OBJECTIVES
Chronic atrial volume overload and atrial fibrillation (AF) induce structural changes within atrial myocardium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adverse cellular remodelling on echocardiographic strain rate (SR) deformation indices of atrial contractile, conduit and reservoir functions.

METHODS
Forty-four consecutive patients with organic mitral regurgitation were analysed. Twenty-eight patients had long-standing persistent AF (AF group), while 16 were in normal sinus rhythm (NSR group). Left atrial (LA) samples were harvested from all the patients for histological analysis. Postoperative echocardiographic data acquisition was performed exclusively during organized atrial electrical activity in order to assess the contractile reserve of patients from both groups.

RESULTS
Fibrotic atria had inferior conduit (SR-E: r = -0.36, P = 0.017), reservoir (SR-S: r = -0.31, P = 0.041) and contractile functions (SR-A: r = -0.33, P = 0.027). Analogously, atria with greater apoptotic burdens showed a negative correlation with multiple indices of left atrial functions (SR-E: r = -0.38, P = 0.010; SR-S: r = -0.33, P = 0.028; SR-A: r = -0.28, P = 0.067). The efficiency of atrial contractility was significantly reduced among AF-group patients after conversion to sinus rhythm, when compared with patients in the NSR group (LA active emptying fraction: 20 ± 12 vs 30 ± 10%, P = 0.004; SR-A: 1.1 ± 1.0 vs 2.8 ± 1.9 s(-1), P < 0.001). Superior strain-rate indices of atrial conduit and reservoir functions were noted in the NSR group (SR-E: 3.5 ± 2.3 vs 1.3 ± 1.0 s(-1), P < 0.001; LA expansion index: 86 ± 31 vs 60 ± 42%, P = 0.004). Fibrosis was evident in 7.2 [3.3;9.4]% of the LA tissue sample in the AF group, while it accounted for 3.4 [1.2;8.1]% of atrial tissue in the NSR group (P = 0.054). Apoptosis was documented in 13 (46%) patients in the AF group, whereas none of the patients in the NSR group exhibited signs of programmed cell death (P = 0.001). Myocyte degeneration was more prevalent in the AF group (odds ratio: 7.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-36.7, P = 0.021). Age showed a positive correlation with worsening degrees of atrial fibrosis and apoptosis (r = 0.41, P = 0.006; r = 0.49, P = 0.001, respectively). Multiple regression analysis identified SR-S (β = -1.263, P = 0.036) and age (β = 0.144, P = 0.057) as independent predictors of fibrosis. Independent determinants of apoptosis were preoperative AF (β = 4.539, P = 0.007), age (β = 0.188, P = 0.009) and SR-S (β = -1.780, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS
Atria exhibiting greater fibrotic and apoptotic burdens had impaired conduit, reservoir and contractile function, as evaluated by deformation imaging. Among patients with chronic LA volume overload, exposure to long-standing persistent AF induced more pronounced degrees of adverse atrial cellular remodelling. Strain-rate descriptors of atrial reservoir function harboured potential to predict atrial fibrosis and apoptosis.


Little information exists on grain merchandisers, their characteristics, and the skills needed to be successful. This research contributes toward filling this gap. A summary of survey responses from 230 experienced grain merchandisers quantifies personal characteristics, skills perceived as important, and desire for executive education. Parametric analyses identify factors contributing to merchandisers' salaries and their interest in establishing a certification process. Interestingly, experience but not formal education significantly enhances salaries.


Introduction The social context of Bangladesh does not permit adolescents to discuss reproductive health topics as well as sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS openly with their parents, teachers, or other senior members of the community. Methods This was a cross-sectional study to investigate knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and views on HIV testing before marrying migrant workers among rural grade 11 and 12 students in Bangladesh. Results A total of 92 students completed anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The average age of the students was 16.8 ± 0.9 years. All the students had heard about AIDS before they complete the questionnaire. Media (75%) was the main source of information. Overall, students had average knowledge regarding selected aspects of HIV/AIDS. A high (>73%) proportion of students were conversant with the major modes of spread of HIV. Many misconceptions were still noted relating to HIV/AIDS, 40% believing that healthy looking person cannot be infected with HIV, 27% and 25% believing that coughing and sneezing and mosquito bites spread AIDS respectively. Majority (75%) of the students indicated that they would not ask to do HIV test before marriage and amongst them more than a quarter reasoned as it might lead to break the marriage/marriage might not take place. Conclusion The knowledge level seems to be low and misconceptions about the routes of transmission were common. It is recommended that strategies for adolescents AIDS risk reduction be developed in Bangladeshi high schools. Disclosure of interest statement There is nothing to declare.


Abstract.
 The Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) is a rare and declining neotropical migrant that breeds in the north-central United States and south-central Canada. To better understand the species' habitat needs, we analyzed 371 observations of the Connecticut Warbler over 18 years at 86 sites in 28 stands of forest in northern Minnesota. We considered the habitat and landscape at three spatial scales (buffer radii of 100, 500, and 1000 m) and regressed combinations of habitat variables with two response variables, the Connecticut Warbler's abundance (the total number of individuals ever recorded at a site or stand, with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution) and frequency (the number of years recorded out of 18, with logistic regression). From a subset of models retained on the basis of Akaike's information criterion, we calculated model-averaged predictions for each combination of buffer size and response variable. Models based on Connecticut Warbler frequency at the 1000-m buffer performed best in comparisons of model-averaged predictions to observed data. At the 1000-m scale, Connecticut Warblers were positively associated with a combination of large patches of upland coniferous and lowland black spruce forest and were negatively associated with upland deciduous forest. From these models, we mapped predicted breeding habitat for the Connecticut Warbler in the areas sampled in northern Minnesota.


The Superpave indirect tension (IDT) system was modified to determine the short-loading-time stiffness of asphalt mixtures from resilient modulus, creep, and strength tests. The idea was not only to provide a more accurate method to determine the resilient modulus, but also to determine whether reasonable measures of short-loading-time stiffness could be obtained from tests that provide other properties and thereby minimize the amount of testing needed to characterize asphalt mixtures. It was found that even when evaluated at very short loading times, the stiffnesses determined from the different tests were significantly different. Detailed evaluation indicated that the differences can be explained by the differences in loading rates between the tests. In general, stiffnesses from the different tests all appeared to be reasonable and followed the same trend. However, since the rheological behavior of asphalts and mixtures varies, stiffnesses from different tests were not directly related. Therefore, although the interpretation methods developed in this study for creep and strength tests appear to provide a reasonable alternative to the resilient or dynamic modulus, the short-loading-time stiffnesses determined from these tests are not directly comparable with the resilient or dynamic modulus or with each other. The work illustrates the sensitivity of stiffness to relatively small changes in loading rate and other variables, which emphasizes the need to precisely define load pattern, load level, and data interpretation methods to determine asphalt mixture stiffness at short loading times.


A patient complaining of fishy smelling urine and perspiration appeared for evaluation. No other family members were similarly affected, and dietary manipulation partially controlled his complaint. Trimethylaminuria, originally described in 1970, is secondary to a deficiency of the liver enzyme, trimethylamine oxide. The frequency of the anomaly is unknown. Fishy smelling urine and perspiration are diagnostic of the anomaly. There are no known associated developmental defects.


Heterostructures with a rich phase boundary are attractive for surface-mediated microwave absorption (MA) materials. However, understanding the MA mechanisms behind the heterogeneous interface remains a challenge. Herein, a phosphine (PH3) vapor-assisted phase and structure engineering strategy was proposed to construct three-dimensional (3D) porous Ni12P5/Ni2P heterostructures as microwave absorbers and explore the role of the heterointerface in MA performance. The results indicated that the heterogeneous interface between Ni12P5 and Ni2P not only creates sufficient lattice defects for inducing dipolar polarization but also triggers uneven spatial charge distribution for enhancing interface polarization. Furthermore, the porous structure and proper component could provide an abundant heterogeneous interface to strengthen the above polarization relaxation process, thereby greatly optimizing the electromagnetic parameters and improving the MA performance. Profited by 3D porous heterostructure design, P400 could achieve the maximum reflection loss of -50.06 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 3.30 GHz with an ultrathin thickness of 1.20 mm. Furthermore, simulation results confirmed its superior ability (14.97 dB m2 at 90°) to reduce the radar cross section in practical applications. This finding may shed light on the understanding and design of advanced heterogeneous MA materials.


In the Criminal Justice system in England and Wales, Magistrates' and Crown Courts wanting psychiatric opinion on a defendant, currently have to pay for that opinion from a psychiatrist working independently. If the psychiatric advice is not forthcoming or delayed defendants can wait unnecessarily long periods on remand in custody, failing to access mental health support and/or appropriate sentencing. This system can lead to tensions between the court and the mental health service providers.

To address this, a local partnership between Mental Health services and the Criminal Justice system in the SW of England has developed a Service System Development Project. Part of this is the collection of baseline data to identify current challenges to the system from the perspectives of both the Court and Mental Health service personnel. This paper explores the latter, namely the Court's perspective.

As part of the baseline of a longitudinal survey design, questionnaires were sent to all legal advisors, lawyers, magistrates/judges and probation officers linked to courts participating in the project.

Findings of the study revolved around their perceptions of the adequacy of current mental health advice provision and highlighted what they see as the strengths and limitations of the system.

The paper concludes with a discussion of potential resolutions to the above tensions, exploring where these perceptions may be in conflict with those held by the mental health system and how these relate to the needs of the defendant themselves.

As an audience, participants will learn of the:
o Challenges facing interprofessional working at the interface between the UK Court and mental health services.
o Potential conflict between two working cultures
o Ways in which these may be resolved.

As presenters, we will learn:
o How these challenges can be compared and contrasted with the experiences of international colleagues.


