Parasitic infection is a global health problem especially in developing countries. Municipal wastewaters always contain cysts of parasitic protozoans at some level. The present study was conducted to detect protozoan parasites in different stages of the treatment plant to check its efficacy. Wastewaters were collected from 3 points of the Pagla Sewage Treatent Plant (PSTP) of Dhaka, Bangladesh, throughout the year, 2007-08 at fortnight intervals. Giardia spp., Entamoeba spp., Entamoeba coli , Endolimax nana, Idoamoeba butschlii and Balantidium coli were detected at different times in different stages of the treatment plant. Among these Giardia and Entamoeba spp. were found most frequently than others . Both the prevalence and dominance of protozoan parasites were reduced gradually with the sampling point of the treatment plant which means that the treatment plant was effective in reducing protozoan parasites but not too effective to eliminate them completely. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ujzru.v31i0.15372 Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi Univ. Vol. 31, 2012 pp. 05-08


Oxygen has always been an attractive oxidant for the pulp and paper industry due to it being cheap and harmless for the environment. However, it has lower lignin-cellulose selectivity, therefore the degree of delignification achieved at the oxygen stage is ultimately limited by its industrial pulp strength – 45-50% . In this study, to enhance the degree of delignification, the addition ofsodium perborate and hydrogen peroxide at the oxygen stage was examined. At the same active oxygen (approximately 0.5%) content, the degree of delignification increased from 45.56% to 49.42% using hydrogen peroxide and to 52.96% with sodium perborate. For the same selectivity parameter with control, the delignification degree can be increased to 57.59% with the addition of sodium perborate, which includes 1% active oxygen. Moreover, the costs of using sodium perborate and hydrogen peroxide were compared with respect to commercial employability. It was determined that the use of sodium perborate was more effective than that of hydrogen peroxide for delignification of the oxygen stage.


DTLS is a protocol that provides security guarantees to Internet communications. It can operate on top of both TCP and UDP transport protocols. Thus, it is particularly suited for peer-to-peer and distributed multimedia applications. The same holds if the endpoints are mobile devices. In this scenario, mechanisms are needed to surmount possible network disconnections, often arising due to the mobility or the scarce resources of devices, that can jeopardize the quality of the communications. Session resumption is thus a main issue to deal with. To this aim, we propose a fast reconnection scheme that employs non-connected sockets to quickly resume DTLS communication sessions. The proposed scheme is assessed in a performance evaluation that confirms its viability.


Ethyl acetate extract of the culture filtrate of Aspergillus fumigatus on chromatographic analysis has led to the isolation of the compound, AF-1 which exhibited a significant in vitro antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogenic microorganism. The structure of the isolated compound, AF-1 was identified as 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one from its IR, UV, EI-MS, 13 C-NMR, 1 H-NMR, HMBC and HMQC data. This is the first report of the compound, AF-1 from the A. fumigatus. Key words: Aspergillus, 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one, antimicrobial screening, bioactive compound.


Distributed representations of sentences have been developed recently to represent their meaning as real-valued vectors. However, it is not clear how much information such representations retain about the polarity of sentences. To study this question, we decode sentiment from unsupervised sentence representations learned with different architectures (sensitive to the order of words, the order of sentences, or none) in 9 typologically diverse languages. Sentiment results from the (recursive) composition of lexical items and grammatical strategies such as negation and concession. The results are manifold: we show that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' representation architecture outperforming the others across the board. Rather, the top-ranking architectures depend on the language at hand. Moreover, we find that in several cases the additive composition model based on skip-gram word vectors may surpass supervised state-of-art architectures such as bi-directional LSTMs. Finally, we provide a possible explanation of the observed variation based on the type of negative constructions in each language.


Abstract This paper constitutes the fourth part1a,b,c of a continuing series of reviews on the chemistry of optically active sulfur compounds. In addition to the chiral sulfur compounds described previously, five new classes of optically active sulfur compounds have been prepared: Sulfuranes; sulfodiimides, amidothiosulfites; halosulfuranes; thiabenzenes. Although intensive research continues on the various chiral sulfur compounds described thus far, the overwhelming effort has been devoted to chiral sulfur compounds derived from the penicillins and cephalosporins. It is expected that in the future these compounds will continue to constitute the single most active area of chiral sulfur research. This review covers articles published up to January 1977. Reference 1 lists general papers and review articles in this field.


Pouchitis is the most common complication following proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis (UC). To provide a standardized definition of pouchitis clinical, endoscopic and histological markers were grouped and weighted in the pouch disease activity index (PDAI). However, the delay in the assessment of the final score due to the time requested for histological analysis remains the main obstacle to the index implementation in clinical practice so that the use of modified-PDAI (mPDAI) with exclusion of histologic subscore has been proposed. We tested the ability of calprotectin measurement in the pouch endoluminal content to mimic the histologic score as defined in the PDAI, the index that we adopted as gold standard for pouchitis diagnosis. Calprotectin was measured by ELISA in the pouch endoluminal content collected during endoscopy in 40 consecutive patients with J-pouch. In each patient PDAI and mPDAI were calculated and 15% of patients were erroneously classified by mPDAI. ROC analysis of calprotectin values vs. acute histological subscore ≥ 3 identified different calprotectin cut-off values with corresponding sensitivity and specificity allowing the definition and scoring of different range of calprotectin subscores. We incorporated the calprotectin score in the mPDAI obtaining a new score that shows the same specificity as PDAI for diagnosis of pouchitis and higher sensitivity when compared with mPDAI. The use of the proposed new score, once validated in a larger series of patients, might be useful in the early management of patients with symptoms of pouchitis.


This paper proposes an analysis of current research in learning design ( LD), a field aiming to improve the quality of educational interventions by supporting their design and fostering the sharing and reuse of innovative practices among educators. This research area, at the moment, focuses on three main strands: the representations that can be used as a common language to communicate about pedagogical plans and other half-fabricates of the design process, the methodological approaches to LD and the tools that support the LD process. For each of the three strands, the current landscape is discussed, pointing at open issues and indicating future research perspectives, with particular attention to the contribution that learning analytics can make to transform LD from a craft, based on experience, intuition and tacit knowledge, into a mature research area, grounded on data concerning the learning process and hence supporting enquiry while teachers design, run and evaluate the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


A strategy for small farm development in the Third World is suggested, emphasizing preservation of traditional farming systems while maintaining biological and genetic diversity. Basing agricultural development on indigenous knowledge, technology, and social organization can provide important guidelines for the design of cropping systems that allow low-income farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops with minimal dependence on external inputs. Suggested alternative agricultural strategies are based on diverse farming systems that achieve moderate to high levels of productivity by manipulating and exploiting resources that are internal to the farm. The resulting systems are more sustainable and economical, thus increasing the equity of the system. Several rural development programs in Third World countries, especially in Latin America, that incorporate these agroecological principles are discussed. In contrast to approaches that have been transferred from the United States without necessarily being suited to the circumstances of small farmers, and which require the purchase of expensive external inputs, these programs include sustainability, stability, and equity as goals, along with increased production. Rural development strategies based on peasant systems that are biologically and economically stable are proving to be a viable survival alternative for a great portion of the impoverished rural population in the Third World.


A search for a diffuse flux of cosmic neutrinos with energies in excess of 1014 eV was performed using two years of AMANDA-II data, collected in 2003 and 2004. A 20% evenly distributed sub-sample of experimental data was used to verify the detector description and the analysis cuts. A very good agreement between this 20% sample and the background simulations was observed. The analysis was optimised for discovery, to a relatively low price in limit setting power. The background estimate for the livetime of the examined 80% sample is 0.035 ± 68% events with an additional 41% systematical uncertainty.The total neutrino flux needed for a 5σ discovery to be made with 50% probability was estimated to 3.4 ∙ 10-7 E-2 GeV s-1 sr-1 cm-2 equally distributed over the three flavours, taking statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background expectation and the signal efficiency into account. No experimental events survived the final discriminator cut. Hence, no ultra-high energy neutrino candidates were found in the examined sample. A 90% upper limit is placed on the total ultra-high energy neutrino flux at 2.8 ∙ 10-7 E-2 GeV s-1 sr-1 cm-2, taking both systematical and statistical uncertainties into account. The energy range in which 90% of the simulated E-2 signal is contained is 2.94 ∙ 1014 eV to 1.54 ∙ 1018 eV (central interval), assuming an equal distribution over the neutrino flavours at the Earth. The final acceptance is distributed as 48% electron neutrinos, 27% muon neutrinos, and 25% tau neutrinos.A set of models for the production of neutrinos in active galactic nuclei that predict spectra deviating from E-2 was excluded.


Methods were developed for estimating fine particulates less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) from airport visibility data which detected seasonality and allowed for possible site- and season-specific regressions of PM2.5 on visibility. The methods were applied to nine airports in California in order to produce estimates of PM2.5 for the years 1966-1986 based on 1,767 paired PM2.5/visibility data points where PM2.5 had been measured at a monitoring station near the airport. General F-tests indicated that site- and season-specific regression equations resulted in a statistically significant reduction in residual error. The split halves correlation for estimating PM2.5 from visibility over all areas was 0.82. The methods were used to estimate long-term concentrations of ambient PM2.5 for an epidemiological cohort of 1,868 individuals.


