Historic records from the ancient city of Bukhara show that earthquakes in the magnitude range 6 to 7 had actually occurred in the region several times prior to the turn of the century. The Gazli events appear to have occurred on a preexisting zone of weakness that is evidenced by the geological record.


The various processes of truck loading at a fuel filling plant are interrelated which makes it complex to analyze and improve the performance of the filling plants. This paper describes these processes and presents a software tool developed in FlexSim for modelling the drivers' activities, analyzing different decision scenarios, and optimizing the filling processes at fuel terminals. The simulation model has been used to identify bottlenecks and evaluating opportunities for performance improvement. This paper reports the application of the model to a lubricant filling plant for analyzing and supporting decision making on the assignment of trucks to bays, and on the availability of the lubricants on the fuel arms at the lading bays.


Polymer bonded explosive (PBX) belongs to energy materials, which generally consists of explosive crystals and binder molecules crystals. Thermal conductivity of PBX is a key parameter for evaluating its performance. Thus, its reliable and accurate calculation is a crucial scientific problem. However, the task becomes difficult because the accurate phonons dispersion relations calculated from first principles are almost unavailable. Therefore, lattice dynamics is proposed to accurately calculate phonon dispersion relations of molecular crystals (including TATB, HMX, PVDF, and PCTFE) in the present study. Then, Boltzmann theory is applied to calculate their thermal conductivities based on phonons of these molecular crystals. Our findings show that thermal conductivities are anisotropic along different crystal orientations. Finally, thermal conductivity of PBX has been calculated by two-flow network model. Our findings are in agreement with our and other researchers' experimental results, thereby verifying that our lattice dynamics method is reliable in calculating phonons without imaginary frequency and the thermal conductivity of molecular crystals in PBX explosive can be calculated reliably. This condition solves the long-standing problem of inaccurate and unreliable thermal conductivity calculation. The study may be generalized to thermal conductivity calculation of any molecular crystal or any compound consisting of molecular crystals.


Abstract Whether paternal epigenetic changes resulting from nutrition might be inherited by their offspring remains unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between preconception paternal body weight and their offspring's birth weight in 1,810 Chinese mother-father-baby trios. Information on paternal and maternal preconception body weight and height was collected via a self-reported questionnaire. Birth weight was collected from medical records. Paternal preconception body weight was associated with offspring's birth weight (p trend = .02) after multivariate adjustment. Each standard deviation increment of paternal body mass index was associated with an additional 29.6 g increase of birth weight (95% confident interval: 5.7 g, 53.5 g). The association was more pronounced in male neonates, and neonates with overweight mothers, and with mothers who gained excessive gestational weight, compared to their counterparts (all p interaction < .05). Sensitivity analyses showed similar pattern to that of the main analysis. Paternal preconception body weight was associated with birth weight of their offspring. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? More efforts have previously been put on the maternal contribution to birth weight, however, it is uncertain whether paternal pre-conceptional body weight, an indicator for epigenetic information, might be inherited by their offspring. What do the results of this study add? In the current study that included 1,810 Chinese mother-father-baby trios, a small but significant association was observed between paternal preconception body weight and offspring's birth weight (p trend =.02). What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Paternal epigenetic information of nutrition could be inherited by their offspring.


Until recently, the synthesis of polythiophenes using Suzuki chemistry has proven difficult because of the ready protodeborylation of thiophene boronates. However, we now report that the new generation of bulky, electron-rich Pd(0)-phosphane catalysts are effective and reliable for the preparation of regioregular polyalkylthiophenes using Suzuki coupling. Moreover, the monomers can be prepared in high yield by Ir-catalysed borylation, without the need for strong organolithium bases, making this potentially a highly functional group-tolerant approach to polyalkylthiophene derivatives. Perfluoroalkylthiophenes also undergo this reaction.


approach, glenohumeral joint, 1 RCT (8); posterior approach, glenohumeral joint, 1 RCT (9); glenohumeral joint, 2 RCTs (10,11); glenohumeral joint or subacromial bursa or bicipital tendon, 9 RCTs (12–14); and supraspinatus tendon, 1 RCT (15). Many different approaches were used in these RCTs; if we segregated the patients into subgroups on the basis of these approaches, then the number of studies and patients included in our analysis would be too small to arrive at a reliable conclusion regarding the effects of these therapies. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we did not evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronate injections for the various injection approaches. We thank Dr. Padua and colleagues for their thoughtprovoking comments regarding these important issues in our meta-analysis.


Background and Purpose— p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), a BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 protein family, is required for p53-dependent and -independent forms of apoptosis. PUMA localizes to mitochondria and interacts with antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL or proapoptotic Bax in response to death stimuli. Although studies have shown that PUMA is associated with pathomechanisms of cerebral ischemia, clearly defined roles for PUMA in ischemic neuronal death remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine potential roles for PUMA in cerebral ischemia. Methods— Five minutes of transient global cerebral ischemia (tGCI) were induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion combined with hypotension. Results— PUMA was upregulated in vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons after tGCI as shown by immunohistochemistry. In Western blot and coimmunoprecipitation analyses, PUMA localized to mitochondria and was bound to Bcl-XL and Bax in the hippocampal CA1 subregion after tGCI. PUMA upregulation was inhibited by pifithrin-α, a specific inhibitor of p53, suggesting that PUMA is partly controlled by the p53 transcriptional pathway after tGCI. Furthermore, reduction in oxidative stress by overexpression of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, which is known to be protective of vulnerable ischemic hippocampal neurons, inhibited PUMA upregulation and subsequent hippocampal CA1 neuronal death after tGCI. Conclusions— These results imply a potential role for PUMA in delayed CA1 neuronal death after tGCI and that it could be a molecular target for therapy.


FISSURE (Frequency Independent SDR-based Signal Understanding and Reverse Engineering) is a newly released open-source RF and reverse engineering framework designed for all skill levels with hooks for signal detection and classification, protocol discovery, attack execution, IQ manipulation, vulnerability analysis, automation, and AI/ML. This paper introduces the principles behind FISSURE and provides a synopsis of its components. Additionally, the extent of GNU Radio integration within the framework is detailed along with a projection of future directions for the project.


Aims. As a sub-Uranus-mass low-density planet, GJ 3470b has been found to show a flat featureless transmission spectrum in the infrared and a tentative Rayleigh scattering slope in the optical. We conducted an optical transmission spectroscopy project to assess the impacts of stellar activity and to determine whether or not GJ 3470b hosts a hydrogen-rich gas envelop. Methods. We observed three transits with the low-resolution Optical System for Imaging and low-Intermediate-Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy (OSIRIS) at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias, and one transit with the high-resolution Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) at the 8.2 m Very Large Telescope. Results. From the high-resolution data, we find that the difference of the Ca ii H+K lines in- and out-of-transit is only 0.67 ± 0.22%, and determine a magnetic filling factor of about 10–15%. From the low-resolution data, we present the first optical transmission spectrum in the 435–755 nm band, which shows a slope consistent with Rayleigh scattering. Conclusions. After exploring the potential impacts of stellar activity in our observations, we confirm that Rayleigh scattering in an extended hydrogen-helium atmosphere is currently the best explanation. Further high-precision observations that simultaneously cover optical and infrared bands are required to answer whether or not clouds and hazes exist at high-altitude.


The appropriation of health

In 1974 Richard Smith, the editor of the British Medical Journal , and I each attended lectures by Ivan Illich. Smith, then a medical student in Edinburgh, heard him claim that "the major threat to health in the world is modern medicine." While a visiting professor in Boston that same year I heard him make the same claim. Smith recalls that listening to Illich was "the closest I ever came to a religious experience".1 I had a somewhat different reaction, one tempered by the exchange between Illich and a medical student after his lecture. The student, raising his hand, said "but Dr. Illich, I just want to help sick people", to which Illich replied with a sneer that "you're no better than the Nazi doctors." Smith's reaction was to drop out of medical school (for three days). Mine was disgust.