The frequency of alithiasic cholecystitis is considered and the various forms are subdivided into diffuse and localized dyskinesia. Symptomatology is described and the former are indicated as being electively medical and the latter surgical forms whether the condition is congenital or acquired. The various forms of cholecystosis are also distinguished with full documentation. Symptomatological techniques and diagnostic conclusions are illustrated for all forms and personal experience with their therapy reported.


Superconductor-semiconductor hybrid devices are at the heart of several proposed approaches to quantum information processing, but their basic properties remain to be understood. We embed a two-dimensional Al-InAs hybrid system in a resonant microwave circuit, probing the breakdown of superconductivity due to an applied magnetic field. We find a fingerprint from the two-component nature of the hybrid system, and quantitatively compare with a theory that includes the contribution of intraband p±ip pairing in the InAs, as well as the emergence of Bogoliubov-Fermi surfaces due to magnetic field. Separately resolving the Al and InAs contributions allows us to determine the carrier density and mobility in the InAs.


In this paper we present an evolutionary spectral method for the analysis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sound signals. The analysis of TMJ sounds is of great interest in oral and dental research areas as an alternative technique for the diagnosis of TMJ disorders to the conventional methods. Here, an evolutionary spectral estimate of a TMJ signal is obtained using the multi-window Gabor expansions that use scaled windows modulated by linear chirps as basis functions. We show that this method performs better than the short-time Fourier transform and the reduced interference distribution in representing the TMJ signals.


(ZnO)_ X (InN)_1- X films have been epitaxially grown on 0.9%-lattice-mismatched ZnO substrates at 450 °C by sputtering. Films fabricated on O-polar substrates exhibit higher crystal quality and smoother surface. The full width at half-maximum of (0002) rocking curve and the root-mean-square roughness ( R _q) of a 30-nm-thick film on O-polar surface are 0.21° and 2.71 nm, respectively, whereas those on Zn-polar one are 0.32° and 4.30 nm, respectively. R _q on O-polar surface further decreases to 0.73 nm as the thickness decreases to 10 nm, where we successfully obtained atomically flat single-crystalline films having atomically sharp interface with the substrates. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the Stranski–Krastanov (layer plus island) growth for O-polar case and just 3D islanding mode growth for Zn-polar one. All the results indicate the much longer migration length of adatoms on O-polar surface during the film growth, enabling adatoms to reach their thermodynamically favored positions even at low substrate temperature. Graphical abstract


We evaluated the possibility that there is enhanced conversion of cortisol (F) to cortisone (E) in obese children. IC-E was measured from 15 lean children aged 12.7 +/- 2.2 years, body mass index Z-score (BMI-SD) = -0.35 +/- 0.82, IC-F = 197 +/- 70 nM/l and 9 obese children aged 12.3 +/- 3.2 years, BMI-SD = + 4.7 +/- 2.1, IC-F = 149 +/- 53 nM/l. IC-E was higher in lean children 76 +/- 25 nM/l compared to obese 60 +/- 11 nM/l (p < 0.04). There was no difference in the ratio of IC-E/IC-F between lean 0.40 +/- 0.10 and obese subjects 0.42 +/- 0.09 (p < 0.06). IC-E was directly correlated with IC-F: IC-E = 0.25 x IC-F + 26 (n = 24, r2 = 0.57, p < 0.0001). In a multiple regression model (overall r2 = 0.32, p < 0.02), IC-E was related to BMI-SD inversely (p < 0.0054) and influenced as well by interaction of BMI-SD with sex (p < 0.043), IC-E being lower in boys with increasing body mass. In childhood, obesity is associated with decreased plasma IC-E and IC-F levels, the ratio of IC-E/IC-F is independent of body mass. Reduced IC-E levels in obese children are most likely due to the impact of body mass on IC-F.


Production line digital manufacturing environment provides environment for design, engineering application and performance analysis for manufacturing system with multi equipments. Aiming at this complex system, system integration based on manufacturing data, sub-system functional relation and software platform are studied. Tree-structure database support platform and whole digital model for manufacturing resource entities are analyzed.


We decompose the well known LOD time series provided by IERS, that shows so-called decadal variations, in fluctuations at several timescales, namely: sub-centennial (60-90 years), inter-decadal (20-35 years), decennial (~11 years) and intra-decennial (~6 years). A Hodrick and Prescott (1977) type of analysis is used, followed by the decomposition of the trend and oscillatory parts at the mentioned timescales using Butterworth filtering. Comparing the results to previously (e.g. Dobrica et al., 2018) known oscillations of the geomagnetic field (dD/dt), and carrying out a similar analysis for parameters describing the evolution of the magnetospheric ring current, suggest the latter is the ultimate driver of both geomagnetic and LOD variations. The probable mechanisms are discussed as well: Alfvén torsional oscillations in the outer core, triggered by variations in the magnetospheric ring current, or a direct control of geomagnetic declination by variations in the magnetospheric ring current. While the first one is long accepted for the long-term variations in D and LOD, a similar possibility for the 6-year variation is out of question due to the implied value of the geomagnetic field within the outer core (Gillet et al., 2010); for the latter we suggest the second mechanism.


Background: Genes make microorganisms resistant to antibiotics are overwhelmingly present in environments, and those in the air seem to consistently worsen human health, especially in built-in hospitals. In this study, we sampled two distinct seasonal solid-, liquid- and gaseous-state samples in a large occupied hospital, and mainly aim to study the temporal and spatial micro-ecology and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) distribution patterns within hospital settings using culture-facilitated comparative metagenomics in combinations with other widely applied methods.
Results: Hospital aerosol resistome showed concentration of 0.00042 copies per 16S rRNA gene which was comparable to that of drinking water (0.00024 copies/16S rRNA). Winter aerosols showed higher resistome concentration and exhibited similar distribution patterns among different departments; while evident microbial accumulation and stronger level of inter-species ARG exchange was observed in summer aerosol samples. Network analysis and cultural isolate whole genome sequencing results confirmed some of these exchanges were mediated via plasmids. Additionally, ARGs and microbial community source tracking results illustrated Outpatient hall could serve as a major resistome pollution source all year long.
Conclusions: The state-of-art metagenomics analyses and culture facilitated sequencing with strict cutoff guarantee the result accuracy of resistome pattern observed in built-in hospital environment, and our novel genotype sharing network confirmed the plasmid-mediated transferring mechanism in hospital air for the first time. Overall, this study illustrated valuable and quality hospital aerosol dissemination patterns and our effort will encourage more metagenomics applications in hospital studies.


This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 13142 "Correct and Efficient Accelerator Programming". The aim of this Dagstuhl seminar was to bring together researchers from various sub-disciplines of computer science to brainstorm and discuss the theoretical foundations, design and implementation of techniques and tools for correct and efficient accelerator programming.


Stable revenue flows in the American states are paramount for state policymakers in order to effectively and efficiently provide goods and services to their constituents. However, there has been very little empirical work which examines what political factors are correlated with volatility in state revenue streams. This work examines one wide‐spread fiscal limit, tax and expenditure limitations, which a majority of states began adopting after the tax revolt of 1978. Using panel data and time‐series cross‐sectional analysis, this work finds that states with more stringently binding tax and expenditure limitations — in addition to other political, demographic, economic, and geographic factors — are associated with greater levels of state revenue volatility. Looking at 48 states over 37 years (1969–2005), this relationship is both statistically and substantively significant.


This paper focuses on the behavioral modeling of the passive RF blocks from frequency-domain samples. This work is based on vector fitting (VF) approach which is a robust method for MIMO system identification in the frequency domain. This paper addresses firstly the problem of convergence using envelope transient (ET) on complex circuits, i.e. power amplifiers (PAs), where linear sub-circuits are widely described through S-parameters matrices derived from ElectroMagnetic (EM) simulations. An alternative way leads to combine VF method with an RLC synthesis process at the circuit level. This approach is validated on a simple circuit case and generalized to MIMO systems. Second application is the behavioral modeling of MIMO blocks at system level in a high-level spice-like system simulation tool which allows "Control Flow" simulations. The proposed approach combines on one hand the VF method with and impulse responses evaluation on the other hand. In consequence, bilateral behavioral models of MIMO system can be efficiently achieved irrespective of the number of access. This method is validated at once on simple and complex MIMO blocks. As a result, the topological behavioral modeling of complex PAs, which distinguish linear sub-circuits and nonlinear ones, is now possible in a high-level time-domain CAD tool.


Preferred particle orientation presents a major challenge for many single particle cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) samples. Orientation bias limits the angular information used to generate three-dimensional maps and thus affects the reliability and interpretability of the structural models. The primary cause of preferred orientation is presumed to be due to adsorption of the particles at the air/water interface during cryo-EM grid preparation. To ameliorate this problem, detergents are often added to cryo-EM samples to alter the properties of the air/water interface. We have found that many bacterial transcription complexes suffer severe orientation bias when examined by cryo-EM. The addition of non-ionic detergents, such as NP-40, does not remove the orientation bias but the Zwitter-ionic detergent CHAPSO significantly broadens the particle orientation distributions, yielding isotropically uniform maps. We used cryoelectron tomography to examine the particle distribution within the ice layer of cryo-EM grid preparations of Escherichia coli 6S RNA/RNA polymerase holoenzyme particles. In the absence of CHAPSO, essentially all of the particles are located at the ice surfaces. CHAPSO at the critical micelle concentration eliminates particle absorption at the air/water interface and allows particles to randomly orient in the vitreous ice layer. We find that CHAPSO eliminates orientation bias for a wide range of bacterial transcription complexes containing E. coli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNA polymerases. Findings of this study confirm the presumed basis for how detergents can help remove orientation bias in cryo-EM samples and establishes CHAPSO as a useful tool to facilitate cryo-EM studies of baterial transcription complexes.