ABSTRACT The tectonic affiliation of the Khanka Massif, in the easternmost section of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), is still a matter of debate. Here, we provide new constraints on the provenance and timing of deposition of Permian strata in the western margin of the Khanka Massif. The results, which include U–Pb dating of detrital zircon grains using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), provide evidence regarding the tectonic position of the Khanka Massif and its role in the late Palaeozoic evolution of the eastern CAOB. Detrital zircon grains from a sublitharenite (Pingyangzhen Formation), a litharenite (Liangzichuan Formation), and a metamorphic siltstone (Qinglongcun Group) yielded multiple age populations ranging from Neoproterozoic (~914 Ma) to Permian (~272 Ma). Combined with age constraints from overlying/late-stage igneous rocks and other magmatism of the Khanka Massif, we conclude that the dated strata were deposited during the early–middle Permian and were sourced from the Khanka Massif. A comparison between the detrital zircon age populations and the history of magmatic activity in the neighbouring areas suggests that the Khanka Massif was tectonically linked to the Songnen–Zhangguangcai Range Massif. Based on tectonic discrimination diagrams, we conclude that the western margin of the Khanka Massif was positioned in a convergent-boundary basin during the early–middle Permian. Strike-slip faulting along the Dunhua–Mishan Fault, in response to ridge subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean Plate, resulted in a north-eastward movement of the Khanka Massif. The occurrence of Precambrian detrital zircon grains (with ages of 1900–1700 and 900–700 Ma) implies the presence of an ancient basement within the Khanka Massif.


BACKGROUND Lymphangiomas are rare benign tumors most commonly found in children under 2 years of age; adult cases are extremely rare. Retroperitoneal lymphangiomas represent less than 1% of all lymphangiomas. Because of their benign nature and possibility of spontaneous resolution, lymphangiomas are sometimes left untreated for long periods of time. However, if they grow large enough to compress surrounding structures, retroperitoneal lymphangiomas may cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. We report a case of a rapidly growing retroperitoneal lymphangioma in an adult, treated with complete surgical excision. CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old female who was diagnosed with an intra-abdominal cystic mass (11 cm × 9.5 cm) seven years ago presented to our hospital with symptoms of early satiety, nausea, and intermittent abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed interval enlargement to a 24 cm × 22 cm-sized huge left retroperitoneal mass, causing left hydronephrosis by external compression. Laparotomy was done via long midline incision. Due to severe adhesion between the aorta and the medial border of the mass, the cyst was intentionally opened for fluid aspiration and size reduction. After suture closure of the opening, we proceeded carefully with dissection. Aspiration showed light yellowish serous fluid. The mass was excised completely, and the pathology was consistent with cystic lymphangioma. The post-operative period was uneventful, and the patient was discharged without complications. Follow-up CT scan one month after surgery confirmed complete removal of the mass and decreased left hydronephrosis. CONCLUSION Excision of the huge retroperitoneal cystic mass resulted in relief of the patient's symptoms, originally caused by external compression, and also ruled out the possibility of malignancy.


The Acari is the most numerous and diverse group of the subphylum Chelicerata. With approximately 55 000 described species (and estimates of up to 1 million extant species), their adaptations for parasitism, phytophagy, mycophagy, saprophagy and predation rival other arthropods and challenge us with a wide variety of biological interactions. While a few studies have unravelled the nature of some endosymbiotic associations between mites or ticks and prokaryotes, almost nothing has been done yet regarding acarine eukaryotic ectosymbionts. Microbial ectosymbionts can benefit their hosts by providing nutrients, by aiding digestion, by enhancing communication, by assisting in mating and/or fertilization, by protecting their host against pathogenic microorganisms, against predation and so on. In this sketch, we introduce a number of described cases of fungal and protist ectosymbionts and discuss the role they might play in the life of their acarine hosts.


With all its aspects, internet has given many kinds of service which can be applied in human life. Nowadays the use of computer network is applied in many sectors: banking, health, economy, business, entertainment, security, information, and also education. From those sectors mentioned above, education sector is categorized in minimum level in using this computer network, especially language education. Information and communication technology is not a new issue in education world, but it is interesting to follow its development. Teachers can use this kind of technology to increase work ethos. Besides, this technology makes it possible to do many kinds of activity fast, precisely, and accurately. The development of information technology shows that there appears varieties of activity based on technology. The use of information and communication technology has been implemented in education sector since the goverment puts it in the curriculum of 2004. Information and communication technology is part of curriculum which is compulsory to be included in school intern activity. The purpose is that the students can optimalize their skills, thus it can be applied in other lesson as cross curriculum. For example, the use of information and communication technology in english lesson. This cross curriculum is for getting around the development of society toward globalization, which sees information and communication technology and english as important. Thus the students is compulsorily equipped with those skills. English learning will be easily understood by students when the teachers can deliver the material interesteringly.
Keywords: ICT Media, EYL


Public sentiment (the opinion, attitude or feeling that the public expresses) is a factor of interest for government, as it directly influences the implementation of policies. Given the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis, having an up-to-date representation of public sentiment on governmental measures and announcements is crucial. While the staying-at-home policy makes face-to-face interactions and interviews challenging, analysing real-time Twitter data that reflects public opinion toward policy measures is a cost-effective way to access public sentiment. In this paper, we collect streaming data using the Twitter API starting from the COVID-19 outbreak in the Netherlands in February 2020, and track Dutch general public reactions on governmental measures and announcements. We provide temporal analysis of tweet frequency and public sentiment over the past four months. We also identify public attitudes towards the Dutch policy on wearing face masks in a case study. By presenting those preliminary results, we aim to provide visibility into the social media discussions around COVID-19 to the general public, scientists and policy makers. The data collection and analysis will be updated and expanded over time.


Firstly, [2-Methoxy-4-(3-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one-4-yl)-azomethinphenyl] acetate molecule was optimized by using Density Functional Theory (DFT/B3LYP) and Hatree Fock (HF/ B3LYP) methods. Then, from this the most stable structure of the optimized molecule the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), bond lengths, bond angles, mulliken charges, ELUMO-EHOMO energy gap (∆Eg), electronegativity (χ), electron affinity (A), global hardness (η), softness (σ), ionization potential (I), total energy of the molecule, dipole moments and thermodynamic properties were calculated with B3LYP/631G (d) and HF/631G (d) basis sets. Otherwise, the veda4f program was used in defining IR data, which were theoretically calculated. Experimental data obtained from the literature. The experimental and the calculated theoretical values were compared. Theoretically calculated IR data are multiplied with Original Research Article Özdemir et al.; AJOCS, 4(4): 1-12, 2018; Article no.AJOCS.43438 2 appropriate adjustment factors and the data obtained according to DFT and HF method are formed using theoretical infrared spectrum. Finally, H-NMR and C-NMR isotropic shift values were calculated with the method of GIAO using the program package Gaussian G09. Experimental and theoretical values of the investigated molecule were inserted into the graphic according to equation of δ exp=a+b. δ calc. The standard error values were found via SigmaPlot program with a regression coefficient of a and b constants.


OBJECTIVE
To provide an up-to-date review of current care transitions in elderly heart failure (HF) patients and assess the role of the pharmacist in improving patient care.

DATA SOURCE
A PubMed search of articles in the English language published between 1995 and May 2013 was done using a combination of the following words: discharge counseling, elderly, heart failure, multidisciplinary team, pharmacist, pharmacy, readmission, transition of care.

STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION
Relevant original studies, review articles, and guidelines were assessed for current practices in HF transitions of care. References from the above literature were also evaluated for relevance. Articles were selected for inclusion based on relevance to the topic, detailed methods, and clear, comprehensive results.

DATA SYNTHESIS
The incidence of HF is rapidly increasing, and emphasis has been placed on reducing readmissions. Although present practices are primarily nurse-led, pharmacists are in a key position to educate patients through multidisciplinary teams, discharge counseling, and medication reconciliation. Because of concerns about pharmacist provider status and reimbursement, pharmacists should identify areas in their practices where they can intervene and improve patient care to reduce readmissions.

CONCLUSION
Pharmacists are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team in optimizing care for elderly HF patients to prevent readmissions.


Infidelity in marriage is a complex process. People have different reasons for deciding to have a relationship outside of marriage. This study aims to investigate the reasons of married women for having marital infidelity and explore the risk factors that cause it. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with phenomenology as the method. Three women who have had marital infidelity are willing to be subjects in this study. Data was collected by using open interview and observation methods. As a result, failed conflict resolution, different communication styles, low-quality time, low intimacy, unfulfilled expectations from partners, and the absence of protective factors are factors that cause women to have an affair.


Preface So you want to run a pub? What pub do you want? The choice is yours Setting out your stall Running the business Staff and customers Profit control The perfect pint Profit from food The downside Keeping the law A way of life.


Axions may be produced thermally inside the cores of neutron stars (NSs), escape the stars due to their feeble interactions with matter, and subsequently convert into x rays in the magnetic fields surrounding the stars. We show that a recently discovered excess of hard x-ray emission in the 2-8 keV energy range from the nearby magnificent seven isolated NSs could be explained by this emission mechanism. These NSs are unique in that they had previously been expected to only produce observable flux in the UV and soft x-ray bands from thermal surface emission at temperatures ∼100  eV. No conventional astrophysical explanation of the magnificent seven hard x-ray excess exists at present. We show that the hard x-ray excess may be consistently explained by an axionlike particle with mass m_{a}≲2×10^{-5}  eV and g_{aγγ}×g_{ann}∈(2×10^{-21},10^{-18})  GeV^{-1} at 95% confidence, accounting for both statistical and theoretical uncertainties, where g_{aγγ} (g_{ann}) is the axion-photon (axion-neutron) coupling constant.