Looking back today I realise that …


A new approach to the generation of powerful tunable hard radiation in the cross-grooved resonator (CGR) of a free electron laser is proposed and discussed. Gamma quanta are generated upon backward Compton scattering of intracavity radiation by the electron beam of a free electron laser with a CGR. The use of a CGR considerably increases the power of intracavity radiation, and hence the power of gamma radiation, and also solves the problem of extraction of hard radiation by eliminating the losses in the depth of the cavity mirror, which were inevitable earlier.


We study the impact of global food price shocks on domestic inflation in a large group of countries. For advanced economies, a 10% increase in global food inflation raises domestic inflation by about 0.5 percentage point after a year; however, the impact has declined over time and become less persistent. The global food price shocks of the 2000s had a much bigger impact on domestic inflation in emerging and developing economies than in advanced economies. This could reflect the smaller share of food in the consumption baskets in advanced economies. We also provide evidence that inflation expectations are more anchored in advanced than in emerging economies, which could also explain the smaller impact on inflation from global food price shocks.


This article critically examines the state (extent of provision) and status (public esteem) of modern language education in Scotland, which as a constituent part of the United Kingdom has its own independent education system. The notion of social capital, as conceptualized by Putnam and others, is used to show how attempts by language professionals in Scottish universities to create social 'bridges' and 'linkages' with stakeholders in schools have so far not been able to stem an overall downward trend in language study. As a major educational reform is getting underway in Scottish secondary schools, there may be increased opportunities for higher education language staff to build strategic networks but, it is argued, underlying support at the macro level is needed to ensure that such initiatives can be sustained more widely and consistently. Consideration is given to possible future actions.


The R&D Intensity (RI) indicator is widely used by analysts and policymakers for international comparisons, benchmarking, and goal setting. It is believed that calculating a separate RI for each industrial class will reveal a more representative indication of the focus of various countries in that particular class. In this study, we named the disaggregated R&D Intensity "Class-RI". The study first investigated the indicator's validity by correlating it with an economic indicator at the manufacturing classes' level. A number of manufacturing classes were then singled out to identify which countries exhibited high RI. The study demonstrated the usefulness of Class-RI in ranking countries.


Optimum peripheral perfusion, oxygenation and oxygen utilization is a prerequisite for normal wound healing, resistance to infection and cardiac function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate peripheral oxygen utilization by measurements of subcutaneous tissue gases and pH (PscO2, PscCO2 and pHsc) in comparison to established techniques for measurements of periph-eral tissue oxygenation and oxygen utilization in experimental animal models with hyperoxia-hypoxia, acidosis-alkalosis and haemorrhage-resuscitation. The oxygen electrode of polarographic type, Paratrend 7™ was compared with established electrodes of the same type, Biogenesis™ and Continucath 1000™ in an in vitro and an in vivo model. The Paratrend 7 and the Biogenesis sensors generated almost equal tissue oxygen ten-sion values in response to changes in arterial oxygen tension. The Continucath sensor gener-ated 50 % higher tissue oxygen tension values compared with the Paratrend 7 and Biogenesis sensors, both with and without tonometer. During hyperoxia and hypoxia measurements of sub-cutaneous tissue gases and pH are indicators of oxygen utilization. Correction of oxygen utiliza-tion in the subcutaneous tissue as measured by subcutaneous carbon dioxide tension and pH is slower than indicated by changes in subcutaneous oxygen tension, blood gases and pH. Over-compensation of acidosis with bicarbonate resulting in alkalosis impairs oxygenation. Subcuta-neous oxygen tension was an early indicator of changes in peripheral tissue perfusion and oxy-genation during hypovolemia and resuscitation. Measurements of subcutaneous carbon dioxide tension and pH verified inadequate tissue oxygen utilization during shock and recovery from tissue acidosis after resuscitation in contrast to the corresponding measurements in arterial blood. Measurements of subcutaneous tissue gases and pH, to a large extent reflect similar changes in splanchnic perfusion, oxygenation and tissue oxygen utilisation during hemorrhage and resuscitation. Additional measurements of PscCO2 and pHsc in combination with PscO2 generate relevant infor-mation on tissue oxygen utilization in a variety of clinical conditions.


Abstract During the last three decades, many papers have reported the existence of a luminosity metallicity or mass metallicity (M–Z) relation for all kinds of galaxies: The more massive galaxies are also the ones with more metal-rich interstellar medium. We have obtained the mass-metallicity relation at different lookback times for the same set of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), using the stellar metallicities estimated with our spectral synthesis code starlight. Using stellar metallicities has several advantages: We are free of the biases that affect the calibration of nebular metallicities; we can include in our study objects for which the nebular metallicity cannot be measured, such as AGN hosts and passive galaxies; we can probe metallicities at different epochs of a galaxy evolution. We have found that the M–Z relation steepens and spans a wider range in both mass and metallicity at higher redshifts for SDSS galaxies. We also have modeled the time evolution of stellar metallicity with a closed-box chemical evolution model, for galaxies of different types and masses. Our results suggest that the M–Z relation for galaxies with present-day stellar masses down to 1010M⊙ is mainly driven by the star formation history and not by inflows or outflows.


INTRODUCTION
The combination of methotrexate (MTX) + leflunomide (LFN) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of RA. Its safety has been questioned.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combination of MTX + LFN in patients with active RA.

METHODS
This was a 24-week multicenter study, which included 88 patients with active disease despite consistent treatment with methotrexate and prednisolone.

RESULTS
We included 78 women (88%) and 10 men. The age was 51.3 ± 12.4 years, and the evolution of disease was 8 ± 6.8 years. Patients had active disease, which was indicated by a median of IQR of 10.0 (7.0-13.0) for swollen and of 14.0 (18.0-10.0) for tender joints for the whole group. The ACR responses achieved at week 24 were: ACR20: 76.0%; ACR50: 67.1%; ACR70: 23.9%. There was improvement in the activity of disease: DAS-28 score: 5.8 ± 1.2 at baseline vs. 3.8 ± 1.6 at week 24 (P = 0.000). The most significant adverse event was elevation of transaminases in eight patients (26%). Eight patients were withdrawn due to adverse events: four due to the elevation of transaminases, and one each due to diabetes insipidus, rash, diabetes mellitus and osteomuscular pain.

CONCLUSION
The combination of MTX + LFN is effective for treating RA in patients for whom conventional treatment has failed. Strict medical and laboratory control is to be enforced for safety.


The downsizing of employees has been ubiquitous in many industries in recent years with the aim of operating leanly. Management of organizations may be oblivious of the potential effects of this action on the morale of remaining workers. The research sought to ascertain the effect of downsizing on the morale of remaining employees. Using unstructured interview with line managers, human resources managers and union executives and focused interview with employees in various departments of ten insurance companies in the Ghanaian insurance industry, and found that downsizing is tantamount to a breach of the psychological contract employees have with management. Again, it results in a loss of employee trust in management, reduced employee morale, increased labour turnover and absenteeism, loss of job satisfaction and worsening employee performance. These findings contrast existing literature proclaiming that remnant employees display highness of morale.


We present the integrated 411 ks Chandra ACIS-S exposure of the Antennae galaxies (NGC 4038/39). Besides a rich population of pointlike sources, this spectacular image reveals a spatially and spectrally complex hot diffuse gaseous component. For the first time we detect intense line emission from Fe, Ne, Mg, and Si in the Antennae and obtain a detailed picture of spatially varied metal abundances in the hot interstellar medium (ISM) of a galaxy. In certain regions, the abundances of α-elements may be many times solar, while the Fe abundance is subsolar or near-solar. The differences in the local metal enrichment of the hot ISM may be related to the local star formation rates and to the degree of confinement of the enriched hot ISM. We also report large-scale gaseous features, including two gigantic, ~10 kpc scale "loops" extending to the south of the merging disks and a low surface brightness hot halo, extending out to ~18 kpc. These features may be related to superwinds from the starburst in the Antennae or result from the merger hydrodynamics. Their long cooling times suggest that they may persist to form the hot X-ray halo of the emerging elliptical galaxy.