The Rain Ratio Hypothesis (Archer and Maier-Reimer, 1994, Nature 367, 260–263) ascribes an important part of the observed glacial-interglacial variations of CO2 in the atmosphere to reduced sea-floor rain ratio (i.e., carbonateC/organic-C in the biogenic particle flux at the sea-floor) during glacial times. With a lower sea-floor rain ratio the influence of organic carbon respiration on carbonate dissolution is stronger. The deep-sea carbonate ion concentration required for global ocean carbonate compensation will then be higher, which in turn contributes to lower atmospheric pCO2.


The maximum principle is a basic qualitative property of the solution of second-order elliptic boundary value problems. The preservation of the qualitative characteristics, such as the maximum principle, in discrete model is one of the key requirements. It is well known that standard linear finite element solution does not satisfy maximum principle on general triangular meshes in 2D. In this paper we consider how to enforce discrete maximum principle for linear finite element solutions for the linear second-order self-adjoint elliptic equation. First approach is based on repair technique, which is a posteriori correction of the discrete solution. Second method is based on constrained optimization. Numerical tests that include anisotropic cases demonstrate how our method works for problems for which the standard finite element methods produce numerical solutions that violate the discrete maximum principle. AMS subject classifications: 35J25, 65N99


Femtosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption (XANES) at the Co K-edge, X-ray emission (XES) in the Co Kβ and valence-to-core regions, and broadband UV-vis transient absorption are combined to probe the femtosecond to picosecond sequential atomic and electronic dynamics following photoexcitation of two vitamin B12 compounds, hydroxocobalamin and aquocobalamin. Polarized XANES difference spectra allow identification of sequential structural evolution involving first the equatorial and then the axial ligands, with the latter showing rapid coherent bond elongation to the outer turning point of the excited state potential followed by recoil to a relaxed excited state structure. Time-resolved XES, especially in the valence-to-core region, along with polarized optical transient absorption suggests that the recoil results in the formation of a metal-centered excited state with a lifetime of 2-5 ps. This combination of methods provides a uniquely powerful tool to probe the electronic and structural dynamics of photoactive transition-metal complexes and will be applicable to a wide variety of systems.


Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), commonly known as "brittle bone disease", is a dominant autosomal disorder characterized by bone fragility and abnormalities of connective tissue. Biochemical and molecular genetic studies have shown that the vast majority of affected individuals have mutations in either the COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes that encode the chains of type I procollagen. OI is associated with a wide spectrum of phenotypes varying from mild to severe and lethal conditions. The mild forms are usually caused by mutations which inactivate one allele of COL1A1 gene and result in a reduced amount of normal type I collagen, while the severe and lethal forms result from dominant negative mutations in COL1A1 or COL1A2 which produce structural defects in the collagen molecule. The most common mutations are substitutions of glycine residues, which are crucial to formation and function of the collagen triple helix, by larger amino acids. Although type I collagen is the major structural protein of both bone and skin, the mutations in type I collagen genes cause a bone disease. Some reports showed that the mutant collagen can be expressed differently in bone and in skin. Since most mutations identified in OI are dominant negative, the gene therapy requires a fundamentally different approach from that used for genetic-recessive disorders. The antisense therapy, by reducing the expression of mutant genes, is able to change a structural mutation into a null mutation, and thus convert severe forms of the disease into mild OI type I.


A cluster of recent police killings of African American men has sparked an unprecedented amount of public debate regarding policing in the United States. Critics and protesters have made sweeping allegations about the police; a presidential commission has been formed to study police misconduct; and reforms are being debated. These events provide a backdrop for this article's review of recent poll data and discussion of research regarding police relations with African Americans, Latinos, and whites.


A photocatalysis strategy for the regioselective synthesis of 3-functionalized coumarins is reported. With visible light irradiation, a direct and regioselective C(sp2)-C(sp3) coupling reaction of 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acrylates with ethers or thioethers occurs by using Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O as a photocatalyst and TBHP as an oxidant. The cascade process involves alkenylation of the C(sp3)-H bond of ethers and lactonization, furnishing 3-alkylated coumarins as the final products. This approach is characterized by a broad substrate scope, mild reaction conditions, and simplified operation. The synthesis of 3-alkylated coumarins could be realized by a one-pot procedure, starting from commercially available salicylaldehyde.


We examine a situation in which an information-carrying signal is sent from two sources to a common receiver. The radiation travels through free space in the presence of noise. The information resides in a relationship between the two beams. We inquire into whether itis possible, in principle, that the locations of the transmitters can be concealed from a party who receives the radiation and decodes the information. Direction finding entails making a set of measurements on asignal and constructing an analytic continuation of the time dependent fields from the results. The fact that this process is generally different in quantum mechanics and in classical electrodynamics is the basis in this investigation. We develop a model based upon encoding information into a microscopic, transverse, non-local quantum image (whose dimensions are of the order of a few wavelengths) and using a detector of a type recently proposed by Strekalov et al. The optical system, which uses SPDC (Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion), functions like a Heisenberg microscope: the transverse length, which encodes the signal information, is conjugate to the transverse momentum of the light. In the model, reading the signal information spoils the directional resolution of the detector, while determining the directions to the sources spoils the information content. Each beam, when examined in isolation, is random and indistinguishable from the background noise. We conclude that quantum communications can, in principle, be made secure against direction-finding, even from the party receiving the communication.


The epitaxial growth of a high-quality silicon layer on double-layer porous silicon by ultra-high vacuum/chemical vapour deposition has been reported. The two-step anodization process results in a double-layer porous silicon structure with a different porosity. This double-layer porous silicon structure and an extended low-temperature annealing in a vacuum system was found to be helpful in subsequent silicon epitaxial growth. X-ray diffraction, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and spreading resistance testing were used in this work to study the properties of epitaxial silicon layers grown on the double-layer porous silicon. The results show that the epitaxial silicon layer is of good crystallinity and the same orientation with the silicon substrate and the porous silicon layer.


The potential effectiveness of imipramine hydrochloride (up to 5 mg/kg/d) was investigated in 53 prepubertal children suffering from major depressive disorder. Two complementary strategies were used simultaneously: a five-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled design (N = 38), and a plasma level/clinical response study (N = 30). Fifteen of the 16 children randomly assigned to active drug in the first study also participated in the second. Subjects were assessed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children and diagnosed according to unmodified Research Diagnostic Criteria. Response rates in the double-blind study were similar in both groups (imipramine, 56%; placebo, 68%). In the plasma level study, total maintenance plasma level (imipramine plus desipramine) was found to positively and linearly predict clinical response of the depressive syndrome (P less than .003). No evidence of a curvilinear relationship was found. Depressive hallucinations during the episode negatively predicted clinical response (P less than .05). Weight-corrected imipramine dosage did not predict either clinical response or plasma level in the individual subject. No predictors of response were found in the placebo group. These results suggest that the mean imipramine dosage was too low, and that future double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of imipramine in prepubertal major depression should include plasma level titration to above 150 ng/mL and an initial placebo washout period.


AIM
To investigate the prognostic role of the pretreatment metabolic tumor volume (MTV) as determined by Positron emission tomography--computed tomography (PET-CT) in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing curative surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the data of 26 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, who underwent 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT before surgery. MTVs were defined as the volumes with FDG uptake above a standardized uptake value (SUV) of 2.5 (MTV2.5), or a fixed threshold of 20% (MTV20%) of the maximum intratumoral activity. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were examined by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test.

RESULTS
In a median follow-up of 15 months, 13 patients had died. The mean MTV2.5 was 18.9 ± 15.4 ml (median, 16.0), whereas the mean MTV20% was 21.7 ± 15.0 ml (median, 19.1). Patients who had tumors of an MTV2.5 >16.0 ml had an inferior one-year OS compared with patients with a lower MTV2.5 (70% vs. 84%, p=0.018). Similarly, patients with an MTV20% >19.1 ml had poorer outcomes compared with patients who had small tumors, with one-year OS of 69% and 85%, respectively (p=0.016). No statistical significance was found in DFS for both MTV approaches. The SUVp-max had no impact on the OS and the DFS when using a median value of 8.3.

CONCLUSION
Pretreatment MTV is a novel marker for OS of patients with esophageal cancer treated with curative surgery. For those with higher MTVs, more aggressive adjuvant treatments should be considered.


Background subtraction is often the first step in many computer vision applications such as object localisation and tracking. It aims to segment out moving parts of a scene that represent object of interests. In the field of computer vision, researcherswlon have dedicated their efforts to improve the robustness and accuracy of such segmentations but most of their methods are computationally intensive, making them nonviable options for our targeted embedded camera platform whose energy and processing power is significantly more con-strained. To address this problem as well as maintain an acceptable level of performance, we introduce Compressive Sensing (CS) to the widely used Mixture of Gaussian to create a new background subtraction method. The results show that our method not only can decrease the computation significantly (a factor of 7 in a DSP setting) but remains comparably accurate.


Development of Earth-abundant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with high performance is essential for the practical application of hydrogen energy. Herein, we report a high-efficiency electrocatalyst for electrochemical water oxidation based on an Ni-MOF nanosheet array on Ni foam (Ni-MOF/NF). In 1.0 M KOH, this Ni-MOF/NF catalyst drives 100 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 320 mV. Remarkably, it also demonstrates good electrochemical durability with the retention of its catalytic activity for at least 20 h and achieves a high turnover frequency of 0.25 mol O2 s−1 at an overpotential of 400 mV.


