Theory suggests that majoritarian/plurality elections depress voter participation and that proportional election systems encourage greater voter mobilization and turnout. We examine the effect that cumulative voting (CV) has on turnout in local elections in the U.S. Variation in social/cultural context is largely held constant by our design while election system varies, allowing us to identify the unique effect CV has on turnout. We test if turnout is higher when CV is used in the same context as plurality rules. Consistent with expectations about institutional effects, turnout is about 5 percentage points higher under CV than in similar plurality elections.


INTRODUCTION :
Research in renal transplantation has so far considered one-year acute rejection episodes,
one-year graft and patient survival as short-term primary outcomes in evaluating
therapeutic strategies. With recent advances in immunosuppression and care of a
transplant recipient, the short-term renal transplant outcomes have been remarkably
excellent. This makes evaluation of newer therapeutic strategies with such outcomes
difficult. Meanwhile long-term results do not correlate well with these traditional shortterm
end-points. Glomerular filtration rate is used as an indicator of renal function
worldwide. Renal function in the short term has well been related to long term outcomes
in renal transplantation. This calls for use of Glomerular filtration rate as a significant
short term transplant outcome for further studies evaluating efficacy of newer therapeutic
strategies and to identify prognostic indicators. Renal graft function assessment is now a
primary criterion for evaluation of newer therapeutic interventions in transplantation.
Assessment of renal function in a transplant recipient has always been a challenge. Most
of currently existing methods of GFR measurement and estimation are not well validated
in transplant recipients. Inulin Clearance is considered as goal standard in measurement
of renal graft function. However, other traditionally accepted reference methods for direct
measurement of GFR include use of exogenous markers like radiolabeled isotopes (51Cr
EDTA, 99mTc-DTPA or 125I Iothalamate) and non-radioactive contrast agents
(Iothalamate or Iohexol). Measurement of GFR in Indian population has been limited to
the reference methods only as Inulin is currently not available in this country. In view of
the cumbersome nature of these tests, several mathematical formulae based on
endogenous markers of GFR such as S. Creatinine and Cystatin C have been developed
AIM : To assess the performance characteristics of the various eGFR equations based on
serum creatinine and serum Cystatin C in predicting the measured GFR in renal allograft
recipients of Indian Subcontinent.
OBJECTIVES :
To study the agreement between GFR estimated by various prediction formulae based on
Serum Creatinine and Cystatin C with the GFR measured by 99mTc DTPA renal
scintigraphy among renal allograft recipients.
To determine which estimated GFR prediction formula predicts GFR measured by 99mTc
DTPA renal scintigraphy with precision and accuracy in renal allograft recipients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS : Renal allograft recipients were studied at 6 months post
transplant. GFR was measured by 99mTcDTPA scintigraphy (mGFR). Serum CystatinC
& creatinine were measured. GFR was estimated (eGFR) by various S.Cr based and
CysC based equations and compared with mGFR using correlation, bias, precision,
accuracy and kappa statistics for agreement.
RESULTS : 134 renal allograft recipients (M:F=101:33; age 34.0±11.5years) were
studied. Mean mGFR was 52.1±22.6ml/min/1.73Sq.m. Overall, the S.Cr-eGFRs
overestimated GFR [+15to20±25ml/min/1.73Sq.m.] and had poor correlation (ICC=0.0-
0.4), poor accuracy (@30%-35%; @50%-55%) and poor agreement (K= 0.05-0.20; 50-
60% misclassified) with mGFR. Among them, CG-LWGFR had marginal correlation
(ICC=0.25-0.35), least bias (+4.0±22.4ml/min/1.73Sq.m) and most accuracy (@30%-
47.8%; @50%-72.1%). All CysC-eGFRs had better correlation (ICC=0.45-0.50), lower
bias (-10to+1±20ml/min/1.73Sq.m), higher accuracy (@30%-60%; @50%-80%) and
better agreement (K=0.25-0.45; 35-40% misclassified) with the mGFR. The Larsson,
Macissac and MayoClinic CysC GFRs had the best performance characteristics.
CONCLUSION : In renal allograft recipients, S.Cr-eGFR estimates poorly correlate,
widely differ and rarely agree with the mGFR, compared to CysC-eGFR. The CysCeGFRs
by Larsson, Macissac and MayoClinic provide the best GFR estimates. CysC is a
better predictor of GFR than S.Cr at 6 months post transplantation.