Based on my experience as an engineer and educator, I believe that "engineering leadership" rather than "engineering management" should be the goal of engineers in key roles and the focus of their management education. I would also like to see programs in technical organizations led by engineering leaders rather than nontechnical managers. I believe that it is more beneficial to enhance the leadership potential of an engineer than to educate the nontechnical manager in technology.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health threat to people all over the world and it has stretched hospital resources since the beginning of the pandemic. Available reports to date showed that COVID-19 seems to be less common in children. However, the number of pediatric patients is increasing and a lower number of pediatric patients does not necessarily mean that children are less susceptible to the infection. On the other hand, it is shown that preparedness and response to the COVID-19 disease pandemic in the hospital caring for children are extremely variable. The main target during a pandemic is to maintain high quality and high-efficiency care, with emphasis on patient and provider safety. A documented pandemic plan, simulation training, appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and appropriate isolation areas in the hospital and also in the emergency department are essential components of pandemic response. Therefore, respiratory hygiene, proper patient placement/ isolation, handling and cleaning of patient care equipment, devices, and environment and procedure safety are all important for effective working flow and reliable working environment in the hospital.
Early recognition and isolation of a patient with COVID-19 may help decrease exposure to the other patients and healthcare personnel. The use of a strict surveillance and management protocol during outbreaks of highly virulent viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), through dedicated patient pathways, adoption of personal protective equipment for health care personnel, and use of nasopharyngeal screening of all admitted children and possibly all healthcare personnel should be recommended. Therefore, we developed a protocol addressing reception, risk management, and hospitalization of suspected SARS-CoV-2 cases at the pediatric emergency department, pediatric wards, and outpatient clinics aimed at containing intrahospital transmission of the infection. Our pandemic response planning was characterized by close collaboration among the head of our hospital, department of pediatrics, pediatric emergency department, pediatric infection control committee, and front-line staff as well as optimization of communication channels. In this article, we aimed to share our experiences of how to handle pediatric patients with COVID-19 in our university hospital from all aspects including prevention of possible transmissions during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Pancoast's syndrome includes Horner's syndrome, atrophy of the hand muscles and shoulder, axilla or arm pain. This syndrome is caused by an apical thoracic lesion, most commonly a bronchogenic carcinoma, which invades the brachial plexus roots and the cervicothoracic sympathetic chain. Several nonmalignant causes are documented in the literature with infection being one. After a case of Pancoast syndrome caused by a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus empyema, we began a systematic search of the literature to identify case reports/series of Pancoast syndrome secondary to infection. Our search was limited to the English language and performed using MEDLINE. Thirty-one cases of Pancoast's syndrome secondary to infectious causes were found in our review of the literature. The infectious causes identified were bacterial, fungal and parasitic organisms; however, no single organism could be identified as the most prevalent. Our review represents the most complete summation of individual case reports on this subject and highlights clinical characteristics of each presentation and the organisms that were encountered. This number of cases of Pancoast's syndrome secondary to infectious causes indicates that this association may be more common than previously reported.


Oxide supports functionalized with amine moieties have been used for decades as catalysts and chromatographic media. Owing to the recognized impact of atmospheric CO2 on global climate change, the study of the use of amine-oxide hybrid materials as CO2 sorbents has exploded in the past decade. While the majority of the work has concerned separation of CO2 from dilute mixtures such as flue gas from coal-fired power plants, it has been recognized by us and others that such supported amine materials are also perhaps uniquely suited to extract CO2 from ultradilute gas mixtures, such as ambient air. As unique, low temperature chemisorbents, they can operate under ambient conditions, spontaneously extracting CO2 from ambient air, while being regenerated under mild conditions using heat or the combination of heat and vacuum. This Account describes the evolution of our activities on the design of amine-functionalized silica materials for catalysis to the design, characterization, and utilization of these materials in CO2 separations. New materials developed in our laboratory, such as hyperbranched aminosilica materials, and previously known amine-oxide hybrid compositions, have been extensively studied for CO2 extraction from simulated ambient air (400 ppm of CO2). The role of amine type and structure (molecular, polymeric), support type and structure, the stability of the various compositions under simulated operating conditions, and the nature of the adsorbed CO2 have been investigated in detail. The requirements for an effective, practical air capture process have been outlined and the ability of amine-oxide hybrid materials to meet these needs has been discussed. Ultimately, the practicality of such a "direct air capture" process is predicated not only on the physicochemical properties of the sorbent, but also how the sorbent operates in a practical process that offers a scalable gas-solid contacting strategy. In this regard, the utility of low pressure drop monolith contactors is suggested to offer a practical mode of amine sorbent/air contacting for direct air capture.


In this study, up-to-date studies on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) were reviewed. In this review, firstly, the field of HCI was introduced, and then important topics and concepts about the field were dealt with. The up-to-date studies were reviewed, and the current situation of the field, trending topics and the technologies were tried to be analyzed. As a result of the study, the future of the field is tried to be revealed.


We introduce weighted expressions, a calculus to express quantitative properties over unranked trees. They involve products and sums from a semiring as well as classical boolean formulas. We show that weighted expressions are expressively equivalent to a new class of weighted tree-walking automata. This new automata model is equipped with pebbles, and follows a depth-first-search policy in the tree.


• A 33-year-old man had a two-year history of uveitis associated with a primary reticulum cell sarcoma of the brain. At autopsy, inflammatory cells were present throughout the vitreous and no intraocular reticulum cell sarcoma was present. The pathogenesis of this cellular reaction is obscure, but the reaction may precede the infiltration of the eye by malignant reticulum cells. It is important to recognize the association of uveitis and neurologic signs as radiotherapy may substantially prolong life in patients with this association.


Papaya transformation systems were developed by Fitch et al. (1991) at the University of Hawaii, and transgenic 'Sunset' papayas with papaya ringspot virus (PRV) coat protein (cp) gene showed complete resistance to papaya ringspot virus (PRV) in the field tests (Manshardt et al, 1994). In our studies, we transformed 'Kapoho' papaya, the major crop on the Big Island, Hawaii, based on Fitch's (1991) papaya transformation systems, and obtained transgenic 'Kapoho' papaya plants. The coat protein (cp) gene of PRV, along with a kanamycin selective marker gene (neomycin phosphotransferase, NPTII) and a Pglucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene, were constructed into the same plasmid vector by our collaborators at Cornell University and transformed into papaya tissue by particle bombardment. Transgenic 'Kapoho' papaya plants were obtained following somatic embryogenesis from hypocotyl callus on kanamycin selective medium and showed GUS positive expression. Immature zygotic embryos were excised and bombarded with gold particles. Following different treatments of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), chimeric hypocotyls were harvested on germination medium 20 days after bombardment. Somatic embryogenesis from sections of chimeric transgenic hypocotyls occurred on induction medium and the transgenic embryos were cultured on selective induction medium or maturation medium with different concentrations of kanamycin for eight months. Then, the embryos were regenerated on germination medium without kanamycin. GUS was assayed in all experimental steps, and different GUS positive results were observed at different developmental stages. ELISA assays of coat protein and NPTII in chimeric transgenic hypocotyls showed positive expression and a high efficiency of transformation.


There is a strong perception among members of the Irish deaf community that the community is in gradual decline, with dwindling traditional bases for producing Irish Sign Language (ISL) users. For instance, enrolments in residential schools for the deaf have been declining steadily, and the numbers involved in social, sports and cultural activities in the community have been falling. Technological advances, consolidation of educational policies for deaf children in mainstream education, and individualisation and increased social mobility have also had an impact on how this community operates. However, there is paltry research on how such changes have affected deaf community cohesion, especially in the Irish context. Therefore, this ongoing research entitled Sense of Community – the Irish Deaf Community, seeks to explore the notion and strength of community belonging amongst the deaf community in Ireland. This project report presents the results of one element of this research, i.e. an online survey study conducted in June 2020. Initial analysis of the results of this survey indicate that ISL is one of the primary bonds holding the Irish deaf community together and that issues that divide the community include trustworthiness, feelings of exclusion, and the notion of leadership.