Although fatigue during prolonged exercise has traditionally been associated with peripheral factors relating to muscle metabolism, such as the depletion of muscle glycogen, more recent research has generated a renewed interest in amino acid metabolism per se and in the role of amino acids as precursors of brain neurotransmitter function. The concept of a 'central fatigue hypothesis' has done much to stimulate scientists to explore the functional role of the brain and CNS in the aetiology of the fatigue process. The concept has also generated a number of testable hypotheses by which it is possible to examine how the 'central' component of fatigue may act. The present review has attempted to bring together the current research in this area. There is good reason to believe that nutritional intervention may play an important role in relation to fatigue residing within the brain and CNS. Although an exciting possibility exists that nutritional manipulation may affect brain neurochemistry and ultimately sports performance, the experimental evidence to support this claim is, as yet, equivocal. A greater understanding of amino acid metabolism and, in particular, amino acid transport, will greatly improve future experimental designs used to test the efficacy of nutritional manipulation of amino acids and their effect on the central component of the fatigue process.


Oblivious RAM protocols (ORAMs) allow a client to access data from an untrusted storage device without revealing to that device any information about their access pattern. Typically this is accomplished through random shuffling of the data such that the storage device cannot determine where individual blocks are located, resulting in a highly randomized access pattern. Storage devices however, are typically optimized for sequential access. A large number of random disk seeks during standard ORAM operation induce a substantial overhead. In this paper, we introduce rORAM, an ORAM specifically suited for accessing ranges of sequentially logical blocks while minimizing the number of random physical disk seeks. rORAM obtains significantly better asymptotic efficiency than prior designs (Asharov et al., ePrint 2017, Demertzis et al., CRYPTO 2018) reducing both the number of seeks and communication complexity by a multiplicative factor of O(logN). An rORAM prototype is 30-50x times faster than Path ORAM for similar range-query workloads on local HDDs, 30x faster for local SSDs, and 10x faster for network block devices. rORAM's novel disk layout can also speed up standard ORAM constructions, e.g., resulting in a 2x faster Path ORAM variant. Importantly, experiments demonstrate suitability for real world applications – rORAM is up to 5x faster running a file server and up to 11x faster running a range-query intensive video server workloads compared to standard Path ORAM.


One rate-limiting factor in the fight against illegal logging is the lack of powerful, affordable, scalable wood identification tools for field screening. Computer vision wood identification using smartphones fitted with customized imaging peripherals offers a potential solution, but to date, such peripherals suffer from one or more weaknesses: low image quality, lack of lighting control, uncontrolled magnification, unknown distortion, and spherical aberration, and/or no access to or publication of the system design. To address cost, optical concerns, and open access to designs and parameters, I present the XyloPhone, a 3D printed research quality macroscopic imaging attachment adaptable to virtually any smartphone. It provides a fixed focal distance, exclusion of ambient light, selection of visible light or UV illumination, uses the lens from a commercially available loupe, is powered by a rechargeable external battery, is fully open-sourced, at a price point of less than USD 110 is a highly affordable tool for the laboratory or the field, and can serve as the foundational hardware for a scalable field-deployable computer vision wood identification system.


In the Netherlands the fear of the emergence of an ethnic underclass is fed by analyses that show that only a small part of the poor labor market position of ethnic minorities can be explained by their relatively low achievement in education. In this article it is shown that educational achievement is important than previously thought. Using the same data but a different statistical technique, one that properly disentangles the effects of ethnicity and education, it is shown that approximately 50% of the poor labor market position of minorities is explained by their relatively low educational achievement. It is also shown that if the comparison is not between employed and unemployed, but between employed and non-employed the effect of education increases to more than 70%. Furthermore, in comparison to their native counter parts. better educated minority members have a considerably smaller disadvantage than lower educated minority members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Mens en Maatschappij is the property of Amsterdam University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)


A series of sterically varied titanium alkoxides [[Ti(OR)(4)](n)(), n = 4, OR = OCH(2)CH(3) (OEt); n = 1, OCH(CH(3))(2) (OPr(i)); n = 2, OCH(2)C(CH(3))(3) (ONep); n = 1, OC(6)H(3)(CH(3))(2)-2,6 (DMP)] were reacted with a series of thallium alkoxides [[Tl(OR)](x) (x = 4, OR = OEt, ONep; n = infinity, DMP)]. The resultant products of the [Tl(mu(3)-OEt)](4)-modified [Ti(OR)(4)](n)() (OR = OEt, OPr(i), ONep) were found by X-ray analysis to be Tl(4)Ti(2)(mu-O)(mu(3)-OEt)(8)(OEt)(2) (1), Tl(4)Ti(2)(mu-O)(mu(3)-OPr(i))(5)(mu(3)-OEt)(3)(OEt)(2) (2), and TlTi(2)(mu(3)-OEt)(2)(mu-OEt)(mu-ONep)(2)(ONep)(4) (3), respectively. The reaction of [Tl(mu(3)-OEt)](4), 12HOEt, and 4[Ti(mu-ONep)ONep)(3)](2) to generate 3 in a higher yield resulted in the isolation of TlTi(2)(mu(3)-OEt)(mu(3)-ONep)(mu-OEt)(mu-ONep)(2)(ONep)(4) (4). Compounds 1 and 2 possess an octahedral (Oh) arrangement of two Ti and four Tl metal atoms around a mu-O central oxide atom (the Tl-O distance is too long to be considered a bond). For both compounds, each Ti atom adopts a distorted Oh geometry with one terminal OEt ligand. The Tl atoms are formally 4-coordinated, adopting a distorted pyramidal geometry using four mu(3)-OR (OR = OEt or OPr(i)) ligands to complete their coordination sphere. The Tl atoms reside approximately 1.4 A below the basal plane of oxygens. In contrast to these structures, both 3 and 4 utilize ONep ligands and display reduced oligomerization yielding trinuclear complexes without oxo formation. The two Ti cations are Oh, and the single Tl cation is in a formal distorted pyramidal (PYD) arrangement. If the lone pair of the Tl cations are considered in the geometry, each Tl adopts a square base pyramidal geometry. Two terminal ONep ligands are bound to each Ti with the remainder of the molecule consisting of mu(3)- and mu-ONep ligands. The reaction of [Tl(mu(3)-ONep)](4) with two equivalents of [Ti(mu-ONep)(ONep)(3)](2) also led to the isolation of the homoleptic trinuclear complex TlTi(2)(mu(3)-ONep)(2)(mu-ONep)(3)(ONep)(4) (5) which is analogous in structure to the mixed ligand species of 3 and 4. Each Ti is Oh coordinated with six ONep ligands, and the single Tl is PYD bound by ONep ligands. A further increase in the steric bulk of the pendant ligands, using [Tl(mu-DMP)](infinity) and [Ti(mu-ONep)(ONep)(3)](2), resulted in a further decrease in the nuclearity yielding the dinuclear species TlTi(mu-DMP)(mu-ONep)(DMP)(ONep)(2) (6). For 6, the two metals are bound by a mu-ONep and a mu-DMP ligand. The Tl metal center was solved in a bent geometry while the Ti adopted a distorted trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) geometry using three ONep and two DMP ligands to fill its coordination sphere. Further increasing the steric bulk of the ancillary ligands using Ti(DMP)(4) and [Tl(mu-DMP)](infinity) led to the formation of [Tl(+)][(-)(eta(2-3)-DMP)Ti(DMP)(4)] (7). The Ti metal center is in a TBP geometry, and the "naked" Tl cation resides unencumbered by solvent molecules but was found to have a strong pi-interaction with four DMP ligands of neighboring Ti(DMP)(5)(-) anions. For this novel set of compounds, (205)Tl NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the solution behavior of these compounds. Multiple (205)Tl resonances were observed for the solution spectra of the crystalline material of 1-6, and a broad singlet was observed for 7. The large number of minor resonances noted for these compounds was attributed to sensitivity of the Tl cation based on small variations due to ligand rearrangement. However, the major resonance noted in the (205)Tl NMR solution spectra of 1-7 are in agreement with their respective solid-state structures.


With the expansion of high-speed railway network and growth of passenger transportation demands, the fleet size of electric multiple unit (EMU) in China needs to be adjusted accordingly. Generally, an EMU train costs tens of millions of dollars which constitutes a significant portion of capital investment. Thus, the prediction of EMU fleet size has attracted increasing attention from associated railway departments. First, this paper introduces a typical architecture of convolutional neural network (CNN) and its basic theory. Then, some data of nine indices, such as passenger traffic volume and length of high-speed railways in operation, is collected and preprocessed. Next, a CNN and a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) are constructed and trained aiming to predict EMU fleet size in the following years. The differences and performances of these two networks in computation experiments are analyzed in-depth. The results indicate that the CNN is superior to the BPNN both in generalization ability and fitting accuracy, and CNN can serve as an aid in EMU fleet size prediction.


As our dependency on communication increases so is the demand for protecting these communication lines. To provide failure-safe connections in optical networks, lightpaths can be protected. Protected lightpaths consist of a primary path and a backup path which are disjoint and ensure connection continuity in case of a single link failure. Optical networks consist of at least two layers, the optical layer and the physical layer. And although the primary and backup paths are disjoint in the optical layer, in the physical layer they may share the same fiber span or duct. These links are in the same Shared Risk Link Group (SRLG). If one link of a SRLG fails then all fail. Because of this, a single failure at the physical layer can causes multiple failures at the optical layer and protected paths could get disconnected if both paths have fibers in the broken fiber span. This thesis proposes an exact algorithm which finds the shortest SRLG-disjoint protected path in a network through an iterative approach.


In the class, most of the teacher use a single teaching strategy to students who have different cognitive styles when teaching narrative essays in the class. Therefore, it is necessary to improve teaching strategies in the teaching and learning process. The teaching strategies that fit with the cognitive style of students in order that the learning objective is improved. This paper investigates the effect of learning strategy and cognitive style on student's narrative writing ability. This study was conducted on the VII grade students at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Ibnu Taimiyah Bogor, West Java. Treatment by level design and two-factorial ANOVA analysis with ? = 0.05 were applied in this experimental study. The sample was 40 students grouped into experiment classes and 40 students was grouped into control classes. There was a different ability in narrative writing in Bahasa Indonesia between students having field independent cognitive style (A1) and students having field dependent cognitive style (A2).  Results of two-way interrow analysis of variance showed that Fcalculated (4.123) was higher than Ftable (3.97) at a significant level  of ? = 0.05.