The paper proposes a general framework for the assessment of the impacts of the introduction of Connected and Automated Transport Systems (CATS) on traffic. The main objective is to address the question of scalability and transferability of the identified impacts of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in particular, focusing on network performance of urban areas. A combination of microscopic and macroscopic simulations as well as statistical methods are applied. Microscopic simulation is conducted to measure the changes in network capacities by utilizing the concept of the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD), under different AV penetration rates. The resulting capacities are used to estimate the effects on the Passenger Car Units (PCU) under different AV penetration rates and derive functional relationships, which are further introduced to travel demand models to forecast the macroscopic impacts on network performance. The results indicate a positive impact in relation to capacity changes resulting from the presence of AVs which vary with penetration rate. Analysis of three different urban networks, Barcelona, Bilbao (Spain), and Athens (Greece), reveals consistent trends. However, notable differences are observed on the estimated PCUs for Athens, potentially because of the different mixed-traffic composition. Further exploration of the critical AV modeling specifications and network characteristics is therefore required for deriving transferable PCU functional relationships across networks. Nevertheless, the static assignment results verify the expected trends in network performance impacts in relation to the applied PCU relationships. Finally, the transferability of the proposed methodology across networks is demonstrated.


Lactic fermented dongchimi naengmyeun broth which has enhanced antioxidative activity was developed. During lactic fermentation of dongchimi naengmyeun broth at 25°C, changes of total lactic acid bacteria, pH, acidity, soluble phenolics, and anthocyanins were investigated. After 72 h of fermentation, the stronger antioxidant activities were observed in dongchimi naengmyeun broth supplemented with purple sweet potato than those of control dongchimi naengmyeun broth which showing 96.80% in DPPH radical scavenging activity, 100.82% in ABTS + · scavenging activity, 7.77 in reducing power, and 6.89 in ferric reducing/antioxidant power, respectively. These high antioxidant activities related with higher contents of soluble phenolics and anthocyanins in dongchimi naengmyeun broth supplemented with purple sweet potato. The results suggest that the making of functional dongchimi naengmyeun broth by using high soluble phenolics and anthocyanins supplements such as purple sweet potato powder was possible.


High frequency resolution radiative transfer model calculations with the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS) were used to simulate the clear-sky outgoing longwave radiative flux (OLR) at the top of the atmosphere. Compared to earlier calculations by Clough and coworkers the model used a spherical atmosphere instead of a plane parallel atmosphere, updated spectroscopic parameters from HITRAN, and updated continuum parameterizations from Mlawer and coworkers. These modifications lead to a reduction in simulated OLR by approximately 4.1%, the largest part, approximately 2.5%, being due to the absence of the plane parallel approximation. As a simple application of the new model, the sensitivity of OLR to changes in humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature were investigated for different cloud-free atmospheric scenarios. It was found that for the tropical scenario a 20% change in humidity has a larger impact than a doubling of the carbon dioxide concentration. The sensitive altitude region for temperature and humidity changes is the entire free troposphere, including the upper troposphere where humidity data quality is poor. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. PACS: 42.68.Wt; 42.68.Mj; 41.20.Jb; 84.40. x


W-band single-drift flat-profile impatt diodes were fabricated from GaAs MBE material and tested in a full-height waveguide resonant cavity with resonant cap. A quasi-optical parabolic Fabry–Perot resonator was used to determine the FM noise of the GaAs impatt oscillator. With a minimum noise measure of 20 dB at power levels around 20 mW, impatt diode oscillators can compete well with oscillators using Gunn devices. The (N/C)FM = − 82dBc measured at 100 kHz frequency off-carrier and datQex = 95 is comparable to the value obtained from Gunn devices. The maximum available output power of 270 mW, however, markedly exceeds that of Gunn oscillators.


In this paper, we consider the design of minimum time maneuvers for multi-spacecraft interferometric imaging systems. We show that the process of image formation in a multi-spacecraft interferometric imaging system is analogous to painting a "large disk" with smaller "paintbrushes", while maintaining a minimum thickness of paint. We show that spiral maneuvers form the dominant set for the painting problem. Further, we frame the minimum time problem in the space of spiral maneuvers and obtain the Double Pantograph Problem. We show that the solution of the Double Pantograph Problem is given by the solution to two associated linear programming problems. We illustrate our results through an imaging example where the image of a fictitious exo-solar planet is formed using the maneuver prescribed by the Double Pantograph Problem.


Removing people from their homes in the name of regeneration is something that potentially impacts on their mental and physical well-being, but this is rarely explored via an experiential perspective that focuses on people's own understanding of how their life-world has been disrupted. In this paper we consider the emotional and psychic impacts of recent council estate renewal on those displaced, or being displaced, from six London council estates. Our paper reveals what it feels like to be displaced, and how these feelings – of losing one's home and community - affect individuals' psychological and indeed physical health. We conclude that displacement is often experienced as a form of slow violence which entails periods of waiting and uncertainty that cause multiple conflicts and anxiety, and that suggest that the benefits of renewal may never outweigh the costs for those who are displaced.


Dengue virus (DENV) infection is endemic in Nepal. Although infection rates are reported annually, little information is available about the circulating viral serotypes and genotypes. Here, we report the results of a multicentre cross-sectional study of DENV serotypes and genotypes sampled from individuals with suspected DENV infection in Nepal in 2017. Of the 50 patients sampled, 40 were serologically positive for DENV NS1, 29 for anti-DENV IgM, 21 for anti-DENV IgG and 14 were positive by qRT-PCR. The three serotypes DENV-1, 2 and 3 were detected and there was no DENV-4. Positive samples from serotyping were subjected to PCR amplification by envelope (E) gene specific primer and subsequent bidirectional sequencing of 5 samples. A time to most recent common ancestor phylogenetic tree was constructed from the new sequences obtained here together with historical DENV-1 and DENV-2 E gene sequences. The DENV-1 isolates (n = 2) from Nepalese individuals were closely related to Indian genotype V, whereas DENV-2 isolates (n = 3) belonged to Cosmopolitan genotype IVa, which is closely related to Indonesian isolates. Historical DENV isolates obtained between 2004 and 2013 clustered with Cosmopolitan IVb, Cosmopolitan IVa, and Asian II genotypes. All Nepalese isolates had different lineages with distinct ancestries. With the exception of isolates obtained in 2004, all other previously published isolates had ancestry to geographically distant part of the world. Molecular analysis revealed dengue epidemics to be comprised of different genotypes of serotype 1 and 2 raising concerns on potential role of different genotypes causing Dengue hemorrhagic fever. Also, our result indicated spread of DENV-2 in non-endemic area such as hilly region of Nepal which was considered to be free of dengue due to high altitude and cold weather.


This book provides an accessible, balanced account of the insider-outsider theory of labor market activity. It focuses on how "insiders" (incumbent employees whose jobs are protected by various labor turnover costs) get market power, what they do with that power, and how their activities affect the "outsiders" (who are either unemployed or work in the informal sector). The book examines the effects of insiders' activities on wages, employment, and unemployment; discusses the associated policy implications; and relates the insider-outsider theory to other theories of labor market activity. The central part of the book consists of a series of previously published articles that have been edited to convey a single coherent account of the insider-outsider theory. Chapters are preceded by overviews summarizing the main ideas and relating them to the book's underlying theme.


A Fast Deterministic Packet Marking scheme (FDPM) for IP traceback against distributed denial of service attacks is presented, which applies a novel marking algorithm and significantly improves IP traceback in two aspects: (1) the victim doesn't need to accommodate fragments for recovery, so it needs several packets to identify an ingress router with lower false positives; (2) FDPM can scales to large distributed attacks with thousands of attackers. Theoretical analysis and the pseudo code are provided. Compared with previous DPM schemes, average convergence time of FDPM decreased by 86.3% packets or even more. Therefore FDPM is more efficient and represents a step forward in performance.


Cord blood samples collected from 150 newborns were tested for HBsAg using micro ELISA technique. Only 8 (5.3 per cent) out of 150 samples were found to be positive for HBsAg in variable titres. It is important to identify these HBsAg positive newborns so that appropriate measures could be adopted at the earliest to prevent the complications of HBsAg carriage.


A simple, sensitive and feasible cloud-point extraction (CPE) methodology has been developed for the separation and preconcentration of cadmium and lead ions in real samples. The metals in the aqueous solution were complexes with 2-(3indolyl) 4,5 di phynyl imidazole.(IDPI), at pH = 7.0 and Triton X-114 was added as surfactant. The variables effecting like concentration of Triton X-114 and HNO3, bath temperature, centrifuge rate and time on the cloud-point extraction were optimized. Under optimum conditions, the response are linear over concentration range of 0.025-1.3(μg mL-1) for Cd2+, 0.064-1.27(μg mL-1) for Pb2+ andRSD % (n =5) 1.4 for Cd2+, 1.3 for Pb2+, detection limits (3SDb/m, n =10, m = slope of calibration) of 0.15 (μg.mL-1) for Cd2+ and 0.13 (μg.mL-1) Pb2+ respectively. The enrichment factors were 31 for Cd2+ and 37 for Pb2+. The preconcentration factors were 26 for Cd2+ and 31 for Pb2+ respectively.


Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated that films prepared from gelatins that had been enzymatically modified with microbial transglutaminase had improved tensile strength and toughness, were less soluble in water than gelatin alone and had improved hydrophilic properties. In the present study, our goal was to further enhance functional properties of the enzymatically prepared films and at the same time determine if biodegradability is retained. Orienting films has been described as a method to improve mechanical properties. We found that tensile strength, maximum strain, and Young's Modulus improved significantly when orientation took place on either unmodified or crosslinked dry gelatin films or on films that were swollen in water and then were subsequently dried in the strained position. We further demonstrated that the temperature of drying affects mechanical properties; drying at ambient temperature gives products with significantly higher tensile strength and reduced maximum strain over those products that had been dried at a higher temperature. Furthermore, we found that mechanical properties of strained and unstrained films, dried at ambient temperature, will give similar tensile strengths, thus indicating the importance of careful drying in film preparation. Finally, when polyvinyl alcohol was added to the gelatin mixture, films with improved tensile strength and maximum strain were obtained. In all studies, not only was biodegradability demonstrated but it was also found that by enzymatically modifying the gelatin, the resulting products were superior.


In this research, surface changes in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and Polycarbonate (PC) polymers due to ArF laser radiation has investigated. The changes has analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X- Ray spectroscope (EDX). The obtained SEM images indicate laser induced conic microstructures in micron scale in irradiated zone of the both polymers.


The factors that influence the emergence of traffic accidents, are the technical condition of the motor vehicle, the technical condition of the infrastructure and not least the human factor. In particular the person of the driver is problematic not only from the perspective of the knowledge, skills and attitudes, but also of the psychological and physical condition of man. Post, beside the presentation of the exploratory investigation for the elderly, offers a possible solution to the preventive course for seniors, including experience with his pilot background check. In the framework of an exploratory investigation, they were compared drivers – women and men not only by their knowledge (knowledge in the area of rules of traffic on the road and the theory of safe driving), but also their practical skills in the management of the motor vehicle in the simulated driving skill. Exploratory investigation at the same time included the views of respondents – the elderly on the current situation in the transport sector.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Hemodialysis (HD) is a therapeutic procedure used to partially correct homeostatic disorders and prevent complications of uremia to appear in the terminal stage of renal insufficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze the incidence and features of haedaches in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

METHODS
A total of 143 patients, 50 women and 93 men, undergoing hemodialysis, were questionned about their problems with headache using a questionnary designend according to the diagnostic criteria of the Intemational Headache Classification of Headache Disorders from 2004. The patients were separated into two groups: the patients without headache and the patients with repeated headaches. Afterwards, the patients with headaches were further divided into subgroups: the patients who had the headaches before the beginning of HD and patients who experienced repeated headaches with the beginning of HD headache (HDH). In the group of patients with headaches we analyzed characteristics of headache according to which diagnoses of headaches were made, as well as the effects of HD on headaches. We also analyzed features of HDH. The patients with headache were compared to the patients without haedache regarding sex, age, duration of HD, causes of end-stage renal disease, arterial diastolic and systolic blood pressure and serum concentration of hemoglobin, urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium and potassium. The results were statistically compared.

RESULTS
In the group of 143 patients examined, 27 (18.9%) patients had headaches. There were no statistically significant differences between the group of patients with headaches and those without headache regarding to sex, age, duration of HD, causes of end-stage renal disease, serum concentration of hemoglobin, urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium and potassium. The patients with headaches showed significantlly higher mean values of systolic blood pressure during HD in comparison to the patients without headaches (p = 0.029). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean values of diastolic blood pressure. Nineteen (13.3%) patients had had headache before starting HD. HD did not have any effect on the characteristics of headaches in more than a half of these patients. In 8 (5.6%) patients we diagnozed HDH using the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Classification of Headache Disorders from 2004. HDH showed similar caracteristics in all the patients: it appeared mostly in men, during the 4th hour of HD, lasted less than four hours, it was localized bilaterally in the frontal parts of the head, strong in intensity, throbbing and without the associated symptoms.

CONCLUSION
The results of our study clearly showed that HDH was a particular entity of headache, not only because of its connenction with HD, but because it had similar characteristics in all the patients in wich it had appeared. Finding out the pathophysiological mechanisms of their occurrence would significantly improve the quality of life style of patients on hemodialysis.


The 3 × 0.5 km gabbro-hosted Precambrian Baula Complex, in Orissa, India, comprises a steeply dipping pyroxenite unit in tectonic contact to the east with a peridotite unit that contains three chromitite layers and that becomes pyroxene-rich eastward toward the top. The ultramafic formations are intruded by the Bangur Gabbro, the top of which entered a shear zone, forming a breccia zone. The breccia, 1 to 40 m thick and almost continuous along strike for 2000 m, shows extensive vertical and lateral variations. It is made up of ultramafic blocks of various sizes derived from the Baula Complex within a matrix of hydrothermally altered Bangur Gabbro. The brecciation process has affected one of the chromitite layers. Two categories of platinum-group-element (PGE) mineralization have been observed in the Baula Complex, both associated with the Bangur Gabbro. The first (type 1) occurs within a sulfide-free magmatic environment within the Bangur Gabbro near its contact with the peridotite, and is clearly formed within a magmatic environment. The PGE-bearing rock contains relics of dunite and chromitite extracted mechanically from the ultramafic formations by the intrusive gabbro. This mineralization is dominated by Pt (Pt/Pd in the range 8–9), is anomalous in Rh, and the platinum-group-mineral (PGM) assemblage is dominated by isoferroplatinum, braggite and malanite, with sperrylite and laurite, included in pyroxene and plagioclase. The second category (types 2A and 2B) is restricted to the hydrothermally altered matrix of the breccia zone. Type 2A has PGE associated with base-metal mineralization; the PGE assemblages are characterized by Pd (Pt/Pd 0.5), and the PGM are mainly sudburyite, minerals of the system Pd–Bi–Te–Sb, and sperrylite. Type 2B is not associated with base metals, the PGE are characterized by Pt (Pt/Pd in the range 2–3), and PGM phases of the Pt–Sb–As system (geversite, sperrylite) coexist with Pd antimony (mertieite-II). The PGE minerals form discrete grains, a) in the hydrous silicate matrix (commonly as clusters) without base-metal sulfides (BMS) or in the silicate matrix accompanying BMS trails, where they are in some cases adjacent to disseminated BMS, b) within ferrian chromite, c) within BMS in silicates, and d) within or adjacent to BMS in ferrian chromite. We present the results of electron-microprobe analyses of the PGM and BMS phases, and propose a model in which type-1 mineralization results from an orthomagmatic episode, whereas the type-2 mineralization is a result of hydromagmatic processes affecting the gabbroic matrix of the complex breccia zone.


The present study examined the effect of the type of meat (beef and fallow deer) and the addition of freeze-dried acid whey on nutritional values and the content of bioactive compounds (peptides, L-carnitine, glutathione, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)) in uncured fermented sausages. The antioxidant properties of isolated peptides (ABTS, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power) were also evaluated. The results showed that fallow deer sausages had higher peptide content than beef products. The addition of acid whey caused a decrease in the content of peptides, especially in fallow deer sausages. The glutathione content in beef sausages (22.91–25.28 mg 100 g−1 of sausage) was quite higher than that of fallow deer sausages (10.04–11.59 mg 100 g−1 of sausage). The obtained results showed a significantly higher content of CLA in beef sausages than in products from fallow deer meat. In conclusion, products prepared from fallow deer meat have generally higher nutritional value because of the content of peptides, their antioxidant properties, and the content of L-carnitine, while beef products have higher levels of CLA and glutathione.


The drug therapy prescribed for a group of 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Otago prior to specialist referral was examined. Thirty-two patients were receiving some first-line anti-inflammatory drugs and six were receiving no therapy at the time of their first hospital clinic visit. Salicylates had been prescribed first in only 16 of the 50 patients while this drug had been withdrawn because of side effects in about one-third of the patients who had been treated with it prior to specialist referral. Seven patients had received phenylbutazone and six corticosteroids as the first treatment for their rheumatoid arthritis. About one-third of the patients were receiving more than one anti-inflammatory drug at the time of their initial clinic visit.


Metabolic studies and animal knockout models point to the critical role of polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, DHA)-containing phospholipids (PLs) in physiology. Here, we study the impact of DHA-PLs on the dynamics of transendothelial cell macroapertures (TEMs) tunnels triggered by the RhoA GTPase inhibitory exotoxin C3 from Clostridium botulinum. Through lipidomic analyses, we show that primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) subjected to DHA-diet undergo a 6-fold DHA-PLs enrichment in plasma membrane at the expense of monounsaturated OA-PLs. In contrast, OA-diet had almost no effect on PLs composition. Consequently, DHA treatment increases the nucleation rate of TEMs by 2-fold that we ascribe to a reduction of cell thickness. We reveal that the global transcellular area of cells remains conserved through a reduction of the width and lifetime of TEMs. Altogether, we reveal a homeostasis between plasma membrane DHA-PLs content and large-scale membrane dynamics.


Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play key roles in the progression of cancers and their response to various treatments, for example through secretion of pro-survival growth factors; contribution to angiogenesis; and modulation of the tumor immune response via antigen presentation and expression of factors such as PD-L1. TAM effects can be highly localized within the tumor microenvironment, for example through cell-cell contact, yet it has been difficult to directly study interactions between TAMs and tumor cells at high resolution, in orthotopic sites of cancer development, and in real-time as cells respond to therapeutic treatment. To understand the biology underlying heterogeneous interactions between TAMs and tumor cells, we used in vivo fluorescence imaging at single-cell resolution to study pharmacodynamic (PD) response of tumor cells and TAMs to chemotherapeutic treatment. Methods: To directly image host leukocytes in a variety of tumor models, we used a combination of fluorescent genetic reporter host animals (CX3CR1GFP/+ reporter mice) and macrophage labeling via well-validated fluorescent and magnetic dextran-coated nanoparticles. For direct visualization of therapeutic response in cancer cells themselves, we used 53BP1-mApple as a transgenic fluorescent reporter to quantify DNA damage responses at the single-cell level. Automated computational segmentation of 3D images enabled precise quantification of statistical correlation between spatial TAM localization and cellular DNA damage responses. We performed studies in multiple human xenograft and syngeneic tumor models, including orthotopic ovarian cancer models and a syngeneic Kras-mutant p53-null lung adenocarcinoma model; histology validated in vivo imaging results. As a proof-of-principle, we tested cellular response to platinum (Pt)-based DNA-damaging agents. Results: Using a novel combination of orthotopic imaging setups, fluorescent reporters for TAMs and cancer cell pharmacodynamic response, along with automated 3D image segmentation and single-cell quantification, here we demonstrate that in vivo imaging can quantify correlations between local TAM concentrations and the simultaneously observed behavior of thousands of cancer cells. As a proof-of-principle, we measure relationships between single-cell DNA damage and local TAM levels in response to Pt-based chemotherapeutic treatment, and find that highly-localized concentrations of tumor-associated immune cells can influence therapeutic response at the single-cell level (and at cellular length-scale gradients). Importantly, we find these relationships to be highly probabilistic (rather than deterministic), and automated classification of thousands of cells across multiple tumors enables robust quantification of the inherent stochasticity involved in the pharmacodynamic responses. We find that single-cell heterogeneity and its explanation by microenvironmental factors such as local TAM concentration and vascular proximity can be heavily dependent on the therapeutic treatment and tumor model. Conclusions: This work presents in vivo imaging technology that should be useful for studying interactions between cancer cells and TAMs in orthotopic sites including intraperitoneal ovarian cancer and can be extended to other cell interactions (for instance by using fluorescent genetic reporters of various lymphocyte populations). Interaction and co-localization between tumor cells and associated immune cells can influence therapeutic response at the single-cell level, and such information will likely be useful for understanding heterogeneous drug responses to chemotherapeutics and immunotherapeutics alike. Citation Format: Miles A. Miller, Mikael Pittet, Ralph Weissleder. In vivo imaging of innate immune cells to measure drug response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B133.


In rhythmically growing woody species such as common oak (Quercus robur L.), stem growth is discontinuous and a bud forms at regular intervals at the shoot apex. These buds are composed of different types of leaves: laminate, aborted lamina and scale. The change in heteroblastic leaf shape from laminate to aborted lamina leaves is regarded as one of the events marking shoot growth arrest. To better understand the determinism of heteroblastic leaf shape change and thus, of rhythmicity, we studied morphogenetic events during the early days of the second flush of growth in oak, as well as changes in sucrose metabolism and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations in control plants expressing the heteroblastic leaf shape change and in defoliated plants showing no heteroblastic leaf shape change and producing only laminate leaves. In control plants, the leaf shape change was underway on Day 5 of the second flush with the differentiation of the first two aborted lamina leaves. Sucrose concentration in the apices of control plants decreased between Days 3 and 5 during differentiation of the aborted lamina leaves. An inverse pattern was observed in defoliated plants, suggesting that sucrose acts as a signal triggering heteroblastic leaf shape changes. During the same period, acid cell wall invertase activity was high in young stem and laminate leaves of control plants, whereas the activity remained constant and low in the apices. If the laminate leaves were removed, the increase in apical sucrose concentration was proportionally higher than the decrease in apical acid vacuolar invertase activity, suggesting that, in the absence of young leaves, sucrose is imported to the apex. The sucrose concentration in the apex is therefore likely to be affected by trophic competition with the expanding laminate leaves. The decrease in apex sucrose concentration may be one of the mechanisms driving heteroblastic leaf shape change. Differentiation of aborted lamina leaves was followed by a decrease in the organogenic activity of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) between Days 7 and 9. High concentrations of ABA are associated with differentiation of aborted lamina and scale leaves and with low SAM organogenic activity. Shoot apical meristem organogenic activity remained high and ABA concentration in the apex remained low in defoliated plants producing only photosynthetic leaves. These results suggest that (1) ABA is involved in the gradual conversion of embryonic leaves to abnormal leaves, thereby regulating heteroblastic leaf shape changes and (2) changes in ABA concentration influence the intensity of SAM organogenic activity. Heteroblastic development and therefore rhythmic growth could be the result of competition between apices and laminate leaves, with competition first involving sucrose and thereafter ABA.


Plant architecture is of major agronomic importance as it determines the potential grain yield depending on environmental conditions in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Here, we characterized plant architecture and its response to low fertilizer and high planting density in five rice "reduced culm number (rcn)" mutants; "rcn1-2, rcn2, rcn4-2, rcn5and rcn6", originating from rice cultivar 'Shiokari', with 'Shiokari' as a parental control. Under control condition, a positive correlation was observed between tiller number and plant height showing that each rcn controls both apical and axillary shoots elongation. High density and low fertilizer had the negative effects on tillering and main shoot development involving main culm length, leaf number, panicle length, spikelet number on main culm in 'Shiokari'. The degrees of negative effect on main shoot development by the present environmental stresses were depended on 'rcn' genotype. Among them, 'rcn6' constantly developed main shoot architecture under low fertilizer or high density planting.

 Key words: Tillering, reduced culm number mutant, low fertilizer, high density, rice.


Background There is an unmet need for a less toxic, corticosteroid sparing therapy in ANCA vasculitis (AAV), as up to 50% of patients relapse by 5 years and 20% have sub-optimal disease control. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been effective and safe in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. There is mechanistic rationale for the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in vasculitis, considering its effect on immune mediators involved in pathogenesis, including B cell activating factors, Toll-like receptors, autoreactive T cells and cytokines. Objectives To assess retrospectively the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in patients with systemic vasculitis Methods Patients were identified by searching our departmental vasculitis database including 248 patients in total and electronic clinical records. Twenty-six patients received hydroxychloroquine along with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. We assessed the effect of hydroxychloroquine on clinical symptoms and the median dose of corticosteroids required. Results Twenty six patients with various vasculitides were treated with hydroxychloroquine (median dose 200 mg OD): 6 patients with Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP), 6 urticarial vasculitis, 6 with ANCA+ vasculitis (AAV) (4 PR3-ANCA, 2 MPO-ANCA), 1 Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), 2 Takayasu arteritis, 2 Behcet's disease, 1 adult Still's disease (AOSD), 1 relapsing polychondritis, 1 polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). The female: male ratio was 21:5. Median age was 53 years. The median duration of HCQ treatment was 3 years. Sixteen patients experienced a reduction in arthralgia, skin rashes improved in 8 patients and completely resolved in a further 4. Eight patients could reduce corticosteroid doses (from 9 mg to 6 mg) and 3 discontinued corticosteroids. Four patients developed fewer vasculitic relapses, 6 felt less fatigued, 2 patients no longer experienced abdominal pain and diarrhoea, 2 improved their mood and ability to think clearly. The 6 patients with AAV experienced improvement in arthralgia, reduced their prednisolone doses by a third, had fewer relapses and felt less tired. One patient developed asymptomatic QT prolongation and stopped the hydroxychloroquine, with no other adverse events reported. Additional immunosuppressive therapy Patient No. Diagnosis Nil 8 3 Behcet 2, HSP, 1 AAV, 1 PAN,1 urticarial vasculitis Methotrexate + prednisolone 5 2 HSP, 1 AAV, 1 AOSD, 1 polychondritis Azathioprine + prednisolone 3 1 HSP, 1 AAV, 1 urticarial vasculitis Mycophenolate mofetil + prednisolone 2 1 urticarial vasculitis, 1 EGPA Mycophenolate mofetil 2 1 AAV, 1 Takayasu Methotrexate 2 Urticarial vasculitis Azathioprine 1 Takayasu Prednisolone 1 AAV Mepacrine 1 HSP Rituximab 1 AAV Conclusions All 26 patients reported symptomatic benefits associated with hydroxychloroquine treatment, especially improvement in joint pains, fatigue, rash. Vasculitic relapses were less frequent, with a reduction in corticosteroid doses. Hydroxychloroquine was generally well tolerated. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is high among Asian populations, but the incidences of gastric cancer differ greatly among northern and southern Asian populations. Here, we studied histopathological findings in stomach tissue using an updated Sydney System and the frequencies of interleukin (IL)-1betapolymorphisms, thought to be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, in four Asian populations. Endoscopic-guided biopsies from three regions of the stomach and the -511 T-to-C polymorphism in the IL-1betagene were examined in 228 Japanese, 116 Chinese, 159 Thai and 83 Vietnamese patients with gastric diseases. H. pylori colonization, inflammation and activity were more severe in the Japanese and Thai populations than in the Chinese and Vietnamese populations and these scores were more antrum-predominant in the Thai and Vietnamese populations than in the Japanese and Chinese populations, with the most severe degree of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia occurring in the angulus region of the Japanese population. The IL-1betapolymorphisms did not differ among the four populations overall, but in cases with severe mucosal atrophy (pepsinogen I/II ratio <3.0), the CC polymorphism was dominant in the Japanese population and the TT+TC polymorphism was dominant in the Chinese population; no difference in C and T allele frequencies was found in the Thai and Vietnamese populations. In conclusion, the incidence of gastric cancer is extremely low, but the prevalence of H. pylori infection is high in the Thai population (Asian paradox). In the Thai population, the scores for corpus gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, which are associated with a high risk of gastric cancer, were low in comparison with the Japanese population. IL-1betapolymorphisms were correlated with mucosal atrophy in the Japanese and Chinese populations, but not in the Thai and Vietnamese populations.