This paper presents a novel active noise control (ANC) system using least mean square (LMS) algorithm and neural network approach for decreasing acoustic noise signals inside high-speed trains. We construct a LMS framework as a nominal ANC system and additionally design an artificial single-layered perceptron model as an auxiliary ANC which is aimed to reduce real-time residuary noise due to its nonstationary and uncertain nature. Parameter vector of the hybrid ANC is determined through online estimation to realize an adaptive ANC configuration by means of the steepest descent algorithm. We achieve simulation experiment to demonstrate the proposed ANC system employing realistic acoustic noise signals measured in Korea Train eXpress (KTX).


The electrostatic potential in air resulting from an ion space charge of one predominant sign is difficult to measure with existing potential-measuring instruments. An ideal instrument should not deplete the ion space charge and should be capable of measuring relatively low potentials. An instrument using the null-and-substitution method, and combining an electronic pulse widener and a vacuum-tube voltmeter, is described. This instrument has an application in measuring ion density in air by measuring the electrostatic potential attributable to ion space charge; Poisson's equation can then be solved for ion density.


European Integration is analysed in a historical and in a comparative perspective by applying New Institutional Economics. European Integration is shaped by rules being triggered for further integration and simultaneously giving integration direction. The analysis starts with the European Coal and Steel Community and ends with the European Union. The functions of rules explain institutionalisation as well as non-institutionalisation of Europe. The influence of these functions varies from country to country and from integration step to integration step. Additionally, these functions can be interrelated in different ways.


Non-contact human-computer interactions (HCI) based on hand gestures have been widely investigated. Here, we present a novel method to locate the real-time position of the hand using the electrostatics of the human body. This method has many advantages, including a delay of less than one millisecond, low cost, and does not require a camera or wearable devices. A formula is first created to sense array signals with five spherical electrodes. Next, a solving algorithm for the real-time measured hand position is introduced and solving equations for three-dimensional coordinates of hand position are obtained. A non-contact real-time hand position sensing system was established to perform verification experiments, and the principle error of the algorithm and the systematic noise were also analyzed. The results show that this novel technology can determine the dynamic parameters of hand movements with good robustness to meet the requirements of complicated HCI.


Background Recent neuroimaging studies have reported grey matter alterations in primary trigeminal neuralgia patients. However, few studies have focused on quantitative measurements of trigeminal nerves and the interaction between trigeminal nerve volume and brain morphology, particularly grey matter volume. In this study, we investigated the link between trigeminal nerves and grey matter volume changes in primary trigeminal neuralgia patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we explored the association of structure of trigeminal nerves and grey matter to collected pain clinical variables. Methods Eighty participants (40 patients and 40 controls) were recruited for the study. All participants underwent MRI sessions and clinical pain assessment. Trigeminal nerve volume and whole brain grey matter volume were evaluated using quantitative imaging techniques. Sensory and affective pain rating indices were assessed using the visual analog scale and short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between clinical pain variables and volumetric changes in trigeminal nerves and grey matter. Results Decreased trigeminal nerve volume was detected in primary trigeminal neuralgia patients compared to controls. Additionally, reduced grey matter volume was found in several regions associated with pain in primary trigeminal neuralgia subjects, including the insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and several areas of the temporal lobe. Mediation analysis revealed that decreased trigeminal nerve volume drove grey matter volume abnormality of the left insula, and further led to increased pain ratings. Conclusion This study showed a predominantly direct effect of trigeminal nerve atrophy on clinical pain variables in primary trigeminal neuralgia patients, providing new insight into the pathophysiology of the disease. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02713646


data contained in computer-based systems, they become vulnerable to strategic information manipulation. That is, they become susceptible to situations where their decision-making behaviors can be influenced by others able to access and manipulate this data.