We study a dynamic principal-agent model where the agent has access to a persistent private technology but is strapped for cash. Financial constraints are generated by the periodic interaction between incentives (private information) and feasibility (being strapped for cash). This interaction produces dynamic distortions that are an additive sum of two effects: backloading of incentives and illiquidity. A sequence of bad technology shocks increase distortions and monotonically push the agent further away from efficiency. An endogenous number of good shocks are required for the agent to become liquid, and eventually for the contract to become efficient. Efficiency is an absorbing state. The optimal allocation can be implemented through a mechanism which is precisely pinned down by a dynamic information operator. The shares of principal and agent in the net present value of economic surplus are endogenous to the evolution of technology shocks. Surplus itself is increasing in the share of the agent, and in his type contingent utility spread. By comparing the agent's utility with and without financial constraints, the model provides a foundation for the usefulness of limited liability in dynamic contracts. Persistence of agent's private information lends an empirical punch to financial contracting.


Three-dimensional, viscous, and compressible flow calculations have been performed in order to improve the performance of a radial compressor diffuser with splitter. All calculations were carried out applying a commercially available finite-volume Navier-Stokes code. Diffuser design procedure, grid generation and boundary conditions are described in detail. For each diffuser type several operating points ranging from the surge limit to choke were considered. Velocity distributions showing regions of separation are discussed for different diffuser geometries. The downstream evolution of the pressure recovery coefficient is given along both diffuser channels. Calculations have been verified by experimental investigations on full scale diffuser prototypes providing pressure values at defined locations.


Two patients with multiple basal cell carcinomas, due either to the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) or arsenical insecticide exposure, were treated with oral isotretinoin for 7 or 8 years, respectively. Gradually decreasing dosage levels were employed. During the initial courses of therapy, high doses (2.0-3.0 mg/kg/day) were intended as chemotherapy. In these patients only 6 of 40 (15%) lesions underwent complete clinical regression. In subsequent courses aimed at chemoprevention, the dose was progressively reduced from 1.5 to 0.25 mg/kg/day. During therapy, no new lesions were observed in the patient with the arsenical exposure. The NBCCS patient developed 1 new lesion during therapy at 1.0 mg/kg/day, 1 new lesion at 0.5 mg/kg/day and 5 new lesions at 0.25 mg/kg/day. Treatment was discontinued and the patient with the arsenic exposure developed his first new tumor 17 months afterwards; in contrast, the NBCCS patient developed 29 tumors within 13 months. These findings suggest that long-term therapy with isotretinoin is needed for the continuation of the cancer chemopreventive effect. However, the need for continuous rather than intermittent maintenance therapy, and the determination of the optimal dose for this purpose may depend on the etiology of the multiple carcinomas and on the tolerability of the lowest effective dose by the individual patient. With these encouraging data, it now appears appropriate to expand this pilot study and perform larger trials to determine the usefulness of isotretinoin in the chemoprevention of basal cell carcinoma in patients with multiple tumors.


The term mitral valve prolapse is used to describe either one of the pathophysiological mechanisms of mitral regurgitation or a distinct biological condition with a defined inherited basis, with or without mitral incompetence. In the former case, association with rheumatic fever is implied by the definition itself; in the latter it's questionable (rheumatic fever could act as an environmental factor in the expression of a genetically determined mitral valve prolapse). Three hundred and twenty patients with mitral valve prolapse, diagnosed as a primary one, were studied in order to assess the prevalence of a well-documented history of rheumatic fever: this resulted higher versus a control population (5.6% vs 0.9%-p < 0.01). The retrospective nature of the study does not allow a definite conclusion. Familial as well as long-term follow-up studies are necessary to better define the association between rheumatic fever and mitral valve prolapse; a potentially different prognosis, mainly accounting to the development of a clinically relevant mitral regurgitation in patients with mitral valve prolapse and previous rheumatic fever, has to be searched.


Background: Malformation of cortical development (MCD) is one of the most common causes of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Improving the knowledge of antiseizure medications (ASMs) treatment response in epileptic patients with MCD is crucial for optimal treatment options, either pharmacological therapy or non-pharmacological intervention. Aim: To investigate the patterns of medical treatment outcome and the predictors for seizure freedom (SF) with ASM regimens in epilepsy caused by MCD. Methods: The epileptic patients with MCD were consecutively enrolled from March 2013 to June 2019. SF was defined as no seizures for at least 12 months or three times the longest pretreatment inter-seizure interval, whichever was longer. Outcomes were classified into three patterns: pattern A: patients achieved SF at one point and remained so throughout follow-up; pattern B: patients' seizures fluctuated between periods of SF and relapse; pattern C: SF never attained. The terminal SF was defined if the patients remained SF at the last follow-up visit. Results: A total of 164 epileptic patients with MCD were included. Pattern A was observed in 22, pattern B in 42, and pattern C in 100 patients. SF was ever achieved in 64 (pattern A and B) patients. Twenty-nine patients had terminal SF after a median follow-up time of 4.3 years. With continuing ASM treatment, seizure relapse risk was very low after a 5-year seizure-free period. The pretreatment seizure frequency was the only independent predictor for pattern A and seizure relapse. Sodium channel blockers monotherapy (33.8%) was more effective than levetiracetam (4.5%) in rendering SF in the initial ASM regimen. Conclusion: Medical treatment can be successful in a minority of epileptic patients with MCD, and pretreatment seizure frequency helps to predict the treatment outcome. An unequal efficacy of ASMs in epilepsy caused by MCD suggests etiological evaluation is vital in the management of focal epilepsy.


Since the revolution Cuba has developed a remarkable and successful health care system unmatched in the third world. In developing a social policy that provides health care for all its citizens while at the same time organizing a pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry that is as resourceful as it is inspiring Cuba has made advances in medicine admired throughout the world. As The Economist maintained in 1996 "Cuban medicine is disciplined and innovative .... Cuban research establishments have made breakthroughs in vaccines, immunology and biotechnology." The sophisticated nature of the medical establishment is evident as one travels the island visiting medical facilities, as I did in a series of visits between 1995 and 1997. The progress made by Cuba, particularly while under the constant harassment of the U.S. embargo, is really quite staggering and it is the purpose of this discussion to expand upon Cuba's medical program within the context of the embargo.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


With a constant intensification of economically global tendency and an incessive expansion of trans-national corporation's direct foreign investment, almost all trans-national corporation are encountering a common problem: cultural conflicts incited by trans-national management. Improper management of cultural conflicts will frequently result in the failure of management in local country. This paper is intended to explore the cultural conflict and integration and corresponding cross-cultural management strategies during trans-national management. Finally the countermeasures and suggestions are elaborated to improve the healthy operation of cross-national corporations.


The length-frequency distribution of the dominant species of euryhaline marine Chelon richardsonii, estuarine Gilchristella aestuaria and freshwater species Labeobarbus aeneus, Mesobola brevianalis and Pseudocrenilabrus philander were investigated seasonally along the Orange River Estuary Continuum (OREC) during high-flow and low-flow periods, conducted in eight different years, within a 15-year period (2004-2018). Fish were sampled using a seine net at 18 sites spanning from the mouth of the estuary up to 35 km upstream. The length-frequency distributions of all species did not differ between the high-flow and low-flow season. Spatial differentiation in size frequency distribution of all freshwater taxon was recorded along the river-estuarine continuum but not for C. richardsonii and G. aestuaria. Total catch-per-unit-effort (catch per haul, CPUE) was low for both M. brevianalis and P. philander and their abundance declined downstream into the estuarine region as expected for these two freshwater species. A negative correlation between salinity and fish length of all five species was found, demonstrating that juvenile fishes, in particular, freshwater species are less salt-tolerant than the adults. It is concluded that the lower OREC provides an important fish nursery habitat suitable for growth and development, particularly for marine C. richardsonii and estuarine G. aestuaria.


We develop an object-oriented simulation that models the airdrop mission of a U.S. transport aircraft, the C-1 7 Globemaster III. The simulation, written in MODSIM III, is based on three basic object types: an aircraft, a wake vortex, and a paratrooper. The aircraft object provides the required aerodynamic constants for simulating the wake vortices generated off each wingtip; the vortex object includes velocity field and decay models as well as a position algorithm; and the paratrooper object implements a 6-degree-of-freedom trajectory model. Using the simulation, we generate vortex encounter information for various formations and wind conditions, and quantify the associated risk of paratrooper/vortex encounters in a potential encounter rate. Time over the drop zone is a primary concern in any airdrop operation, and the results of this analysis form a tool that allows the ground commander to assess the risk involved in decreasing that time.


The article explores the contribution of MKs' websites to political personalization by addressing three questions. Is it more likely that MKs who belong to parties that conduct primaries will establish a website than MKs who belong to parties which select their candidates in a more centralized fashion? Are MKs' websites richer, more interactive and more frequently updated than their respective party's websites? Finally, do MKs link their websites to the websites of their parties? We find some evidence that MKs' personal websites further support and enhance the personalization of Israeli politics.


As an important research field of mobile robots, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology is the core technology to realize intelligent autonomous mobile robots. Aiming at the problems of low positioning accuracy of Lidar (Light detection and ranging) SLAM with non-linear and non-Gaussian noise characteristics, this paper presents a mobile robot SLAM method which combines Lidar and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) to set up a multi-sensor integrated system, and uses a RKF (Rank Kalman Filtering) to estimate the robot motion trajectory through IMU and Lidar observations. RKF is similar to the Gaussian deterministic point sampling filtering algorithm in structure, but it does not need to meet the assumptions of Gaussian distribution. It completely calculates the sampling points and the sampling points weights based on the correlation principle of rank statistics. It is suitable for non-linear and non-Gaussian systems. With multiple experimental tests of real scenes, it is verified that the accuracy of the algorithm proposed in this paper has been improved relative to the alone Lidar SLAM algorithm. The new algorithm reduces the mean error of the indoor mobile robot in the X direction from 0.0928m to 0.0451m, with an improved accuracy rate of 46.39%, and the mean error in the Y direction from 0.0772m to 0.0405m, which improves the accuracy rate of 48.40%.