This paper presents a dynamic model that can predict the dynamics of migration flows between source countries and host regions, as well as the dynamics of wage levels there. The model is constructed within the framework of neoclassical economics and human capital theory in continuous time. Thanks to liberalization of migration policy in Russia in 2007, the model could be successfully employed to Russian regions and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which have visa-free entry regulations with the Russian Federation. Employing the model on statistical data, we forecast the number and origin composition of foreign labor force from the CIS into Russian regions for 2010-2016. The purpose of our further research is to classify migrants by skills.


The biomedical poly(ether urethaneurea) Biomer has previously been shown to contain a standard antioxidant and a polymethacrylate additive with surface active properties. In the present communication, the latter additive has been shown to influence the morphology, mechanical properties, and surface chemistry of a poly(ether urethaneurea) with a composition similar to Biomer. It was shown that the in vitro blood compatibility of the poly(ether urethaneurea) was improved and that adsorption of fibrinogen from blood plasma decreased significantly due to the presence of the surface active polymethacrylate additive. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


In this study, the effect of microwave irradiation on reduction of graphene oxide films was investigated. The few-layer graphene (FLG) sheets were prepared by the electrochemical exfoliated method. The reduction process was completed with a microwave power as low as 42 W below a temperature of 250 °C in air. The Raman and XPS spectra demonstrated that a larger amount of oxygen functional groups were removed by microwave irradiation, which is much more effective than the usual method of mild-thermal treatment at 250 °C for 30 min. The FLG films treated by microwave irradiation showed a low value of sheet resistance around 6 × 103 Ω □−1. The results demonstrate that the use of microwave irradiation provides a simple and effective method for eliminating oxygen functional groups to produce highly conductive graphene films.


A digital picture generally contains tens of thousands of colors. Therefore, most image processing applications first need to apply a color reduction scheme before performing further sophisticated analysis operations such as segmentation. While a lot of color reduction techniques exist in the literature, they are mainly designed for image compression and are unfortunately not suited for many image processing operations (e.g. segmentation) as they tend to alter image color structure and distribution. In this paper, we propose a new color reduction scheme (SICR), using probabilities and information theory elements to balance between the information provided by the selected colors and the necessity to accurately represent the selected colors. We also advocate for the use of perceptually accurate metrics for evaluation. Experimental results on a diversified dataset of images selected from the internet show that our technique performs well compared to other color reduction schemes.


Myofibroblastoma (MFB) is an uncommon benign mesenchymal tumor that may arise in several organs and tissue. Although most of reported cases were located in the breast, it is extremely rare, representing less than 1% of breast tumor. MFB has predominantly seen in elderly men, but some cases have been described in menopausal women. This lesion is a stromal tumor which has many morphologic variants including cellular, collagenized, epithelioid, palisaded, lipomatous, hemangiopericytoma-like, and infiltrant features. Even if its incidence has recently increased due to the mammary screening, only few cases have been reported in Literature and even less in young women. Physical examination discloses a solitary, unilateral, painless, freely movable, usual firm in consistency, non-tender nodule. Imaging investigations usually are not specific to establish the right diagnosis. Furthermore, findings from Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) may be confusing and nonspecific, making diagnosis of MFB possible only after surgical operation. Not evidence of malignant transformation, recurrence or distant metastasis after a follow-up period of 15 years have been reported in Literature when resection margins are free. Hereby the authors describe a rare case of breast MFB in a young woman.


A method combining coordinates measuring method with digital image technique was introduced to measure area of irregular particular regions. The coordinate measuring machine (CMM) was used to control coordinate positions of charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for recording image of measured region. Image processing technique with image segmentation and mosaic was used to calculate area. Firstly transform coefficient between a pixel in an image and real area in square meter was calibrated by a plane templet. Secondly image distortion due to distance from CCD camera to different locations of curved surface was corrected using the concept of perspective projection in computer graphics. And then curved-surface spread was given as a modification of curved surface effect to promote measurement accuracy. Both the relative error and the repeatability error are less than 0.5% in this method.


The Competition Act, 2002 ("Act") read with the attendant Combination Regulations provide for a mandatory notification of the transaction to the Competition Commission of India ("CCI") provided that…


Carbonate reservoirs present both opportunities and challenges, especially in rocks that contain multiple, heterogeneous porosities. This study addresses a large carbonate reservoir with complex porosity types including porous matrix, fractures, faults, and vuggy zones. A fracture-focused strategy considers how these porosities behave in oil production, and uses this understanding to improve reservoir productivity. The subject of this work is a major carbonate reservoir that was initially developed by conventional methods. These approaches emphasized matrix properties using petrophysically-interpreted wireline logs. The early stages of production, which did not include pressure maintenance, found anomalous behaviors that were inconsistent with a matrix-only reservoir. The existing petrophysical data, which are valid only for porous rock, could not address fracture-based hypotheses. A program of fracture studies supported a re-analysis of the production strategies in light of reservoir's observed behaviors. The fracture-focused strategy employed FMI image logs along with production logs (PLT surveys) and temperature surveys. These well-based tools identified the locations of flow and their associated geologic features, which are appeared to be mainly fractured and vuggy horizons. Coring activities validated the FMI interpretations. A reexamination of well tests using supported a single-porosity, fracture flow model. Pressure derivative interpretations using fracture-based conceptual models associated well performance with geologic features, including both the vuggy zones and faults. The fracture-focused characterization program has developed improved conceptual models of the reservoir to support evolving production approaches including well acidizing, and other. The paper provides examples of successful well operations performed after appropriate field research.


Asian Americans represent the fastest-growing, best-educated, and highest-income demographic in the United States. The successful status of Asians Americans is reflected in the fact that they are collectively associated with a "model minority" stereotype that characterizes them in terms of traits such as being academically-oriented, high-achieving, studious, law-abiding and hard-working. Yet despite the apparent success of Asian Americans and, the positive stereotypes associated with this minority, compared to other women of color, Asian women are significantly less likely to hold leadership positions. This study attempts to understand the reason for this gap.  Using a grounded theory methodology, this study explores the live experiences of 16 Asian American female middle managers to understand the influence of ethnicity and gender on their leadership experiences and career opportunities. The study's results reveal that the participants had complex and conflicting experiences that resulted in both opportunities and challenges. Participants sometimes benefited from the positive associations of their Asian ethnicity with qualities such as intelligence and diligence, and sometimes they face the demerits of being Asians, that reinforce a view of them being passive and lacking in leadership skills. Research also reveals the impact of gender identity over the career of working women.The study also shows that because of being women and those too from a minority, the Asian working women face difficulties in becoming part of local culture. That is, there exists an insider culture within corporate America that up-holds the importance of male-oriented leadership qualities and that does not allow Asian-American females to become a part of it.


Electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) has potential application as a residue free sanitizing agent for food of animal origin. Meat and poultry were contaminated with microorganism, pathogens or not, and different types of electrolyzed oxidizing water treatement were investigated to evaluate the activity of each of these method. In detail, this study is aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of EOW in reducing microbial count, including total bacterial count, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli on meat and poultry. EOW has a very strong disinfectant activity which, along with its easy and safe use, makes a good alternative to many other more widely used disinfectants.


BACKGROUND
We evaluated the radiologic and functional outcomes of patients with radial head fractures managed with open reduction and internal fixation.

METHODS
Between 1998-2003, 15 patients (7 males, 8 females; mean age 34.1; range 18 to 49 years) with radial head fracture were treated with open reduction and internal fixation. Follow-up time was 54.6 months (42-78). Three fractures were Mason type II, 8 were III and 4 were IV. They were evaluated by anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and functionally by Broberg and Morrey criteria.

RESULTS
All the fractures except in 1 patient with Mason type III had united. The mean range of motion of the elbow was 20 degrees to 145 degrees with 71.9 degrees of pronation and 83.2 degrees of supination. According to Broberg and Morrey criteria, the outcome was excellent in 8, good in 4, fair in 1 and bad in 2. Excision and prosthetic replacement were performed in 1 patient because of implant failure.

CONCLUSION
We suggest open reduction and internal fixation even in comminuted cases because it gives satisfactory elbow function and avoids radial shortening, loss of motion and wrist joint dysfunction as a result of radial head excision. When it fails, excision and prosthetic replacement can be done later.


The EU has now embraced so many national states with such a wide range of economic structures that it cannot be supposed that health and safety arrangements will be the same in every Member State, even though all are required to implement the same EC directives relating to the health and safety of the workforce. This paper attempts to address the health and safety of those in new, and possibly precarious, forms of employment in the UK. It does so in the context of the situation in the EU as indicated by a number of research reports.


We perform a spectroscopic study of the collective spin-wave dynamics occurring in a pair of magnetic nanodisks coupled by the magnetodipolar interaction. We take advantage of the stray field gradient produced by the magnetic tip of a ferromagnetic resonance force microscope to continuously tune and detune the relative resonance frequencies between two adjacent nano-objects. This reveals the anticrossing and hybridization of the spin-wave modes in the pair. At the exact tuning, the measured frequency splitting between the binding and antibinding modes corresponds to the strength of the dynamical dipolar coupling Ω. This accurate ferromagnetic resonance force microscope determination of Ω is measured versus the separation between the nanodisks. It agrees quantitatively with calculations of the expected dynamical magnetodipolar interaction in our sample.