Purpose – A major lesson of the EMU crisis is that serious disequilibria result from regional monetary arrangements not designed to be robust to a variety of shocks. The purpose of this paper is to assess these disequilibria within the CEMAC, UEMOA and CFA zones. Design/methodology/approach – In the assessments, monetary policy targets inflation and financial dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size while real sector policy targets economic performance in terms of GDP growth. We also provide the speed of convergence and time required to achieve a 100% convergence. Findings – But for financial intermediary size within the CFA zone, findings for the most part support only unconditional convergence. There is no form of convergence within the CEMAC zone. Practical implications – The broad insignificance of conditional convergence results have substantial policy implications. Monetary and real policies which are often homogenous for member states are thwarted by heterogeneous structural and institutional characteristics which give rise to different levels and patterns of financial intermediary development. Therefore member states should work towards harmonizing cross-country differences in structural and institutional characteristics that hamper the effectiveness of monetary policies. Originality/value – The paper provides warning signs to the CFA zone in the heat of the Euro zone crises.


The prevalence of arson in different settings both in developed and developing countries is explored in this article.  While this crime has different dimensions in terms of motive and consequences as it is discussed, there is an extremely urgent need for Education Managers in Uganda to have practical strategies that can mitigate this vice.  It is therefore concluded by suggesting some of them so as to save life and property in schools.


A twenty-one-year-old male patient with an exaggerated hypersensitivity reaction to a mosquito bite presented to the department of emergency medicine for further evaluation. He was noted on physical examination to have splenomegaly. The hematological blood tests that were performed were compatible with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this case, the mosquito bite heralded the diagnosis of CML.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of transplantation of immortalized neural progenitor cells (INPCs) into the brain with focal cerebral ischemia and the survival and differentiation thereof.

METHODS
Twenty-four male SD rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: INPC group undergoing transplantation of BrdU-labeled INPCs into the penumbra zone in striatum using stereotaxic apparatus 3 days after brain ischemia, and control group undergoing transplantation of PBS. Neurological severity score (NSS) system was used 6 hours, 1 day, and 3 days after MCAO, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks respectively after transplantation. One week after transplantation, 6 animals of each group were randomly chosen and killed with their brains taken out, the rest of the animals were killed four weeks after transplantation. The survival of INPCs in the brain was determined by double immunofluorescent labeling technique with BrdU + NSE or BrdU + GFAP antibody.

RESULTS
The NSS values at different time points after transplantation of both groups were all higher than those before MCAO; however, no significant difference in NSS was detected between the two groups. BrdU + GFAP and BrdU + NSE positive astrocytes and neurons were detected in the INPC group by double immunofluorescent labeling technique 1 week and 4 weeks after transplantation.

CONCLUSION
INPC can survive in penumbra zone in rats with focal cerebral ischemia and develop into neurons and astrocytes.


Genetic diversity of Salvadora oleoides Decne is analyzed by cumulative data of 10 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), 10 Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) and 7 Intron Splice Junction (ISJ) markers. The plant is an evergreen fruit tree and well distributed in semi-arid and sub-humid climatic conditions of Rajasthan, India. RAPD, ISSR and ISJ primers accounted for 84.4%, 85.3%, 85.9% polymorphism. Average 0.23 PIC is accounted for RAPD, ISSR and ISJ primers. The genetic similarity ranged between 0.42-0.89. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed higher variation (73%) at intra-population than inter-population (27%) level. Genetic distances based on Un-weighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram and Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) is correlated with physical distances or climatic conditions of Salvadora oleoides Decne in a semi-arid and sub-humid environment of Rajasthan. The present investigation may help in the understanding of gene flow systems between physical distances and environmental heterogeneity of the populations for better management of Salvadora oleoides Decne in the region.


Abstract The European continent distinguished as an entity with genuinely regionalized economic structures. Considering the existing economic disparities in the European regions were found several reasons for the regional aggregation of research and innovation activities.Our study aims to assess the European region's total factor productivity performance of knowledge production for the period 2009-2018, proposing to identify several clusters in the European countries based on their innovative potential and their total factor productivity. The present research evaluates the performance of regional knowledge production in the European countries by using the Malmquist Index procedure. We expect to assess the efficiency of research and development inputs in knowledge production and the contribution of the total factor productivity to the innovative capacity building. The source of data was the Eurostat database. To estimate the knowledge production achievement in the European countries, we examined the total research and development expenditures and the number of researchers involved in this activity as conventional inputs in determining the Malmquist Index. As output, we considered the number of patents applied at the European Patent Office. We applied cluster analysis to identify potential factors that determine disparities among different levels of development of innovation capacity and to detect similarities within the identified clusters.


Sharing of research code would greatly benefit neuroscience, but this practice is hampered by a collective action problem. Since the development of the internet, conditional pledge platforms (e.g., Kickstarter) have increasingly been used to solve globally-dispersed collective action problems (Hallam, 2016). However, this strategy has yet to be implemented within academia. In this brief paper, we introduce a general purpose conditional pledge platform for the research community: Project Free Our Knowledge. We highlight a new conditional pledge campaign that was initiated at Brainhack 2021 and aims to motivate a critical mass of neuroscientists to share their research code. Crucially, this commitment activates only when a user-defined threshold of support is reached. We conclude by sharing our vision for how the research community could use collective action campaigns to create a sustained, evidence-based movement for social change in academia.


AE (Acoustic Emission) generation behavior during microfracture process of 2-dimensional alumina polycrystals is simulated along with its characteristic parameters, by assuming that a microfracture corresponds to an AE event. The microfracture process is simulated by using the body force method. Various AE generation behaviors are predicted as a function of the grain boundary toughness (Kcb), the grain size and the distribution state of residual stresses due to crystalline anisotropy. The predicted AE events have a tendency to occur at higher stress with increasing K cb and with decreasing grain size. By the fracture-mechanical calculation of the crack opening volume, the relative variation of AE amplitude is also simulated. The actual AE measurements are carried out in vacuum for two kinds of alumina with different grain size, and compared with the simulated results. The cumulative AE event curve for 11.5 μm grain size shows good agreement with the simulation when the K cb is 0.35 times the grain toughness (K cg ), and that for 28.2μm shows good agreement with the simulation at K cb =0.45K cg . The results of AE location for both the simulation and the measurement show the similar characteristics of the scattered distribution over the stressed fields.


The fierce conflicts and severe confrontations between father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brothers are the recurring theme in Greek mythology, while Hebrew patriarchal legends are threaded with scenarios of warm and harmonious family life. Every time contradictions loomed large and tragedies appeared to be inevitable, the authors of the legends always managed to dissolve them by, for instance, a "father's blessing" that mediated family disputes and reinstated the domestic balance. Through close reading of the narrative text, this paper analyzes the family values demonstrated in Greek mythology and Hebrew patriarchal legends. The characteristics of Greek and Hebrew cultures are then examined from the perspectives of world-view, ethical values, and national spirit.


The problem of image super-resolution from a set of low resolution multiview images has recently received much attention and can be decomposed, at least conceptually, into two consecutive steps as: registration and restoration. The ability to accurately register the input images is key to the success and the quality of image super-resolution algorithms. Using recent results from the sampling theory for signals with finite rate of innovation (FRI), we propose in this paper a new technique for subpixel extraction from low resolution images of local features like step edges and corners for image registration. By exploiting the knowledge of the sampling kernel, we are able to locate exactly the step edges on synthetic images. We also present results of full frame super-resolution of real low resolution images using our registration technique. We obtain super-resolved images with a much improved visual quality compared to using a standard local feature detection approach like a subpixel Harris corner detector.


Montelukast (Singulair - MSD) and zafirlukast (Accolate - AstraZeneca) are oral leukotriene receptor antagonists, licensed for the treatment of patients with asthma. In 1998, soon after their launch, we concluded that there was insufficient evidence to clearly define their place in treatment.1 Here, we reconsider their role in adults and children with asthma in the light of more recent evidence.