This paper describes the results of a field experiment that examines the effects of alternative interventions aimed at inducing sensitivity to the possibility of manipulated data on professionals' task-related decision behaviors: deception detection, false alarms, and task accuracy. While traditional training had no effect on detection success or the issuance of false alarms, warnings about data quality resulted in better detection success. Warnings combined with just-in-time training resulted in better detection success but at the cost of an increased number of false alarms. Higher levels of detection success increased task accuracy and the time spent solving each problem. A higher number of false alarms was associated with lower levels of task accuracy.


The relevance of the chosen topic is explained by the meaning of the firm efficiency concept - the firm efficiency means the revealed performance (how well the firm performs in the actual market environment) given the basic characteristics of the firms and their markets that are expected to drive their profitability (firm size, market power etc.). This complex and relative performance could be due to such things as product innovation, management quality, work organization, some other factors can be a cause even if they are not directly observed by the researcher. The critical need for the management individuals/group to continuously improve their firm/company's efficiency and effectiveness, the need for the managers to know which are the success factors and the competitiveness determinants determine consequently, what performance measures are most critical in determining their firm's overall success. Benchmarking, when done properly, can accurately identify both successful companies and the underlying reasons for their success. Innovation and benchmarking firm level performance are critical interdependent activities. Firm level variables, used to infer performance, are often interdependent due to operational reasons. Hence, the managers need to take the dependencies among these variables into account when forecasting and benchmarking performance. This paper studies firm level performance using financial ratio and other type of profitability measures. It uses econometric models to describe and then propose a method to forecast and benchmark performance.


Increases in apex predator abundance can influence the behavior of sympatric species, particularly when the available habitat and/or resources are limited. We assessed the temporal and spatiotemporal interactions between Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) and six focal sympatric species in South Florida, where Florida panther abundance has increased by more than 6-fold since the 1990's. Using camera trap data, we quantified species' diel activity patterns, temporal overlap, and time-to-encounter (i.e., time between consecutive visits of a Florida panther and a focal species and vice versa). The Florida panther and bobcat (Lynx rufus) displayed a nocturnal activity pattern; the black bear (Ursus americanus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) were mostly diurnal; and the raccoon (Procyon lotor) was cathemeral. Prey species and black bears minimized encounters with Florida panthers by being active during the day and displaying longer time-to-encounter, whereas Florida panthers visited a site after a prey species at higher probabilities than after competitor species, and were more likely to visit an elevated site or upland habitat. Our results suggest that interactions between Florida panthers and sympatric species in our study system are driven by species-specific behavioral responses. Gaining a better understanding of the crucial interactions driving species coexistence is important for a better understanding of the structure and function of ecological communities and help manage the potential expansion of the Florida panther into Central Florida.


Climate change is one of today's biggest problems and a major concern and continues globally. Due to population growth, the increasing needs and industrial activities of people negatively affect most of the natural resources. Hydrology and water supply system; it is in close contact with industry, agriculture, city and economic areas, and water resources are exposed to the negative effects of climate change. The most important effect of the greenhouse effect and global warming caused by human activities and other reasons is the emergence of imbalances in the ecosystem by making the climate warmer and more variable. The negative effects of global climate change are mostly seen on water resources, agricultural activities, forest areas, sea level, soil characteristics, ecological balance, social life, energy, human health and biodiversity. Studies to examine the effects of climate change on hydrological and water resources have theoretical and realistic meanings. It is important to understand the problems in water resources, disturbances in the ecological balance and the causes of many problems caused by climate change and to know the effects of climate change on the ecosystem in order to solve them. Thus, it will be easier to develop strategies that can combat problems that may arise due to climate change today and in the future. Turkey also between in the risk group country in terms of climate change and its adverse effects. In this study, by analyzing climate change, the causes and effects of climate change, and especially the negative effects of climate change on water resources, solution suggestions are presented in order to eliminate or minimize the negative effects that occur. Key Words: Climate, Global warming, Climate change, Water resources. DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-11-07


This work presents a method to directly determine the open porosity of porous solids, and more particularly those used in sound absorbing liners. The method is based on the measurement of four masses at four static pressures from which the open porosity and true mass density are deduced using the perfect gas law. The precision of the method in relation with the used experimental setup is studied, and a simple expression is derived to predict the experimental error in function of the bulk volume of the sample to test. For a given experimental setup, this simple expression can be used to select the amount of bulk volume to test to reach a given precision. The method and its error prediction are tested experimentally on different samples of theoretically known open porosity. Good correlations are obtained for low and high porosity samples.