Nocardial infections have been reported in small case series of patients with multiple risk factors for immunosuppression. We reviewed the microbiology laboratory database for an 11-year period at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and identified 59 patients with nocardiosis. We present their clinical features and outcome. Twenty-one of the 59 patients were human immunodeficiency virus infected; all but one had CD4 lymphocyte counts <200 cells/mm 3 . Each of the nine patients who were solid organ transplant recipients had received his or her transplant within 1½ years of infection. Patients clinically presented with fever (22, 37%), pulmonary symptoms (33, 56%), central nervous system symptoms (17, 29%), and skin/soft tissue manifestations (9, 15%). Five of the 59 patients were receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for prophylaxis when they developed nocardia infection. Human immunodeficiency virus–positive patients had a higher death rate (OR = 4.03, p = .02). Six patients were diagnosed with Nocardia postmortem. These data emphasize that Nocardia should be considered in the infectious differential of any immunocompromised patient, regardless of their prophylaxis history.


A comprehensive study of the various modulation techniques has been discussed which helps to increase data rate, to overcome dispersion effects and various non-linear effects in the fibre. Modulation formats such as OOK (On Off Keying), BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying), DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying), DP-QPSK (Dual Polarized Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) and duobinary are studied. The DP-QPSK, DPSK and other higher modulation formats yield to better performance. Issues related to spectral efficiency, optical bandwidth, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) have also been discussed. Duobinary modulation has also stimulated much interest, especially as a practical alternative for high-spectral efficiency 40 GB/s systems alongside the more popular differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) technique. Both duobinary and DPSK can achieve the high-spectral efficiency necessary to transmit 40 GB/s data on 50GHz channel spacing. DPSK is known to have the better optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) sensitivity, while duobinary is famed for a good tolerance to chromatic dispersion, and narrow optical filtering. Comparison of pulse shapes RZ and NRZ are done for DP- QPSK schemes which show that RZ has better performance. An experimental study of pulse shapes for duobinary systems is also done. The RZ versus NRZ pulse shape is compared for duobinary systems that are dominated by ASE noise, fibre chromatic dispersion, and SPM nonlinearity. Surprisingly, and in stark contrast to the case of OOK, in all cases that were considered, the NRZ pulse shape is found to be superior to RZ for duobinary transmission. An analysis of the performance limitations of SMF due to SPM effect is discussed. With the aid of OptSim simulation software a DCF has been employed with proper variation in length to tackle the nonlinear effects in the transmission system. Better performance was shown when a combination of SMF length 85 km and DCF length 15 km was chosen for total 100km fiber length. The BER and eye diagram technique have been used for evaluating the system performance.


Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the role of the nitric oxide (NO) pathway in protamine-induced cardiotoxicity and to formulate a possible explanation for this adverse effect. Methods: Isolated rat hearts were perfused by Krebs±Henseleit (KH) solution using a modi®ed Langendorff model. They were randomized into three groups: A, 40 min perfusion with KH solution; B, 20 min perfusion with KH solution and 20 min with protamine; C, as B but Ng-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA), a non-selective inhibitor of the NO pathway, was added during 40 min of the perfusion period. Left ventricular (LV) function was measured every 10 min. NO and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF) were detected in the ef̄ uent from the coronary sinus (CS) and in the supernatant of the cardiac myocytes culture. Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) mRNA levels were determined in groups A and B from LV samples at baseline and after 40 min of perfusion. Results: We found that protamine at a dose of 12 mg/ml causes signi®cant depression of LV function (decreased peak systolic pressure to 22.5 ^ 3.2% and dP/dt max to 22.9 ^ 3.1%). l-NMMA did not prevent protamine cardiotoxicity. NOS mRNA was not detected from LV samples in any group. The NO in the ef̄ uent from the CS and from the supernatant of the cardiomyocytes culture was below detectable levels. However, a signi®cant amount of TNF was measured in the ef̄ uent from the CS (108 ^ 17 pg/min for group B and 117 ^ 13 pg/min for group C) and in the supernatant of the cardiomyocytes culture (65 ^ 21 pg/ml). Conclusions: This study suggests that direct protamine-induced cardiotoxicity does not depend on the NO pathway. Our ®nding that protamine induced TNF release by cardiomyocytes can shed new light on the understanding of protamine cardiotoxicity. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


This article discusses about wireless communication technologies such as IEEE 802.15.4, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies are described. The part of industry and everyday life could be significantly impacted by Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a collection of sensor nodes that communicate with one another using wireless technologies. These nodes gather data and send it to the gateway across the Internet, the informal cloud. In a WSN, node-to-node communication may be multi-hop or direct. Every new concept or technology attempts to be integrated into the WSN in order to increase efficiency, improve user experience, and consume less power. Near Field Communications (NFC), a type of wireless networking technology allows to establish simple, secure and interactive communication. iPack is a technology that focuses on integrating NFC into pre-existing systems to create a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that supports NFC. Furthermore, data from a sensor node can be transferred to devices with a single touch by using this method. NFC with WSN is a single hop communication. The NFC interface also offers a safe wireless connection.


The behavior and mechanical properties of cells are strongly dependent on the biochemical and biomechanical properties of their microenvironment. Thus, understanding the mechanical properties of cells, extracellular matrices, and biomaterials is key to understanding cell function and to develop new materials with tailored mechanical properties for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as an indispensable technique for measuring the mechanical properties of biomaterials and cells with high spatial resolution and force sensitivity within physiologically relevant environments and timescales in the kPa to GPa elastic modulus range. The growing interest in this field of bionanomechanics has been accompanied by an expanding array of models to describe the complexity of indentation of hierarchical biological samples. Furthermore, the integration of AFM with optical microscopy techniques has further opened the door to a wide range of mechanotransduction studies. In recent years, new multidimensional and multiharmonic AFM approaches for mapping mechanical properties have been developed, which allow the rapid determination of, for example, cell elasticity. This Progress Report provides an introduction and practical guide to making AFM‐based nanomechanical measurements of cells and surfaces for tissue engineering applications.


The kinetics of the substitution reaction of nickel(II) and copper(II)-nitrilotriacetate complexes and that of nickel(II) and cobalt(II)-nitrilotriacetate complexes in acetate buffer solutions have been studied by a similar method in principle to that reported previously. The reactions were treated as to proceed through both hydrated metal ions and monoacetato complexes. The rate constants of eight reaction paths, of which four involve hydrated nickel(II) ions and the others, monoacetatonickel(II) complexes, were determined at ionic strength 0.2 at 0°C. The backward reactions were found to proceed also through eight reaction paths in which the dissociation of Ni(II)-nitrilotriacetate complexes is rate-determining. The values of rate constants obtained for the forward and the backward reactions indicate that all the reactions proceeding through monoacetatonickel(II) complexes are faster than the corresponding reactions through hydrated nickel(II) ions.


Coal is India's most important source of commercial energy, currently meeting about two-thirds of that country's energy needs. Over the past two years, the government of India and Coal India have implemented reforms aimed at making the coal industry commercially viable and financially self-sustaining. The primary objective of the Coal Sector Rehabilitation Project is to support this reform agenda and Coal India's transformation into a commercial company whose operations are environmentally and socially sustainable. In order for the program to meet its long-term financial impact, it will support investments in opencast and underground mining operations that are projected to yield the highest economic returns; provide technical assistance in support of the program; and assist Coal India in mitigating the adverse effects of mining operations on the environment and the people directly affected by mining activities.


Replies to H. van Goor's (1999) critical review of the volume, edited by Denters and Geurts, Lokale democratie in Nederland: Burgers en hun gemeentebestuur ([Local Democracy in the Netherlands: Citizens and Their Local Government] 1998), which tests the modernization and the political community model to analyze the ways in which individuals perceive the functioning of their local governments and the effects of these perceptions on political behavior. Van Goor criticized the book severely in three respects: (1) models, analysis, and data- are not pertinent to the theoretical questions, (2) an alternative model of complex local government is ignored, and (3) the data-gathering method is unreliable. It is argued that (A) the analytical apparatus is certainly relevant to the theoretical questions addressed in the book, albeit less interesting for alternative questions formulated by Van Goor, (B) the alternative model is nowhere explicated and appears to consist of aspects that can easily be rephrased in terms of the modernization and the political community model, and (C) the unreliability associated with the data-gathering method used is predictable and can therefore be integrated into the results. 31 References. S. Paul


In Ukraine, the challenges and threats to the efficient functioning of the transportation industry are intensifying during the war and infrastructure destruction. The need for emergency repairs of the ruined infrastructure hinders the reform of the Ukrainian transportation industry. Furthermore, developing an integrated EU-oriented multimodal transportation system within the "Eastern Partnership" regional network becomes more complicated. This article aims to identify the problems of efficiency and competitiveness of the Ukrainian transportation industry in the context of integration into the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the construction of a multimodal transportation system. The research employs a systemic analysis methodology to assess the structural indicators of Ukraine's transportation system development. The structure of Ukrainian freight transportation by mode is compared with that in EU countries to reflect differences in a modal split in the context of Ukraine's accession to TEN-T. The results demonstrate a range of problems related to the competitiveness of the Ukrainian transportation industry, which act as barriers to its integration with TEN-T. Institutional, political, and managerial-administrative problems are identified as the leading issues associated with inefficient data collection and processing, management and control functions, decision-making, communication, and interaction among governing bodies. A separate group of issues in Ukraine's transportation industry is linked to the material-technical condition of various types of transportation infrastructure, which affects service quality. Consequently, other problems arise, including the low level of development of intermodal and multimodal transport, transportation logistics, decreased efficiency in capacity utilization, insufficient level of competition in the market for transportation services, and non-compliance with European requirements for access to the transportation services market.