Abstract Curcumin (1) is a potent antioxidant and antitumor natural product. In spite of its efficacy and safety, its clinical use is hindered mainly by poor water solubility and bioavailability. Structural modification to introduce hydrophilic functions is a promising approach to resolve this problem. In the present study we first found that curcumin could be efficiently converted into glucosides by filamentous fungi including Rhizopus chinensis IFFI 03043, Absidia coerulea AS 3.3389 and Cunninghamella elegans AS 3.1207. Curcumin 4′-O-β-d-glucoside (2), together with hexahydrocurcumin (3), was isolated from a preparative-scale biotransformation with R. chinensis IFFI 03043 and characterized fully by NMR and MS. A time-course study revealed that curcumin could be efficiently converted into curcumin 4′-O-β-d-glucoside within 8 h when administered at 0.05 mmol L−1 and the productivity was 57%. Additionally, the biotransformation products of curcumin by different fungal strains were analyzed by LC/MS. At least 15 metabolites were detected, and the predominant biotransformation reaction was glucosylation. This study provides a simple, efficient and less expensive approach for the preparation of curcumin glucosides. The introduction of the glucosyl function might be able to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin.


A theoretical and experimental study of thermal lensing in Yb-doped crystals is presented. In this first part, we focus on theoretical considerations and we describe an original technique suitable for thermal lensing measurements in end-pumped materials. We first derive an expression of the temperature distribution with account of absorption saturation and pump beam divergence inside the crystal, and we address a more general discussion on the particularities of quasi-three-level lasers, as far as thermal effects and fracture issues are concerned. The thermal lens was then measured using a simple technique based on a Shack-Hartmann wavefront analyzer, under lasing and nonlasing conditions. We demonstrate that the technique allows precise wavefront measurements even on small spots. Thermal lensing measurements are finally presented in Yb-doped YAG, GGG, YCOB, GdCOB, KGW, and YSO crystals.


The hierarchical organisation of biological systems plays a crucial role in the pattern formation of gene expression resulting from the morphogenetic processes. Being able to reproduce the systems dynamics at different levels of such a hierarchy might be very useful for studying such a complex phenomenon of self-organisation. In this paper we propose the adoption of the agent-based model as an approach capable of capture multi-level dynamics. We then realise an agent-based model of Drosophila Melanogaster morphogenesis demonstrating its capability of reproducing the expression pattern of the embryo.


The effects of micro-bubbles injection within the boundary layer to achieve drag reduction are investigated. Modifications in the structure of the turbulent boundary layer of a channel flow are studied to clarify the effects of the micro-bubbles presence. A comparison of the integral length scale for the stream-wise and normal components of the fluctuating velocity is performed. The autocorrelation coefficients are calculated from the velocity vectors obtained from particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements in various directions with various inclination angles to the wall surface of 0 deg., 18.5 deg., 26.5 deg., 45 deg., 63.5 deg., 71.5 deg., and 90 deg. (authors)


Abstract Determination of single crystal ages by fission track dating analysis of zircons (and subordinately apatites) within a detrital heavy mineral assemblage, together with frequency distribution and radial plot analysis of the measured ages, permits identification of different age modes. Such modes may characterize the provenance of a sediment and assist in defining source areas. A limitation of the application is the thermal stability of tracks within a mineral above which tracks are lost and ages partially reset: in broad terms over geological time 200–250°C for zircon and <100°C for apatite. Synopses are presented of published fission track provenance studies in north central Victoria, northeastern Tasminia, Barbados, the Rockall Trough, the English Wealden, Mexico, Utah and the Central Alps.


Background: The incidence of upper tract urolithiasis is rising worldwide and treatment options have improved to include extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolitothomy (PCNL) and ureterorenoscopy (URS) but sub- Saharan Africa has lagged behind the rest of the world.  Open stone surgery was the main surgical treatment for upper tract stones in Kumasi until the introduction of ESWL five years ago.  This study was conducted to evaluate ESWL in the management of upper tract urolithiasis in Kumasi, Ghana.
Materials and methods: We prospectively analyzed all patients treated for upper tract urolithiasis at the Bomso Specialist Hospital in Kumasi from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017. Patients with upper tract stone of 2cm or less underwent ESWL. Data was obtained on patient demographics, stone characteristics, outcome of ESWL and analyzed with PASW Statistics for Windows, Version 18.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc.
Results: There were 170 patients with upper tract urinary stones over the study period with a male: female ratio of 2:1. The mean age was 46.5 years. Inadequate fluid intake (<3L/day) was the most common predisposing factor, seen in 45.3% of the patients and the commonest symptom was flank pain, seen in 134 (78.8%) patients. There were 149 (87.6%) patients with solitary stones, mostly in the kidney 115 (67.6%). A total of 142 (83.5%) patients underwent ESWL with successful stone clearance in 120 patients. The most common complication of ESWL was flank pain 36 (25.4%).
Conclusions:ESWL is effective for treatment of upper tract urolithiasis and should be available to selected patients in sub- Saharan Africa.


In Andalusia (Spain), pediatricians are the main formal counseling source about children's development and education. Unfortunately, there is a limited knowledge about their ideas, practices and skills to guide parents. In this study, through the content analysis of 26 pediatrician interviews, we describe their ideas and goals about anticipatory guidance. We also analyze their perceptions about parental practices and the educative messages given to parents. The results show that pediatrician agenda focus mainly on bio-medical issues, such as nutrition, accident prevention and growth monitoring. Child development and education are not priorities and issues like psychomotor development and language are only approached to fill out medical records.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical results used fetal bone repairing the defect after osteoma resection.

METHODS
In 8 hours after abortion, the fetal bones of four limbs were cut and kept in the normal saline with gentamycin. Then the graft was storaged under 6 degrees C-8 degrees C and the longest storage time was 48 hours. Since 1990, seven cases of osteoma had been cured with fetal bone graft. Among them, there were 5 males and 2 females, aged from 6 to 38 years, the bone defect volume ranged from 5.5 cm x 3.6 cm x 2.5 cm to 9.0 cm x 4.3 cm x 3.2 cm. During operation, the osteoma was resected radically, then the defected cavity was impacted with prepared fetal bone.

RESULTS
After operation, the general condition was good, all the incision wound healed primarily. Sixteen weeks after operation, the defected cavity was repaired completely and the medullary cavity reopened. Follow-up for 8 months to 5 years, no recurrence or side-effect were observed.

CONCLUSION
Because of the more rapid expansion and replacement effect, the stronger osteoinduction, and the lower immune response, the fetal bone is practical material for repairing the bone defect in osteoma resection.


Objective: To analyze the clinicopathological features of PMC, including the patient age at clinical presentation, gender, anatomical location, tumor size, preoperative clinical and histopathologic diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective study to analyze all cases of PMC diagnosed in two hospitals from August 2008 to January 2017 in Southern Region, Saudi Arabia. Detailed medical records and histopathologic material review were done for all cases of pilomatricoma. Cases were identified using the search engine of each hospital electronic filing system. Results: 23 cases with an age range from 8 to 68 years (mean 28.8). The majority of patients were in their second (39%) and fourth (26%) decades of life with a female to male ratio of 1.2 to 1.1. Majority of the cases were noted in the neck (43.5%), followed by head region (30%). The tumor size ranged from 0.3 to 4.0 cm (mean 1.6). The most common preoperative clinical misdiagnosis was sebaceous cyst (34.8%). All cases were confirmed histopathologically as pilomatricoma. All tumors were excised surgically. Conclusions: PMC has a wide variety of clinical presentations and is commonly misdiagnosed with other dermatological conditions. PMC should be included in the differential diagnosis of nodules, particularly in the head and neck region. Increasing the clinical awareness and familiarity with the tumor may lead to accurate clinical diagnosis.


In this paper we present the results of ab initio calculations of charge-transfer absorption bands in Eu3+ and Yb3+-doped CaF2 and SrF2 crystals, which are due to transitions from the top of valence band to 4f state of trivalent rare-earth ion. The density-functional theory calculations have been performed in embedded-cluster approach. It was shown that low-energy absorption band is caused by charge-transfer transitions between 2p-states of interstitial fluorine and 4f state of the impurity ion.