We performed an experiment to study the thermal stability of metal on graphene. We show that Fe, Gd, Dy, and Eu on graphene exhibit island growth morphology. The 3D islands of Fe, Gd, and Dy show a small decrease in island density and an increase in the height/width aspect ratio upon thermal annealing. By contrast, coarsening of Eu islands to a close flat film is observed after annealing to 365 K. By investigating the fundamental interactions (i.e., adsorption energies and diffusion barriers) between the metal adatoms and graphene using ab initio calculations, we predict that most of the 3d and group 10 transition metals, noble metals, as well as rare earth metals on graphene should exhibit a 3D growth mode as observed in experiment. Most of the metal nanostructures on graphene should also be stable against aggregation. The 3D morphology and strong thermal stability of Fe, Co, Ni, Pt, and Gd islands on graphene can serve as good candidates for surface-supported catalysis applications.


This study investigated the Effect of Levels of Education on the Choice of Medical Treatment Options for three illnesses (Malaria, Mental Disorder and HIV/AIDS) in Nigeria. The study was carried out in ten randomly selected Local Government Areas (L. G. As) in Imo State using a stratified random sample of 500 individuals selected from a population of 194,932 and the data was collected using questionnaires. The Multinomial Logistic Regression Model was adopted in the analysis of the data. The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant association between Educational Level and choice of treatment of Malaria, Mental Disorder and HIV/AIDS. It was further discovered that it is only the "WAEC/GCE" level of education that is significant in the Choice of Treatment of Mental Disorder. It is therefore recommended that government should beam its searchlight on this educational level to find out the cause(s) of their Mental Disorder.


Within the broader scope of underwater biomimetics, in this paper we address the relevance of factors such as shape and elasticity distribution in the ability of a compliant device to imitate the kinematic behaviour of a fish. We assess the viability of myometry as a tool to determine candidate mechanical parameters without relying solely on analytical models; we show that we can obtain elasticity distributions that are both consistent with previous theoretical investigations and experimentally better adherent to the passive kinematics of a biological embodiment (rainbow trout).


Introduction: Lesions affecting the anterior skull base represent a rare group of craniofacial pathologies. A tumor of the facial midline, meningitis, or rhinoliquorrhea may be indicative of malformations like dermoid cysts, gliomas, encephaloceles, or nasal fistulas. Methods: We present a case series of 13 children (4 months to 12 years; 8 males, 5 females) with lesions involving the anterior skull base, which were treated surgically in an interdisciplinary setting. This case series includes cases of nasal fistulae (n = 5), nasal cysts (n = 5), aneurysmal bone cyst, nasal glioma, and meningoencephalocele (n = 1). Results: All lesions were resected with a transnasal, transcutaneous, and/or transcranial approach with reconstruction of the anterior skull base if intracranial/intradural extension was detected. In 5 cases, a dura leakage was visible, which was sealed via Onlay-technique in 3 cases, whereas in 2 cases involving a greater dural defect, the GAP-CAS technique was performed. No complications occurred, and no recurrence was visible in a long-term follow-up. An algorithm for a systematic approach to these various pathologies is provided. Conclusion: Congenital pathologies of the anterior skull base are rare, challenging to diagnose, and present as clinical emergencies. An interdisciplinary surgical approach is needed for best functional and aesthetic results.


We have previously reported the occurrence of severe SLE with nephritis in two children, a 15 year old boy in 1992, 12 years after a silicone testicular prosthesis was implanted in the scrotum for cosmetic reasons (unilateral cryptochordism) and a 10 year old girl in 1981, two years after a silicone scleral sponge was implanted in her eye (retinal detachment) (Lancet, 1994.343:354-5). 2/50 children who have had renal biopsies for lupus nephritis at our hospital between 1977-1993 have had silicone implants prior to their developing SLE.