The success of involuntary resettlement is contingent on recasting the involuntary as voluntary. To explore this proposition, this article presents two projects in China – one "voluntary" (Poverty Alleviation Resettlement or PAR) and relatively "successful" and one "involuntary" (Three Gorges Project Resettlement or TGPR) and less so. The research finds the voluntary–involuntary dichotomy a false one. It is not volition that leads to better outcomes, but people-centred practices that are embedded in policy, planning, and implementation of PAR. Perhaps the most important lesson drawn is that all resettlements should be based on a commitment to settlement and not just resettlement.


By examining material from a sociological study of face-to-face interaction taking place in social welfare offices in Norway, questions linked to different contextual aspects within these contexts are targeted in this article. Results are compiled from observations of interpreted dialogues between Norwegian social workers and their clients from minority groups of refugees and immigrants. Additionally, the article presents a discussion of two different models of communication in analysing interpreted dialogues.


Measurements of the penetration of visible solar radiation into the waters of the San Juan Archipelago have been made at several stations, and absorption coefficients computed from the measurements. The data reported include three spectral bands: One from 6000A to 7000A with nearly constant transmission throughout this band; the second from 5000A to 5900A with a definite maximum at 5400A; and a third from 4100A to 5000A with a maximum at 4650A. The illumination beneath the surface was measured with a calibrated photronic cell thus giving quantitative comparison of the intensities of different parts of the spectrum at different depths. In some cases the variation was exponential but not in all. Evidence of microscopic life on the penetration of light is indicated. The illumination has been measured to depths of 50 meters in the inshore waters.


The paper gives a general description of unmanned ground, aerial, surface, underwater, space vehicles developed inRussiaand abroad to be used for military purposes and national economy. In general, the paper highlights principles of their functioning and the degree of their autonomy. Special attention is paid to the danger they create to a person, property, etc., in traffic accidents and when moral and legal problems are involved (in compliance with the concepts of a "trolley case" and necessity that are often applied in common practice, e.g. concerning road transport). The authors suggest a road map according to which, first, gaps in the legislation (i.g. in civil and administrative law) should be eliminated; second, the rules of traffic safety and operation of unmanned vehicles should be determined, and, third, a criminal law on liability for damage caused by the drone should be elaborated. Main approaches to the definition of this criminal law prohibition are indicated and the most important algorithms of criminalization of the act in question are highlighted.


Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid formed only in the presence of ethanol. Ethanol causes changes in the concentration and composition of plasma lipoproteins and it also influences the enzymes and transfer proteins that modify lipoproteins in plasma. PEth might be one of these changes brought on by ethanol in the circulation. The present study was designed to investigate whether qualitative changes in high density lipoprotein (HDL) phospholipids caused by ethanol can mediate the beneficial effects of alcohol on atherosclerosis, and to investigate the transfer of PEth between lipoproteins and the effects of PEth on the charge of lipoprotein particles. PEth was shown to be transferred from low density lipoproteins (LDL) to HDL particles mainly by transfer proteins other than cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). The transfer of PEth between lipoproteins enables the redistribution of PEth between lipoproteins in plasma. The results of this study provide evidence that PEth in HDL particles stimulates the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from vascular wall cells. The increase in the secretion was mediated through protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways. PEth-containing HDL particles were able to increase the VEGF secretion in rats in vivo. Similar effects were also observed when rats were given HDL particles isolated from the plasma of alcoholics. The PEth-induced change in the electrical charge of lipoproteins may affect the binding of lipoproteins to their receptors and binding proteins. The effects of PEth on the secretion of VEGF from the endothelial cells were shown to be mediated through HDL receptor. The changes in HDL particles caused by phosphatidylethanol may modify the metabolism of lipoproteins and lipid-mediated signalling pathways regulating VEGF in vascular wall cells.


Wind is an important source of renewable energy and is widely available, despite the changing condition. In recent years a growing number of manufacturers have produced small wind turbines suitable for utilisation by individual householders or small businesses. These systems are designed to install in towns or cities. This raises the question about the potential of wind energy resource in build-up areas. This thesis sets to investigate the wind energy resource implication in the build-up areas by understanding the wind climatology of urban areas. As well as the overall mean wind speed, knowledge of the wind speed distribution (due to the non-linear relationship between wind speed and wind power) and the wind-direction distribution for optimum turbine siting is required. Other areas that have been considered are short-duration fluctuations in both speed and direction as these can affect the efficiency of the turbine.
The aims of this research are to study the local wind conditions and estimate the available wind resource for the wind-energy driven generation of electricity in Edinburgh by taking into account of its climate, wind data and topographical effects. To achieve these aims eleven years of Met office data was investigated in addition to analysis of the data collected from locally installed weather station. Diurnal effect on wind condition was studied and found to be more pronounced in Edinburgh's rural area than its urban conurbation. It was also found that the available wind energy in the urban area is 30% less than that of the rural area. Turbulence in wind speed and direction of flow was also investigated. Careful consideration of all the parameters defining and affecting the prevailing wind revealed the wind resource in Edinburgh's urban area to be insufficient for viable generation of wind energy through the available technology of micro WEC (wind energy converter) systems.
A CFD analysis was also performed to determine wind resource differences because of different mounting locations of wind equipment over the building under consideration. As a part of the project, a commercially available wind turbine was installed and monitored to investigate its performance in urban area. The research study finally suggests that the available grid connected micro WEC system cannot provide a cost effective contribution to urban Edinburgh's renewable energy generation.


Anonymity networks provide privacy to the users by relaying their data to multiple destinations in order to reach the final destination anonymously. Multilayer of encryption is used to protect the users' privacy from attacks or even from the operators of the stations. In this research, we showed how flow analysis could be used to identify encrypted anonymity network traffic under four scenarios: (i) Identifying anonymity networks compared to normal background traffic; (ii) Identifying the type of applications used on the anonymity networks; (iii) Identifying traffic flow behaviors of the anonymity network users; and (iv) Identifying / profiling the users on an anonymity network based on the traffic flow behavior. In order to study these, we employ a machine learning based flow analysis approach and explore how far we can push such an approach.


The B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, is following an innovative hybrid curriculum. Conventional lectures are replaced by "structured interactive sessions" (SIS). SIS involves increased interchange between teachers, students, and lecture contents by proper planning and organized efforts. It can promote active learning and heighten attention and motivation. The present study was conducted to enhance active interactions during such sessions. The students were divided into two groups and asked to come prepared for the lectures. Students were encouraged to ask questions and interact informally during lectures. A scoreboard was maintained, and student feedback was taken at the end of the lecture block. The entire student response was reduced to a student acceptability index (SAI). Our results show a statistically significant increase in interactions per student per day. A majority of the responses in the questionnaire and SAI were favorable. Specific comments and suggestions of students were also positive. These results show that simple innovative techniques enhance the interactions during a lecture session.


Carbon Dots (CDs) are fluorescent carbon-based nanoparticles that have attracted increasing attention in recent years as environment-friendly and cost-effective fluorophores. An application that can benefit from CDs in a relatively short-term perspective is the fabrication of color-converting materials in phosphor-converted white LEDs (WLEDs). In this work we present a one-pot solvothermal synthesis of polymer-passivated CDs that show a dual emission band (in the green and in the red regions) upon blue light excitation. A purposely designed numerical approach enables evaluating how the spectroscopic properties of such CDs can be profitable for application in WLEDs emulating daylight characteristics. Subsequently, we fabricate nanocomposite coatings based on the dual color-emitting CDs via solution-based strategies, and we compare their color-converting properties with those of the simulated ones to finally accomplish white light emission. The combined numerical and experimental approach can find a general use to reduce the number of experimental trial-and-error steps required for optimization of CD optical properties for lighting application.


The conformation analysis of free PPh(3) and PPh(3) coordinated to tetrahedral, trigonal-bipyramidal, octahedral or square planar achiral metal centres is discussed. Results from ADF calculations, in agreement with experimental structures, show that favoured degenerate conformations of complex-bound PPh(3) in square planar [(PPh(3))(ML(1)L(2)L(3))] and [M(acac)(L')(PPh(3))] complexes can be obtained by applying the following principles (P helicity, view along P-M axis), (i) superimpose C(ortho) of the vertical ring A onto the nadir plane perpendicular to the square plane and allow ring A to tilt towards the smallest ligand, (ii) allow ring B to tilt in the space below the smallest ligand in the quadrant between the nadir plane below the complex and a horizontal plane through the SQP of the complex, (iii) tilt ring C over the largest ligand and (iv) allow correlated tilting of rings A, B and C to minimize inter ring-ring and inter ring-ligand interactions.


A comprehensive clinical laboratory examination and treatment of 76 patients with dysbiosis of mucous membrane of the mouth of varying degrees of severity. In the present study were defined concentration indicators sIgA, IgA, IgG, catelicidin and the level of the bactericidal activity of the oral fluid of patients with dysbiosis mucous membrane of the mouth before and after the complex treatment with application of the domestic immunomodulator Likopid. According to the results of our research the inclusion of Likopid а in complex treatment of patients with dysbiosis mucous membrane of the mouth, is pathogenetically grounded and effective means of anti-inflammatory therapy, resulting in a decrease in the level of IgG and enhancement of sIgA and IgA oral fluid. Received by positive dynamics of the level of catelicidin and bactericidal activity of the oral fluid of patients with dysbiosis mucous membrane of the mouth varying degrees of severity confirmed by the data of microbiological studies, as well as the clinical effect of treatment Likopid.