To understand how alloy chemistry and microstructure impact corrosion performance, oxide layers formed at different stages of corrosion on various model zirconium alloys (Zr-xFe-yCr, Zr-xCu-yMo, for various x, y) and control materials (pure Zr, Zircaloy-4) were examined to determine their structure and the connection of such structure to corrosion kinetics and oxide stability. Microbeam synchrotron radiation diffraction and fluorescence of oxide cross sections were used to determine the oxide phases present, grain size, and orientation relationships as a function of distance from the oxide-metal interface. The results show a wide variation of corrosion behavior among the alloys, in terms of the pretransition corrosion kinetics and in terms of the oxide susceptibility to breakaway corrosion. The alloys that exhibited protective behavior at 500°C also were protective during 360°C corrosion testing. The Zr-0.4Fe-0.2Cr model ternary alloy showed protective behavior and stable oxide growth throughout the test. The results of the examination of the oxide layers with microbeam X-ray diffraction show clear differences in the structure of protective and nonprotective oxides both at the oxide-metal interface and in the bulk of the oxide layer. The nonprotective oxide interfaces show a smooth transition from metal to oxide with metal diffraction peaks disappearing as the monoclinic oxide peaks appear. In contrast, the protective oxides showed a complex structure near the oxide-metal interface, showing peaks from Zr3O suboxide and a highly oriented tetragonal oxide phase with specific orientation relationships with the monoclinic oxide and the base metal. The same interfacial structures are observed through their diffraction signals in protective oxide layers formed during both 360°C and 500°C corrosion testing. These diffraction peaks showed much higher intensities in the samples from 500°C testing. The results for the various model alloys are discussed to help elucidate the role of individual alloying elements in oxide formation and the influence of oxide microstructure on the corrosion mechanism.


Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and bombesin apparently enhance the rate of secretion of surfactant lipids from cultured fetal rat type II pneumocytes. This effect, evident within 1h of addition of the peptide, is concentration-dependent, with a maximal response at 3.0 nM. When the effect of GRP was assessed in comparison with other known secretagogues, it was found that, whereas GRP and isoproterenol were additive in their effect, there was no response to GRP in the presence of saturating concentrations of A23187 or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. This suggests that the secretory response to GRP is via activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and/or protein kinase C and is independent of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase. This conclusion is supported by the observation that the GRP-induced secretion is inhibited by calphostin C, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, but not by H-89, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The fact that GRP regulates surfactant secretion from type II pneumocytes suggests that it and/or related peptides may play a significant role in the physiological maturation of the lung.


The InAlAs/InGaAs/InP high-electron mobility transistor (InP HEMT) is the preferred low-noise device in cryogenic low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) operating at 5−15 K. Such LNAs are utilized in microwave and millimeter-wave detection in radio astronomy. In order to further reduce the noise level, a deeper understanding of the InP HEMT under cryogenic low-noise operation is necessary. In addition, InP HEMTs with very low dc power dissipation have recently become of interest due to power constraints when scaling quantum computing systems with large number of cryogenic LNAs. This thesis presents progress in InP HEMT technology for cryogenic LNAs. Three areas are addressed: device scaling, dc power optimization, and electrical stability at cryogenic temperature. The InP HEMT optimization are discussed in terms of the epitaxial layer design, fabrication, dc, rf, and noise characteristics. A 100 nm gate-length InP HEMT technology was developed by scaling of the barrier thickness. Despite increased gate leakage current, state-of-the-art cryogenic noise performance for a wide-band monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) LNAs was demonstrated with average noise temperature of 3.5 K and 6.3 K for the 0.3−14 GHz and 16−28 GHz designs, respectively. The impact of barrier thickness and channel composition on the cryogenic noise temperature and dc power dissipation of the InP HEMT LNAs was studied. Through the barrier scaling, the HEMT achieved an improvement of transconductance to drain current ratio at low drain voltages, which enabled a reduction of the power dissipation to 112 μW with an average noise temperature of 4.1 K in a 4−8 GHz InP HEMT LNA. From a comparative study of In0.65Ga0.35As and In0.8Ga0.2As channels, the InP HEMT with lower indium channel content resulted in superior cryogenic noise performance. The cryogenic stability of two-finger InP HEMTs was investigated. The InP HEMTs exhibited anomalous electrical behavior such as jumps in drain current and sharp peaks in transconductance. Three different design techniques were shown to mitigate the electrical instabilities associated with cryogenic operation. A cryogenic 24–40 GHz and a 28–52 GHz MMIC LNA based on the source air-bridge design technique for the two-finger InP HEMTs were demonstrated. The average noise temperature was 10.6 K and 10 K in the 24−40 GHz and 28−52 GHz LNAs, respectively. Both LNA designs demonstrated the lowest noise temperature reported so far for cryogenic MMIC LNAs for these frequency bands.


Abstract Miscible viscous fingering (VF) of the annulus of a more viscous fluid radially displaced by a less viscous fluid is investigated through both numerical computations and experimental study. We aim to understand how VF with finiteness in a radial displacement different from the classical radial VF and the instability of a slice displaced rectilinearly with a uniform velocity. It is observed that the VF of a miscible annular ring is a persistent phenomenon in contrast to the transient nature of VF of a miscible slice. Although new fingers cease to appear after some time but due to the radial spreading of the area available for VF, a finite number of fingers always remain at a later time when diffusion is the ultimate dominating force. A statistical analysis is performed for the numerical data and it is found that the second moment of the averaged profile, variance, is a non-monotonic function of time, contrary to variance in classical radial VF and rectilinear VF with one fluid sandwiched between layers of another. The minimum in the variance indicates the interaction of two fronts which is visible in terms of pressure fingers, but not the concentration fingers indicating a faster growth of pressure than the concentration growth. In addition, for existence of critical parameters for instability in terms of viscosity contrast and amount of sample, the variation of the finger length with flow rate is found to be dependent on the amount of the more viscous fluid confined in the annulus.


Myxoid liposarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour. The authors report one case of retroperitoneal tumour discovered during pregnancy, which recurred after initial surgery. Clinical features, clinical course and prognosis of this disease are examined together with management procedures.


Post Tender Negotiation (PTN) procedure is part of the tendering process in procurement of goods and services. The procedure could be triggered if the initial tendering activity does not result in the selection of a supplier. This could be due to a lack of clear Value for Money (VfM) bidder. The PTN procedure is sparingly applied in the UK public sector procurement and the reasons adduced for this are based on ethical considerations. The UK Office of Government Procurement (OGP), formerly known as the Office for Government Commerce (OGC) and the European Union (EU) are the chief proponents of restricting the use of PTN to exceptional cases. The premise of their argument is that the buyer could unethically tilt her/his actions in the process of applying the PTN procedure to favor certain suppliers. It is the argument of this paper that buyers from the public sector in UK are being deprived of the procedure's benefit and therefore, the restrictions should be relaxed. Evidence from this study suggests that the procedure could offer the opportunity for further clarifications of supplier's bid. The study also identifies that, for PTN to be successful, factors ensuring success in negotiations including cooperation should be present.


Adult spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) represent a distinctive source of stem cells in mammals for several reasons. First, by giving rise to spermatogenesis, SSCs are responsible for the propagation of a father's genetic material. As such, autologous SSCs have been considered for treatment of infertility and other purposes, including correction of inherited disorders. Second, adult spermatogonia can spontaneously produce embryonic-like stem cells in vitro, which could be used as an alternative for therapeutic, diagnostic, or drug discovery strategies for humans. Therefore, an increasing urgency is driving efforts to understand the biology of SSCs and improve techniques to manipulate them in vitro as a prerequisite to achieve the aforementioned goals. The characterization of adult SSCs also requires reproducible methods to isolate and maintain them in long-term culture. Herein, we describe recent major advances and challenges in propagation of adult SSCs from mice and humans during the past few years, including the use of unique cell surface markers and defined cultured conditions.