1. Boffano P, Cassarino E, Zavattero E, et al. Surgical treatment of glandular odontogenic cysts. J Craniofac Surg 2010;21:776–780 2. Ricucci D, Pascon EA, Ford TR, et al. Epithelium and bacteria in periapical lesions. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2006;101:239–249 3. Pindborg JJ, Kramer IRH, Torloni H. Histological Typing of Odontogenic Tumors, Jaw Cysts and Allied Lesions. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 1979:15–23 4. Cornelius CP, Audigé L, Kunz C. The comprehensive AOCMF Classification System: mandible fractures-level 2 tutorial. J Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr 2014;7:S015–S030 5. Bodner L. Cystic lesions of the jaws in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2002;62:25–29 6. Bodner L. Title effect of decalcified freeze-dried bone allograft on the healing of jaw defects after cyst enucleation. Source J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1996;54:1282–1286 7. Mejia JL, Donado JE, Basrani B. Active nonsurgical decompression of large periapical lesions: 3 case reports. J Can Dent Assoc 2004;70:691–694 Importance of Imaging Examinations to Planning the Removal of a Foreign Body From the Tongue


Flatbush Avenue, Borough Park, Coney Island and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn Bridge, Loehman's and Lundy's, Mrs. Stahl's potato knishes, the Dodgers, Barbra Streisand and Woody Allen, front stoops and back porches, Hasids and Socialists, a place, a feeling, a state of mind -- Brooklyn and American Jewry grew up together in the 20th century. From the first documented settlement of Jews in Brooklyn in the 1830s to the present day, Jewish presence -- always between a quarter to a third of Brooklyn's entire population -- has been key to the development of the borough. Jewish families and foodways, businesses, schools, and synagogues, simchas and celebrations, have been an essential component of Brooklyn life. In Jews of Brooklyn, over forty historians, folklorists, museum curators, musicians, and ordinary Brooklyn Jews with something to say about egg creams and Brooklyn accents, present a vivid, living record of this astonishing cultural heritage. Essays in the first section, "Coming to Brooklyn" explore the creative and often bewildering foundations of immigrant life. Juxtaposed are arrival experiences of eastern European Jews, Syrian Jews, Jews from Israel, and Holocaust survivors, and the kinds of shops, factories, synagogues, and schools they established there. "Living in Brooklyn," looks at neighborhoods, culture, and institutions from the 1930s to the present. Evocative portraits of Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Brighton Beach, Brownsville, Canarsie, Crown Heights, Flatbush, and Williamsburg describe street life and local characters, offering an intimate look at Jewish family life, even as they convey a sense of evolving neighborhoods and changing times. "Leaving Brooklyn / Returning to Brooklyn" features essays on famous Brooklynites such as Barbra Streisand and Danny Kaye as well as numerous personal reminiscences and family portraits of ordinary folk, making it clear that Brooklyn, for better and for worse, maintains a lasting presence in the lives of Jews born and raised there. Ilana Abramovitch's Introduction provides general historical context. The book also features a detailed timeline of Jewish immigration to and settlement in borough's neighborhoods, and of key events and turning points in the history of Jewish Brooklyn, as well as a Selected Bibliography.