Free and bound electrons in high-density plasmas have been treated by a self-consistent-field method applied to our previous quasi-molecule model (Phys. Rev. A, 40 (1989) 1983). The local density of the former and quantum parameters of the latter are given as functions of the internuclear distance R. Using these data in the framework of an adiabatic theory of line broadening, where ion dynamics and electron impact effects are included, we have calculated the NeX Lyman α and β line profiles and pointed out the excitation of several molecular satellites. For the NeX Lyman β line in particular, the molecular satellites S1(200u → 000g) and S2(101g → 000u) are clearly visible on the near red wing in spite of large ion dynamics and electron impact broadening effects.


A molecular investigation of 16 Bantu-speaking Black XX true hermaphrodites was undertaken in an attempt to determine the cause of the disorder. Y-specific sequences, including sequences mapping to the sex-determining region of the Y, were shown to be absent from lymphocyte tissue of all 16 patients tested. Y chromosome sequences were also absent from the ovarian and testicular components of both ovotestes of a single XX true hermaphrodite, thus excluding gonadal mosaicism involving Y chromosome sequences. Since there is evidence for Xp genes involved in testis determination/differentiation, uniparental disomy of the X chromosome was investigated in 14 XXTH families. Uniparental disomy was excluded in 12 of the 14 families, and isodisomy was excluded in the remaining two cases.


Introduction To evaluate the experiences of patients with type 1 diabetes following transition from a calibration-requiring to a calibration-free sensor and remote monitoring in the context of using automated insulin delivery (AID). Research design and methods Fifteen participants aged 7–65 years with type 1 diabetes participating in a longitudinal study used a Medtronic® advanced hybrid closed loop (AHCL) device with initially calibration-requiring then calibration-free sensors. Qualitative interviews were conducted ≥20 weeks following use of the calibration-requiring and ≥4 weeks after use of the calibration-free sensors/remote monitoring. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and subthemes. Results At baseline, mean diabetes duration was 14.5 years ( ± 10.9), mean Hba1c 54.8 mmol/mol ( ± 10.2) (7.2 ± 0.9%) and Time in range 75.4% ( ± 11.6). Participants reported a progressive improvement in digital and lifestyle integration, and device trust following transition to calibration-free sensors with remote monitoring potential. They also reported a reduced need for capillary glucose, increased device satisfaction and trust, and reduced burden of diabetes care. Negative aspects reported included periodic early sensor loss, and for some, impaired integration with mobile devices. Conclusion Transitioning to calibration-free sensors with remote monitoring while using AHCL was associated with better user experience, including perceptions of improved quality of life and a reduced burden of diabetes care. Appropriate expectation setting, training, and ongoing support allow for the optimal user experience while using AHCL. Clinical trial registration https://www.anzctr.org.au, identifier ACTRN12621000360819


The role that natural selection plays in governing the locations and early evolution of copy-number mutations remains largely unexplored. We used high-density full-genome tiling arrays to create a fine-scale genomic map of copy-number polymorphisms (CNPs) in Drosophila melanogaster. We inferred a total of 2658 independent CNPs, 56% of which overlap genes. These include CNPs that are likely to be under positive selection, most notably high-frequency duplications encompassing toxin-response genes. The locations and frequencies of CNPs are strongly shaped by purifying selection, with deletions under stronger purifying selection than duplications. Among duplications, those overlapping exons or introns, as well as those falling on the X chromosome, seem to be subject to stronger purifying selection.


In this study, we demonstrate that while the energy density and lubricity of the C15 and C16 products of furan condensation of biomass-derived aldehydes with 2-methylfuran are consistent with requirements for diesel, these products do not meet specifications for cetane number and pour point due to their aromatic furan rings. However, a novel class of products that fully meet or exceed most specifications for diesel can be produced by converting the furan rings in these compounds to cyclic ether moieties. Full hydrodeoxygenation of furan condensation products to alkanes would require 55-60% higher hydrogen demand, starting from biomass, compared to the products of furan ring saturation, providing an additional incentive to support the saturated products. We also report here on a tunable class of catalysts that contain Pd nanoparticles supported on ionic liquid-modified SiO2 that can achieve complete saturation of the furan rings in yields of 95% without opening these rings.


Starting in the late 80s, Argentina implemented a series of reforms that were revolutionary in speed and scope, including trade liberalization. After implementation of these policies, a record number of antidumping (AD) petitions came forward. Under a situation of high inflation, the government reinforced its fiscal and monetary policies by announcing that it would minimize the use of such measures. The flexible disciplines of the existing domestic AD regulations faciliated this objective. Later, when the GATT/WTO-sanctioned trade remedies were implemented, the Government made a serious attempt to establish discipline by including liberal regulations, and creating special institutional arrangements. A presumption built into construction of the new mechanisms was that adhering to WTO requirements would strengthen the resistance against protection. This presumption turned out to be false. Changing circumstances including severe peso overvaluation, had significant impacts on the number and outcome of AD investigations.


In this paper the dynamic performance of the artificial neural network is compared to the performance of a statistical method such as the support vector machine. This comparison is made with respect to an image classification application where the performance is compared with regards to generalization and robustness. Image vectors are compressed in order to reduce the dimensionality and the salient feature vectors are extracted with the principle component algorithm. The artificial neural network and the support vector machine are trained to classify images with feature vectors. A comparative analysis is made between the artificial neural network and the support vector machine with respect to robustness and generalization.


Diffusion of innovations is a spatial process. Spatial conditions and demand preferences may inducecreation of spatial lead markets before national and international adoptions take place. This paper aimsto extend the Lead Markets concept in a spatial dimension, considering local differences. We firstlydiscuss theoretical underpinnings of the spatial dimension of Lead Markets concept and then apply theconcept to the case of photovoltaic systems' diffusion in Germany. Based on spatial data and anextensive case study, we show how an innovation is deployed in local areas of a country before beingadopted nationwide. We also apply the system of lead market attributes (demand, price, export,transfer and market structure advantages) to the case and discuss how a local lead market could takeoff in a particular region of a country. Our findings have significant implications not only in theory butalso for practice, providing recommendations for policy makers who seek to enhance the level ofdiffusion for particular innovations.


Abstract Haemorrhagic pericardial cysts are rare and may be complicated by encasement of the heart, right heart failure and, rarely, cardiac cirrhosis. Surgical management of complicated cysts is challenging and has poor outcomes. We report a case of successful surgical management of a complicated pericardial cyst presenting with cardiac cirrhosis and the challenges associated with this condition.


INTRODUCTION
The chronic autoimmune thyroiditis are heterogeneous entities by the functional, lesional and evolutive point of view. Ethiopathogenic factors involved in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis are genetical factors, combines with environmental factors, hormonal factors, infectious factors etc. The exact role of smoking on the autoimmune mechanism is unclear, but smoking is known to have an antithyroid effect.

AIM
Our study tries to estimate the influence of smoking on serum levels of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies and antithyroglobulin antibodies, in a group of patients with various clinical forms of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We studied a group consists of 310 patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, hospitalised in the Endocrinology Department of Constanta County Hospital, between January 2006 - December 2009. We detected serum values of antithyroidperoxidase antibodies and antithyroglobulin antibodies of our patients. We also followed the age, sex and presence of smoking in our study group. For statistical processing of the data we use Student's t-test.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
In our study group 24.28% of patients were smokers. Serum levels of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the smokers patients, compared with the nonsmokers patients. Serum levels of antithyroglobulin antibodies were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in smokers patients, compared with those who were nonsmokers.

CONCLUSIONS
Smoking increased the serum levels of antithyroid antibodies in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.


AIM
We conducted a pilot nested case-control study to prospectively evaluate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) exposure, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress on lung carcinogenesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-five patients with lung cancer and 140 age- and sex-matched controls were selected from a sub-cohort of the Korean Multi-center Cancer Cohort. PAH metabolites (1-hydroxypyrene and 2-naphthol), oxidative stress markers, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed using urine samples collected at baseline.

RESULTS
The levels of urinary PAH metabolites and oxidative stress were not different between cases and controls. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and 2-naphthol levels were significantly associated with urinary oxidative stress markers only in lung cancer cases. Individuals with low urinary TAC and high urinary oxidative stress levels had significantly higher risk of lung cancer compared to those with high urinary TAC and low urinary oxidative stress levels.

CONCLUSION
Oxidative stress induced by PAH exposure and TAC may be important determinants for the susceptibility to lung cancer.