Unprecedented expansion of native direct current (DC) powered equipment (computers and consumer electronics) has increased household DC electricity consumption over the past decade. Since power utilities deliver alternating current (AC) rather than DC, the conversion process (rectifier) used to supply DC loads is very inefficient. This paper investigates the suitability of employing conventional AC wiring to distribute DC power to supply loads directly, in particular around outlet/switch arcing issues. The problem of arcing in DC system is very predominant and needs to be addressed to meet safety requirements while improving the efficiency of the system. In order to overcome the arcing issues, an alternative flat DC wiring system is proposed which offers improved transient electrical and thermal characteristics for household wiring. The flat wire solution employs the same raw materials and provides improvements in parasitic values associated with arcing while reducing thermal resistance. The proposed flat wire geometry is expected to achieve reduction of arcing and improve the overall efficiency of the distribution system. Simulations of the two preliminary AC and DC systems are provided for typical domestic loads and switching events. A complete set of experimental results will be included in the final version of the paper.


Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of oxochromium(IV,V) derivatives of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (tpfpc) are shown to provide useful information about the relative strength of the metal-oxo bond in high-valent Cr(IV) versus Cr(V) corroles. Isotope labeling of the terminal oxo group with (18)O revealed that the Cr(V)-oxo (perchromyl) stretch of (tpfpc)Cr(V)O vibrates at a frequency of 986 cm(-1) in carbon disulfide, consistent with a triply bonded Cr(V)[triple bond]O unit. In contrast, an acetonitrile solution produced RR scattering that rapidly changed with the number of scans collected and eventually became dominated by an (18)O-sensitive vibration at a significantly higher frequency of 1002 cm(-1). On the basis of DFT calculations and the observed (18/16)O isotopic shift, we assigned this new RR band at 1002 cm(-1) in acetonitrile as the Cr(IV)-oxo (chromyl) stretch of the autoreduced [(tpfpc)Cr(IV)O](-) product, which previously has been shown to form only during the course of the oxygen atom transfer (OAT) reaction with triphenylphosphine in acetonitrile or in the presence of a reducing chemical (cobaltocene) and electrochemical agents in other solvents. Consequently, RR observations indicate that the pi-bonding character of the chromyl bond is actually increased relative to that of the perchromyl bond, which is of interest if the beneficial role of acetonitrile in OAT catalysis by high-valent oxochromium(IV,V) corroles is to be elucidated.


Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis, (also known as common gardenia, cape jasmine, or cape jessamine) is a fragrant flowering evergreen tropical plant, a favorite in gardens worldwide. G. jasminoides were found with small, seriously yellowed leaves, stunted growth, and witches'-broom in a green belt on the Southwest University campus in October 2011. The incidence was lower than 2%. In another green belt, G. jasminoides with only slightly yellowing leaves were found. The incidence was about 5%. Five months later, most seriously yellowed leaves withered. However, no withered leaf was observed among the slightly yellowing leaves. Leaf samples from each symptomatic plant, together with asymptomatic plants from the same belt, were collected for total DNA extraction using a modified cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide method (1). The resulting DNA extracts were analyzed by a nested PCR assay using the phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene primer pairs R16mF2/R16mR1 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (2). DNA fragments of 1.2 kb that corresponded to 16S rDNA were amplified only from the DNA samples of the five plants with the symptoms mentioned above. The purified nested PCR products were cloned in pGEM-T Easy Vector (Promega) and then sequenced. The resulting 16S rDNA sequences were found to be identical (GenBank Accession No. JQ675713). The consensus sequence was analyzed by the iPhyClassifier online tool ( http://plantpathology.ba.ars.usda.gov/cgi-bin/resource/iphyclassifier.cgi ) and found to share 99.4% similarity with the 16S rDNA sequence of the 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' reference strain (GenBank Accession No. M30790) that belongs to the 16SrI-B subgroup (3). The virtual RFLP pattern of the G. jasminoides phytoplasma 16S rDNA gene sequence showed maximum similarity to the reference pattern of NC005303 (similarity coefficient of 1.0). The phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rDNA sequences of phytoplasmas belonging to group 16SrI and other distinct phytoplasma groups also showed that our sequences clustered with members of subgroup 16SrI-B. Subsequently, the presence of the phytoplasmas in symptomatic plants was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Taken together, the phytoplasma was classified as a member of subgroup 16SrI-B. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a subgroup 16SrI-B phytoplasma associated with diseased G. jasminoides in China. G. jasminoides yellowing is often considered to result from nutrient deficiency (especially iron compounds). However, our findings showed that a phytoplasma can cause G. jasminoides yellowing, which should be considered in the control of leaves yellowing. References: (1) E. Angelini et al. Vitis 40:79, 2001. (2) D. E. Gundersen and I.-M. Lee. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 35:144, 1996. (3) Y. Zhao, et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 59:2582, 2009.


The presence of spectral curvature resulting from the synchrotron self-absorption of extragalactic radio sources could break down the spectral smoothness feature. This leads to the premise that the bright radio foreground can be successfully removed in 21-cm experiments that search for the epoch of reionization (EoR). We present a quantitative estimate of the effect of the spectral curvature resulting from the synchrotron self-absorption of extragalactic radio sources on the measurement of the angular power spectrum of the low-frequency sky. We incorporate a phenomenological model, which is characterized by the fraction (f) of radio sources with turnover frequencies in the range of 100–1000 MHz and by a broken power law for the spectral transition around the turnover frequencies νm, into simulated radio sources over a small sky area of 10° × 10°. We compare statistically the changes in their residual maps with and without the inclusion of the synchrotron self-absorption of extragalactic radio sources after the bright sources of  mJy are excised. Furthermore, the best-fitting polynomials in the frequency domain on each pixel are subtracted. It has been shown that the effect of synchrotron self-absorption on the detection of the EoR depends sensitively on the spectral profiles of the radio sources around the turnover frequencies νm. A hard transition model, described by the broken power law with the turnover of spectral index at νm, would leave pronounced imprints on the residual background and would therefore cause serious confusion with the cosmic EoR signal. However, the spectral signatures on the angular power spectrum of the extragalactic foreground, generated by a soft transition model in which the rising and falling power laws of the spectral distribution around νm are connected through a smooth transition spanning ≥200 MHz in a characteristic width, can be fitted and consequently subtracted by the use of polynomials to an acceptable degree (δT < 1 mK). As this latter scenario seems to be favoured in both theoretical expectations and radio spectral observations, we conclude that the contamination of extragalactic radio sources by synchrotron self-absorption in 21-cm experiments is probably very minor.


Single-phase power conversion such as pulse width modulation rectifier, grid connected PV inverter system, static synchronous compensator all can be implemented by an H-bridge inverter and a large electrolytic dc capacitor to absorb the ripple power pulsating at twice the line frequency (2ω ripple power). This paper proposed a dc capacitor-less inverter for H-bridge with minimum voltage and current stress. By adding another phase leg to control an ac capacitor, the 2ω ripple power can be absorbed by the capacitor and theoretically 2ω ripples to the dc capacitor can be eliminated completely. The H-bridge and the addition phase leg can be analyzed together as an unbalanced three phase system. By adopting space-vector pulse width modulation control and choosing the optimum ac capacitance and the voltage reference, the voltage and current stress of the switches can be minimized to the same as the conventional H-bridge. The size of capacitor is reduced by ten times compared to the conventional H-bridge system. Simulation and experimental results are shown to prove the effectiveness of the proposed dc capacitor-less inverter and active power decoupling method.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess the outcome of clam ileocystoplasty (CI) based on patients' subjective perception and objectively validated scoring systems. Quality-of-life parameters were also examined as aspects of outcome.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Between 1989 and 1994, 27 patients (15 male and 12 female) underwent CI. The median age was 41 years (13-75 years). CI was performed after failed pharmacological treatment. The mean length of follow-up for this patient cohort was 18 months (range: 1-4 years).