MON-160 Background: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is a chronic disorder necessitating life-long replacement. Patients' quality of life and health outcomes depend on knowledge and comfort level with self-management. Objective: To determine patients' knowledge in regards to diagnosis and management, estimate burden of disease and to identify predictors of adverse outcomes in patients with AI Methods: Survey study of patients with AI evaluated at two tertiary medical centers between 2015 and 2019. Collected variables included data on circumstances of AI diagnosis, symptoms, management, burden of disease, and overall well-being. Results: Among 785 patients (mean age at diagnosis 44.2 ± 18.0, 64% women, and 92% Caucasian), 310 (40%) had primary AI (PAI), 255 (33%) had secondary AI (SAI) not related to glucocorticoid use, and 211 (27%) had steroid-induced AI (SIAI). Patients were diagnosed with AI after presenting with symptoms for a median of 1 year (0-6), 28% with symptoms lasting >2 years, 44% visiting emergency room (ER) at least once prior to diagnosis. A third of patients reported a discordant diagnosis from their medical record. Baseline glucocorticoid replacement therapy included hydrocortisone (HC) in 447 (59%), median of 20 mg (IQR 15 25mg), prednisone in 190 (25%), median of 5 mg (IQR 4 7.5mg), other regimens in 38 (5%), and no steroids in the remainder (85, 11%); 197 (26%) patients reported daily equivalent HC dose of >25 mg. Overall, 549 (73%) of patients reported use of stress dose steroids at least once per year, higher in patients taking HC >25 mg/day (3.2 vs 2.7 times per year if HC<25mg/day, p=0.01). Improper use of stress steroids was reported in 193, 25% patients. Patients taking HC>25 mg /day reported a higher number of adrenal crises (1.6 vs 1.3 in patients on HC<25 mg/day, p=0.04). Among 314 (41%) patients who reported ER visits due to adrenal crisis, only a third received prompt glucocorticoids. One third of patients described their general health as fair or poor. Predictors of negative perceptions of overall health included SIAI (OR 6.2 and 2.5, vs PAI and SAI respectively), poor understanding of diagnosis (OR 2.6), daily HC>25 mg (OR 2.1), and presence of at least one adrenal crisis (OR 2.3) (p<0.001 for all). Conclusion: Patients with AI experience delay in diagnosis, and a third do not fully understand their diagnosis. In addition to patient education, interventions to improve general health and outcomes may include selecting a physiological glucocorticoid replacement therapy, prevention of adrenal crisis, and improving ER care.


This study which was conducted as a Master's thesis, is a radar system working at X band. In this system, a 0.8 Watts continuous electromagnetic wave which is modulated with a frequency ramp of 30 MHz bandwidth is generated and radiated through transmit antenna. The scattered signal from the hydrometeors is multiplied with the transmitted one and the beat signal is obtained. By this deramping process the range information of the target is converted into frequency domain. Data is processed in Matlab after passing through analog to digital converters. The range and velocity information is obtained with signal processing algorithms in fast and slow time. Some special techniques such as clipping, windowing, coherent data integration, and slow time signal processing are performed to the captured beat signal. Verification of the system is performed by buildings and cars whose range and velocities are known. The range of cloud and the speed of wind are estimated by processing the return signal in fast and slow time.


The development of functional cosmetics with skin improvement effects from natural sources is necessary. In this study, the antioxidant, antiwrinkling, moisturizing, and whitening effects of Gardeniae fructus extract (GF) were investigated in keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblast cells. Antioxidant activity was determined by a DPPH free radical scavenging assay. MMP-1, MMP-9, HAS1, and filaggrin mRNA levels were measured by RT-PCR in keratinocytes and fibroblast cells. MITF and tyrosinase protein levels were evaluated by blotting analysis in melanocytes. DPPH free radical activity was investigated to determine whether GF showed dose-dependent inhibitory activity. GF induced the upregulation of HAS1 and filaggrin mRNA expression in keratinocytes and fibroblast cells. GF led to the downregulation of MMP mRNA levels in keratinocytes and fibroblast cells. Western blotting was performed to confirm the whitening-related protein (MITF and tyrosinase) levels induced by GF in melanocytes, and the inhibitory activity was superior to that of the α-MSH used for the comparison test. GF showed marked antioxidant, antiwrinkling, skin moisturizing, and whitening activity in keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblast cells. Through the results of these experiments, the applicability of GF as a natural and functional cosmetic material was verified.


We consider the problem of human deformation transfer, where the goal is to retarget poses between different characters. Traditional methods that tackle this problem assume a human pose model to be available and transfer poses between characters using this model. In this work, we take a different approach and transform the identity of a character into a new identity without modifying the character's pose. This offers the advantage of not having to define equivalences between 3D human poses, which is not straightforward as poses tend to change depending on the identity of the character performing them, and as their meaning is highly contextual. To achieve the deformation transfer, we propose a neural encoder-decoder architecture where only identity information is encoded and where the decoder is conditioned on the pose. We use pose independent representations, such as isometry-invariant shape characteristics, to represent identity features. Our model uses these features to supervise the prediction of offsets from the deformed pose to the result of the transfer. We show experimentally that our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods both quantitatively and qualitatively, and generalises better to poses not seen during training. We also introduce a fine-tuning step that allows to obtain competitive results for extreme identities, and allows to transfer simple clothing.