Samples of Cetraria islandica, Cetraria nivalis, Cladina stellaris, Cladina arbuscula, Cladina rangiferina and Stereocaulon paschale were collected at 3 sites in 2 mountain areas in Norway. Alectoria ochroleuca was collected at 3 sites in 1 of the mountain areas. Lichens contained between 83 and 93% fiber, measured by the dietary fiber analysis, with Cladina spp. containing significantly more fiber than the other lichen species. The fiber consisted mainly of mannose, galactose, and glucose, but the relative content of each monosaccharide differed between species. Fibers from Cetraria spp. and Alectoria ochroleuca contained significantly more glucose than those from Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale, while Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale contained significantly more mannose and galactose. The higher glucose content in Cetraria spp. and Alectoria ochroleuca was reflected in a high lichenan content in these species, while the Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale contained no lichenan. Solubility of the fiber fraction in hot water was strongly correlated to lichenan content, and great differences existed between species. Less than 5% of the dietary fiber was soluble in lichens of the Cladina genus, while more than 50% of the fiber was soluble in Cetraria islandica and Alectoria ochroleuca. Twenty-one percent of the dietary fiber was soluble in Cetraria nivalis. In vitro gas production experiments using rumen inocula from reindeer revealed a higher gas production rate the first 5 hours of incubation in Cetraria islandica, Cetraria nivalis, and in Alectoria ochroleuca compared to Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale. Maximum production rate was observed at about 13 hours and dropped rapidly thereafter. No systematical differences in gas production rate between lichens species were observed after the initial phase. Differences in gas production rate in the initial phase resulted in higher total gas production in Cetraria islandica, Cetraria nivalis and in Alectoria ochroleuca compared to Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale the first 9 hours of incubation. Total gas production after 52 hours of incubation did not vary between species. Gas production characteristics indicate that the amount of readily fermentable fraction was greater, whereas the amount slowly fermentable fraction was lower in lichens of the Cetraria genus and in Alectoria ochroleuca compared to Cladina spp. and Stereocaulon paschale. The water-soluble fraction is easy available for rumen micro-organisms and the results indicate a close relationship between high gas production in the initial phase and high proportion of water soluble fibers and/or lichenan content. Content, composition, and solubility of the fiber fraction could thus be potentially important factors determining nutritive value of the lichen for reindeer/caribou.


The present work aims to study the effects of the biocide Bacillus thuringiensis var israelinsis, against non-target adults of water mites Eylais hamata Koenike, 1897, as well as its associated host species Physa marmorata Fitzinger, 1833. After 12 days of oral treatment of adults with lethal concentration (LC50:0.08μg/ml), determined from essays on 4th instar larvae of Culex pipiens (hematophagous insects). No adverse effect has been recorded for adult individuals of Eylais hamata, contrary, snail Physa marmorata were sensitive for this dose of Bti. In parallel, after treatment at the Bti by LC50, the enzyme stress biomarker glutathione S-transferase, was measured after 24, 48 and 72 hours. The enzymatic activity of GST has increased following treatment.


People with intellectual disability lack opportunities to engage in sports, although the benefits of doing so may be even greater for them. One option is to encourage their inclusion in mainstream sports clubs that exist in nearly all European communities. Although there is a growing knowledge base within organisations such as Special Olympics in adjusting sports to meet the needs of people with intellectual disability, inclusion in community clubs raises additional challenges. This exploratory study aimed to garner the experiences of coaches alongside those of clubs members—with and without disabilities—in 12 community sports clubs in three European countries. In all 20 coaches and 51 members took part in semi-structured interviews. A thematic content analysis was used to devise a conceptual model describing an inclusive sports club. The overarching theme was that inclusive clubs require an ongoing balancing between a focus on sporting skills and performance, with managing the needs and characteristics of the players and the inter-relationships among them. Six subthemes were identified that described the core strategies to the effective functioning of the clubs. However, the vision and commitment of coaches was crucial and their recruitment was the main challenge the clubs faced. In addition, new opportunities for training coaches are needed to support the extension of inclusive clubs across a range of sports and locations. Continuing research could usefully identify the benefits to club members and identify sport-specific adaptations required to make clubs more fully inclusive.


We are witnessing the exploding development of Mobile Geoinformation Services(MGS). However, MGS is a complex system engineering involving many different technological fields or disciplines. There are many problems still existing and deserving to be further clarified and studied. Based on the analysis of the derivation of MGS and different related terms, a relatively universal concept of MGS is first defined in this paper. After that, this paper illuminates the present application level in China by summarizing the five modes that exist in all application related to MGS. In addition, five aspects of problems that hinder MGS from developing on a large scale are put forward. Finally the paper concludes that the implementation of MGS can be only performed on a limited basis in current China and there are still many barriers that prevent MGS from reaching its full potentials. LRS GIS Spetial IT Mobile Application GPS.


Synopsis: The formation of the transformation textures has been studied in low C-Mn—Nb—V and low C-Mn—Mo Nb steels which were subjected to deformation in unrecrystallized austenite region. Using the method of crystallite orientation distribution function analysis, textures were quantitatively determined in as-rolled and as-quenched steels with polygonal ferrite—pearlite or acicular ferrite or martensite which were produced by an experimentally controlled rolling process. Transformation textures develop markedly by deforming austenite phase in unrecrystallized austenite region. The textures consist of two preferred orientations; {113} <110> and {332}<113>. The density of these orientations, especially {332}<113> in both acicular ferrite and martensite steels are greater than that in polygonal ferrite—pearlite steel. The orientation density of {332}<113> in both steels increases with decreasing prior austenitic grain size. Crystallite orientation distributions after transformation of austenite having (110) [112], (641) [112], (321) [214], and (211)[111] were calculated for polygonal ferrite—pearlite and martensite steels. It was as sumed that the austenite to polygonal ferrite transformation followed the Kurdjumov—Sachs lattice orientation relationship and that all the variants were operative during the transformation. While, in the case of the austenite to martensite transformation, such variants were assumed to operate that corresponded to the slip systems with the largest resolved shear stress in the slip deformation of anstenite phase. These calculated crystallite orientation distributions are in good agreement with observed results. The formation of the transformation texture of acicular ferrite steel seems to be similar to that of martensite steel.


Abstract A numerical model of the coupled motion of a flexing surface in a high Reynolds number flow is presented for the simulation of flexible polyurethane heart valves in the aortic position. This is achieved by matching a Lagrangian dynamic leaflet model with a panel method based flow solver. The two models are coupled via the time-dependent pressure field using the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Incorporation of sub-cycling in the dynamic model equations and fast pre conditioning techniques in the panel method solver yields efficient convergence and near real-time simulations of valve motion. The generality of dynamic model allows different material properties and/or geometries to be studied easily and interactively. This interactivity is realized by embedding the models within a design environment created using the software IRIS Explorer TM. Two flow domains are developed, an infinite domain and an internal domain using conformal mapping theory. In addition bending stress on the valve is computed using a simple stress model based on spline and circle equation techniques.


An optical-thermal experimental system, in which CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were used as thermal sensors, is developed for micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) temperature measurements in the high temperature range (>70 °C). Laboratory-prepared CdTe QDs with suitably controlled synthesis conditions show excellent temperature sensitivity. For orange emitting CdTe QDs, calibration from a type A micro-heater yields a linear relation between the spectral peak shift and the temperature over the temperature range of 27 °C to 170 °C, the last being the highest temperature of the heater achieved in our current optical-thermal experimental setup. This linear relation is consistent with the predictions for semiconductor quantum systems from the principle of thermo-quantum mechanics for the temperature above the Debye point. Analysis of the experimental data indicates that the orange emitting QDs possess a thermally-induced spectral-shift sensitivity of 0.34 nm °C−1, which is approximately about 2–3 times better than reported. The excellent repeatability and accuracy of the calibrated orange emitting CdTe QDs as thermal sensors are further demonstrated by applying them in monitoring electric thermal characteristics of type B MEMS structures. While calibration is for up to 170 °C, the temperature of up to 212 °C for the type B MEMS heater was measured with a satisfactory accuracy using the CdTe QDs, further demonstrating the stability of the thermal-spectral properties of the QDs. The existence of a unique "burnout" spectrum in the temperature dependent PL spectra also suggests that optical-thermally sensitive QDs can be applied in both monitoring the temperature development and diagnosing circuit breakout due to over-heating.


Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) suspended in air over trenches are imaged using their intrinsic near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence (1.0-1.6 microm). Far-field emission from extended suspended lengths (approximately 50 microm) is both spatially and spectrally resolved, and SWNTs are classified based on the spatial uniformity of their emission intensity and emission wavelength. In a few cases, emission assigned to different (n,m) species is observed along the same suspended segment. Most SWNTs imaged on millisecond time scales show steady emission, but a few fluctuate and suffer a reduction of intensity. The quantum efficiency is dramatically higher than that in previous reports and is estimated at 7%, a value that is precise but subject to corrections because of assumptions about absorption and coherence.


Kinetic studies of semi-purified pyruvate kinase were performed from the erythrocytes of 22 subjects with congenital non-spherocytic anemia with pyruvate kinase deficiency and 25 heterozygous relatives. The study of enzyme affinity for PEP with and without ligands fructose-diphosphate (FDP) and ATP allowed to separate three groups of patients: --in eight patients and their eleven heterozygous relatives, the PK kinetic characteristics were similar to those of controls. Allosteric properties of the enzyme were normal; --in three patients, PK was in an activated form, non sensitive to FDP activation and to ATP inhibition in the experimental conditions. The deficient enzyme seemed to be present in the "R" form; --in eleven patients affinity for PEP was decreased; the enzyme was in each case activated by FDP; however very high FDP concentrations did not allow to obtain a complete activation and an n Hill of 1. ATP inhibition was more important than in controls. Similar results were obtained in some heterozygous relatives. The pyruvate kineases of these patients seemed to be fixed in "T" form. Whatever may be the molecular abnormalities responsible for the PK deficiency, they seem to lead in many cases to a change in the enzyme allosteric properties.


ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate maternal and cord blood cyclophilin A level in severe preeclampsia compared with normal pregnancy and its correlation with vitamin D and zinc level. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of pregnant women who gave birth in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between January and April 2014. Results: Thirty-nine subjects were included. Subjects with severe preeclampsia have higher serum cyclophilin A levels compared with normotensive pregnancy (1299.60 vs. 1039.50; p 0.017). Maternal cyclophilin A, vitamin D, and zinc correlation were not statistically significant (p 0.189 & p 0.853). Conclusion: Cyclophilin A levels in severe preeclampsia is higher compared to normal pregnancy. There is no correlation between cyclophilin A, zinc, and vitamin D.