RESULTS
Overall cure rate was objectively assessed at 61%. Seventy-two percent of patients described a subjective improvement of symptoms, and a small number of patients (12.5%) were subjectively worse following the operation. Quality of life was improved in 75% of patients, with 12.5% showing no improvement and 12.5% being worse. Fifty-six percent of patients noted a minor degree of voiding dysfunction, whereas 25% noted moderate and 19% noted severe voiding dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS
CI offered improvement with satisfaction in the group of patients studied, however not all patients achieved a satisfactory outcome. The patients who were worse following the procedure were all young females with detrusor instability. Careful patient selection and pre-operative counselling may reduce the failure rate. Outcome analysis based on standardised questionnaires allows patients and surgeons to make informed decisions with realistic expectations.


Transportation is critical to sustainable development; it enhances economic growth and accessibility. The increase number of vehicles produced and used around the world for economic purpose also increases the number of traffic accidents. Traffic accidents is one of the highest cause of mortality and disability, therefore, the World Health Organization urges to reduce the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents through system improvements and access to road safety as mentioned in the third and eleventh Sustainable Development Goals target and the Global Plan. National Police Corps data, 2017, shows that the number of motorcycle accidents was five times higher than other types of vehicle accidents. This research aims at finding out the relationship between the types of road traversed and motorcyclist helmet use obedience. Chi-square test indicated a significant association with medium effect size (p<.01). The highest disobedience occurred in local road types (76%), followed by collective and arterial (22.2% and 1.8% respectively). Thus, control in the helmet use especially in local and collective roads has to be increased.


Present work aims to examine the effect of chemically sythesized silver nanoparticles on Vigna radiata, Brassica juncea, their rhizobacteria and Drosophila melanogaster. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing silver nitrate with sodium borohydrate in the presence of sodium citrate. UV-Vis Spectroscopy, XRD and SEM confirmed the formation of spherical silver nanoparticles in the range of 16±4 nm. The germination potential of seeds was reduced to as low as 11.07% and 27.74% when V. radiata and B. juncea were treated nanoparticle solution. Length of roots, shoots and leaf number was reduced in treated plants. Confirming the antimicrobial activity of silver, significant reduction (p<0.05) was observed in rhizosphere bacteria. In culture independent Diphenylamine assay, treated soil samples reported only 3.84 µg as compared to 8.46 µg DNA of control. Drosophila melanogaster showed marked doseand duration-dependent decline in treated adult flies, larva and pupa. Also, malondialdehyde, the end product of lipid peroxidation and catalase activity was higher in treated flies.


Two disease associated lectin-carbohydrate interactions have been studied. (1) A T-cell surface lectin which binds IgA1 and IgD is expressed on CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes in a number of diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Behcet's disease and IgA nephropathy. We have demonstrated that calcium independent binding to this receptor is mediated by the O-linked disaccharide Gal beta 3GalNAc which is associated with the hinge regions of both IgA1 and IgD. (2) In rheumatoid arthritis the proportion of IgG0 glycoform populations lacking terminal galactose increases. We have shown that terminal GlcNAc residues on oligosaccharides in the Fc region of IgG0 can bind to the C-type lectin, serum mannose binding protein, and thus activate the classical complement pathway. This provides a mechanism of activation of the complement system not available to the other classes of IgG glycoforms.


Randomized orthogonal projection methods (ROPMs) can be used to speed up the computation of Krylov subspace methods in various contexts. Through a theoretical and numerical investigation, we establish that these methods produce quasi-optimal approximations over the Krylov subspace. Our numerical experiments outline the convergence of ROPMs for all matrices in our test set, with occasional spikes, but overall with a convergence rate similar to that of standard OPMs.


A communications system for mobile wireless networks based on concatenation of code NRZ, irregular LDPC code and equalizer of two bits is studied. The transmitter is composed of a NRZ line coder and irregular LDPC coder with a low error threshold. The receiver is composed of the sum-product decoder and low complexity equalizer with a maximum probability estimation sequence algorithm. The communication system is simulated on an AWGN channel and fast fading with Rayleigh distribution, for different word sizes. A mobile speed of 150 Km/h is considered. System performance in terms of the bit error probability (BER) and signal-to-noise (SNR) is calculated for NRZ-LDPC codes, achieving to BER of 10-5 a SNR of 9 dB without equalizer and a SNR of 4.5 dB with equalizer. The results of the performance study indicate that system with NRZ-LDPC codes and equalizer achieves a considerable reduction of the SNR.


Background Melioidosis is a serious infectious disease caused by the Category B select agent and environmental saprophyte, Burkholderia pseudomallei. Most cases of naturally acquired infection are assumed to result from skin inoculation after exposure to soil or water. The aim of this study was to provide evidence for inoculation, inhalation and ingestion as routes of infection, and develop preventive guidelines based on this evidence. Methods/Principal Findings A prospective hospital-based 1∶2 matched case-control study was conducted in Northeast Thailand. Cases were patients with culture-confirmed melioidosis, and controls were patients admitted with non-infectious conditions during the same period, matched for gender, age, and diabetes mellitus. Activities of daily living were recorded for the 30-day period before onset of symptoms, and home visits were performed to obtain drinking water and culture this for B. pseudomallei. Multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis based on 286 cases and 512 controls showed that activities associated with a risk of melioidosis included working in a rice field (conditional odds ratio [cOR] = 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–3.3), other activities associated with exposure to soil or water (cOR = 1.4; 95%CI 0.8–2.6), an open wound (cOR = 2.0; 95%CI 1.2–3.3), eating food contaminated with soil or dust (cOR = 1.5; 95%CI 1.0–2.2), drinking untreated water (cOR = 1.7; 95%CI 1.1–2.6), outdoor exposure to rain (cOR = 2.1; 95%CI 1.4–3.2), water inhalation (cOR = 2.4; 95%CI 1.5–3.9), current smoking (cOR = 1.5; 95%CI 1.0–2.3) and steroid intake (cOR = 3.1; 95%CI 1.4–6.9). B. pseudomallei was detected in water source(s) consumed by 7% of cases and 3% of controls (cOR = 2.2; 95%CI 0.8–5.8). Conclusions/Significance We used these findings to develop the first evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of melioidosis. These are suitable for people in melioidosis-endemic areas, travelers and military personnel. Public health campaigns based on our recommendations are under development in Thailand.


BACKGROUND
Acute appendicitis is one of the most common acute surgical emergencies on emergency room floor and timely diagnosis of the condition is of utmost importance. Multiple diagnostic Score exist to help in the clinical diagnosis; among Which RIPASA is a recent introduction.

METHODS
The study was carried out Ayub Teaching hospital of Abbottabad from Sept-2017 to Feb-2018, Department of General Surgery. The ultimate decision to perform surgery was not guided by the scores and the surgeon's decision was the final word, and specimens were sent afterward for histopathology. The results compiled and entered into SPSS 20.

RESULTS
Out of the 308, 288 patients underwent surgery for AP, 165 (57.3%) were male and 123 (42.7%) were female, 252 (87.5%) had positive histopathology report and 36 (12.5%) had a negative report, with resultant negative appendectomy rate of 12.5% well below the average. 26 (9.02%) had a perforated appendix and 8 (2.8%) had post-op wound infection. The sensitivity of RIPASA score at a cut-off value of 7.5 was 98.02%, with specificity of 75%, and Positive Predictive Value of 96.48%, and Negative Predictive Value of 84.7%. Compared to Alvarado's Score Sensitivity and Specificity of 53% and 75% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
On the balance the RIPASA Score detects early preventing from dreadful complication and in turn have low specificity giving way to a slightly higher negative appendectomy rate with the consequent morbidity and mortality of unnecessary surgery. Still RIPASA Score outperforms the Alvarado and Modified Alvarado Score.


Recent progress in developing and applying methods of direct numerical solution of atomic collision problems is described. Various forms of the three‐body problem are used to illustrate these techniques. Specifically, the process of ionization in proton‐, antiproton‐, and electron‐impact of atomic hydrogen is considered in applications ranging in computational intensity from collisions simulated in two spatial dimensions to treatment of the three‐dimensional, fully correlated two‐electron Schrodinger equation. These examples demonstrate the utility and feasibility of treating strongly interacting atomic systems through time‐dependent, lattice approaches.