Energy consumption in buildings is increasing at a rapid rate and so is the development of renewable energy systems. India possesses huge potential for solar and wind power systems and also for, geothermal and tidal owing to site-specific characteristics and geographic location. Present paper studies the latest developments in solar-based renewable energy applications for new and existing buildings, with an aim to achieve net-zero or nearly zero energy consumption. Solar power generation is flexible in terms of applications and widely accepted in the renewable energy landscape for Indian buildings sector. Acceptance of wind, biomass and geothermal as a viable source of energy for powering green buildings is still in the nascent stage. Keywords: Energy, green buildings, HVAC, renewable energy, solar Cite this Article Yashvi Malhotra, V.S. K.V. Harish. Solar Based Integrated Energy Systems for Green Building Applications. Journal of Energy, Environment & Carbon Credits. 2018; 8(3): 22–26p.


Knowledge of the properties of soft, viscoelastic materials at high strain rates are important in furthering our understanding of their role during blast or impact events. Testing these low impedance materials using a metallic split Hopkinson pressure bar setup results in poor signal to noise ratios due to impedance mismatching. These difficulties are overcome by using polymeric Hopkinson bars. Conventional Hopkinson bar analysis cannot be used on the polymeric bars due to the viscoelastic nature of the bar material. Implementing polymeric Hopkinson bars requires characterization of the viscoelastic properties of the material used. In this paper, 30 mm diameter Polymethyl Methacrylate bars are used as Hopkinson pressure bars. This testing technique is applied to polymeric foam called Divinycell H80 and H200. Although there is a large body of of literature containing compressive data, this rarely deals with strain rates above 250s−1 which becomes increasingly important when looking at the design of composite structures where energy absorption during impact events is high on the list of priorities. Testing of polymeric foams at high strain rates allows for the development of better constitutive models.


SUMMARY Bacteriophages were isolated from the effluents of the cities of Oxford and Salisbury. They differ in their host range but are alike in that they contain hydroxymethylcytosine and show dependence on tryptophan for adsorption. These properties, which had been described previously only in the T-group of coliphages, are now shown to be widespread.


Diabetes mellitus could be a chronic metabolic disorder, diabetes results from lack of the pancreas to deliver sufficient insulin due to low levels of beta cells. high blood sugar produces the side effects of frequent urination, expanded thirst, and expanded starvation. Untreated, diabetes can cause numerous complications. complications such as disability of immune system, periodontal infection, retinopathy, nephropathy, physical and autonomic neuropathy, cardiovascular diseases.


In early 1999, 48% of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases detected in the Somali region of Ethiopia were smear-positive. Actions at the laboratory level and peer-review of smear-negative PTB diagnoses were proposed. Clinicians knew, but did not adhere to, the algorithm recommended by the National Tuberculosis Programme for these diagnoses, partly due to the costs involved to patients. Challenging clinicians, in a non-threatening way, to become more clinically rigorous proved successful, and the proportion of smear-positive PTB increased to 65%. Operational research is needed to assess the feasibility of these widely-recommended smear-negative PTB diagnosis guidelines.


The problem of congestion control in networks with multirate multicast traffic along with unicast sessions has been addressed in this paper. We present a decentralized algorithm which enables the different rate-adaptive receivers in different multicast sessions to adjust their rates to satisfy some fairness criterion. We propose a one-bit explicit congestion notification (ECN) marking strategy to be used at the nodes. The congestion control mechanism does not require any per-flow state information for unicast flows at the nodes. Per receiver state information may be required for each multicast flow. The congestion control mechanism takes into account the diverse user requirements when different receivers within a multicast session have different utility functions, but does not assume the network to have any knowledge about the receiver utility functions and also converges under certain reasonable assumptions.


It has been proved that the construction schedule management was an uncertain problem. Traditional CPM method was a good way to define the total duration and critical paths but can not solve uncertainty. The paper use CPM to define the duration and critical path firstly, then defined the parameters with Delphi and make Monte Carlo simulation. Through simulation results, it is found that the probability to finish the work on time was only 68%. The following step is to make sensitivity analysis, through the calculation, the work which has large influence was found and treat as key control points. It is proved that Monte Carlo simulation is useful to solve the problem of construction schedule management.


In an effort to better understand chronic liver transplant rejection, we studied 110 children and adults who survived for at least 2 mo after the transplant procedure. Chronic rejection was defined using a combination of clinical and histopathological criteria and was diagnosed in 10 of the 110 patients for an incidence of 9.1%. All 10 patients were children with the mean age 3.4 yr vs. 21.7 yr for patients without chronic rejection (p <.001). Males and females were equally represented, and nine received a liver from a gender‐matched donor. Four patients were non‐Caucasian, resulting in an incidence of 21.7% in non‐Caucasian recipients vs. 6.6% in Caucasian recipients (p <.05). All chronic rejection patients received a liver from an ABO‐compatible donor. T‐cell crossmatch was negative in all patients in whom it was assessed, and no significant disparity in either the class I or class II human leukocyte antigen loci was noted. Patients who had chronic rejection experienced acute rejection earlier, 11 days vs. 16 days (p <.05), than patients who did not. In 8 of 10 patients, chronic rejection appeared to evolve directly from early episodes of acute rejection that were unresponsive to immunosuppressive therapy. Two distinct histological presentations were noted. One was progressive loss of bile ducts without hepatocellular injury (four patients), and the other was characterized by worsening ischemic hepatocellular damage and fibrosis (six patients) in addition to severe ductular injury. The first was associated with a more benign clinical course, the second with rapidly deteriorating hepatic function. Three patients recovered spontaneously 9 to 14 mo after transplant, one died awaiting a donor for retransplant, and five had retransplants. We conclude that chronic rejection after the operation is a relatively uncommon complication of liver transplantation with a variable clinical course and unpredictable outcome. (HEPATOLOGY 1991;13:882–891.)


Optimal sounding sequences which satisfy a certain autocorrelation property are useful for fast channel estimation techniques which are based on noniterative channel sounding methods. We study optimal sequences consisting of complex symbols with constant magnitude. An indirect sequence construction method is derived by considering the phase difference between sequence symbols. Our construction method includes periodic and nonperiodic optimal sequences, and provides insight into the nature and properties of optimal sequences that are based on consecutive roots-of-unity phase difference sequences.


We report a case of an 83-year-old female with locally metastatic melanoma treated with imiquimod and tazarotene. The patient originally presented to our dermatology clinic with local metastases of malignant melanoma after having undergone multiple surgical procedures and adjuvant radiation therapy for disease recurrence. At this juncture, she refused further surgical management but was interested in topical therapy. A 4-week course of topical imiquimod therapy was initiated. As no clinical response was noted at the end of the treatment period, tazarotene cream was introduced. The patient experienced complete clinical clearance of the treated area after a 6-week course of combination imiquimod and tazarotene therapy. The rationale for using both medications will be discussed.


This paper addresses short-time existence and uniqueness of a solution to the N-dimensional Hele–Shaw flow problem with surface tension as driving mechanism. Global existence in time and exponential decay of the solution near equilibrium are also proved. The results are obtained in Sobolev spaces Hs with sufficiently large s. The main tools are perturbations of a fixed reference domain, linearization with respect to these perturbations, a quasilinearization argument based on a geometric invariance property, and a priori energy estimates.


The evaluation of endothelial function is gaining interest and importance during pregnancy, since the impaired adaptation in early pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk in preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. To standardize the risk assessment and to implement the evaluation of vascular function in routine pregnancy care, a suitable, accurate and easy to use method is needed. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery assessed by ultrasound is considered to be the gold standard for measuring the vascular endothelial function. The challenges of the FMD measurement have so far prevented its introduction into clinical routine. The VICORDER® device allows an automated determination of the flow-mediated slowing (FMS). The equivalence of FMD and FMS has not yet been proven in pregnant women. We collected data of 20 pregnant women randomly and consecutively while they presented for a vascular function assessment in our hospital. The gestational age at investigation was between 22 and 32 weeks of gestation, three had preexisting hypertensive pregnancy disease and three were twin pregnancies. The results for FMD or FMS below 11.3% were considered to be abnormal. Comparing FMD to FMS results in our cohort revealed a convergence in 9/9 cases, indicating normal endothelial function (specificity of 100%) and a sensitivity of 72.7%. In conclusion, we verify that the FMS measurement is a convenient, automated and operator-independent test method of endothelial function in pregnant women.


Purpose Accurate and reproducible quantification of ventricular function is essential for serial monitoring and management of complex congenital patients. Systemic right ventricular functional analysis can be challenging. We sought to investigate visual grading and quantification in systemic right ventricles with transthoracic echo and CMR and impact of training and experience on reproducibility. Methods 10 anonymous apical '4-chamber' transthoracic (Epic, Phillips) images, duplicated twice, were viewed by 20 participants of varying experience and accreditation and 10 anonymous '4-chamber' CMR (1.5 T Avanto, Siemens) HLA images of the same patients, duplicated twice, were analysed by 12 participants. Participants were asked to provide an overall visual grading of systemic RV function, an 'eyeball' estimate of systemic RV function and a judgement of image quality (%). Experience and accreditation were noted. Results 10 patients, 6 female, mean age 28 years, range 20–48 years: 8 patients with single ventricle (Fontan), 1 atrial switch (Senning) and 1 ccTGA. 16 echo viewers were accredited, 5 regularly performing congenital echo and 6 CMR viewers were accredited. CMR image quality ranged between 50–100% and echo image quality between 15–90%. Repeat blinded visual estimates by the same observer were in agreement between 45–100% in echo and 25–83% with CMR with less reproducibility in those observers without CMR accreditation. Conclusion Visual grading and quantification of complex congenital heart disease is difficult with limited reproducibility. There is a variation in visual grading by observers, particularly in CMR. Formal quantification by experienced congenital imagers is recommended to optimise reliability of serial measurements with both echo and CMR