The Arab region is currently witnessing more social transformation at all levels of society than ever before, due to the demographic growth, expanded ethnic and sectarian conflicts, accelerated urbanization, global economy, and education, together with changing modes of information and communication. Despite continuous efforts by the state, public institutions, civil society, and private actors, social justice remains a challenge and social policies are not fully responding to the social transformations of the region. Re-thinking the role of the state in social development in the Arab region in the double crisis of neo-liberalism and global finance world-wide and specifically in the context of the Arab region is a challenging task.


We have developed a new-typed computerized radiography cephalometrics and prediction system. It includes cephalometrics, growth prediction, orthopedics/orthodontics prediction and profile prediction. In this study, 47 lateral cephalograms were randomly selected to process a reliability test. The results showed the two groups were in agreement on all of the 25 measurement index. The system is easier, quicker and less prone to error than traditional cephalometrics approach. It is convenient for orthodontists.


Air Cargo Security Act - Amends Federal aviation law to require the screening of cargo that is to be transported in passenger aircraft operated by domestic and foreign air carriers in interstate and intrastate air transportation (currently, only those transported by all-cargo aircraft). Directs the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security under the Transportation Security Administration to develop a strategic plan to carry out such screening.Sets forth certain measures to increase the safety and security of air cargo, including the establishment of systems that: (1) provide for the regular inspection of shipping facilities for cargo shipments; (2) provide an industry-wide pilot program database of known cargo shippers; (3) train persons that handle air cargo to ensure that such cargo is properly handled and safe-guarded from security breaches; and (4) require air carriers operating all-cargo aircraft to have an approved plan for the security of their air operations area, the cargo placed aboard the aircraft, and persons having access to their aircraft on the ground or in flight.Directs the Under Secretary to conduct random audits, investigations, and inspections of indirect air carrier facilities to determine if the indirect air carriers are meeting the security requirements of this Act.


Since the launch of Protein Data Bank (PDB) in 1971, Cartesian coordinate system (CCS) has been the default approach to specify atomic positions in biomolecular experimental structures with X , Y and Z . In 2020, a local spherical coordinate system (LSCS) approach was proposed as an alternative to CCS, i.e., ρ , θ and φ . Recently, the continued application of deep learning technology in protein structure prediction (PSP) saw a leap forward in the accuracy of PSP, as evidenced by AlphaFold of Google's DeepMind. However, there still is room for the improvement of the performances of PSP algorithms to date. Given that geometrically, CCS and LSCS are like the two sides of a coin, this short article puts forward a hypothesis that the time is now ripe to end the half-a-century burial of ρ , θ and φ in PDB, and use them as LSCS features for the design of novel PSP algorithms in future.


The effect of power input, solid content, surfactant concentration, and pH on the kinetics of wet deagglomeration of hematite nanopowder in ultrasonic comminution device and on the rheology of resulting suspensions has been investigated and compared with the kinetics of deagglomeration and rheology of the suspensions of goethite nanopowder. It has been found that the main mechanisms are fragmentation and erosion, which leads to bimodal transient size distributions of aggregates. Fragmentation of large aggregates starts after certain delay time but erosion of nanoparticles starts from very beginning of processing. Deaggregation of hematite nanopowder is only possible in the presence of surfactant, but increase of concentration of surfactant above certain critical value does not affect kinetics of deagglomeration. The increase of solid concentration up to 20 w/w% reduces the amount of energy necessary for deagglomeration of unit mass of the powder. Effect of pH on the kinetics of deagglomeration and the morphology/rheology of the resulting suspensions is discussed. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009


We use model checking to establish five essential correctness properties of the secure electronic transaction (SET) protocol. SET has been developed jointly by Visa and MasterCard as a method to secure payment card transactions over open networks, and industrial interest in the protocol is high. Our main contributions are to firstly create a formal model of the protocol capturing the purchase request, payment authorization, and payment capture transactions. Together these transactions constitute the kernel of the protocol. We then encoded our model and the aforementioned correctness properties in the input language of the FDR model checker. Running FDR on this input established that our model of the SET protocol satisfies all five properties even though the cardholder and merchant, two of the participants in the protocol, may try to behave dishonestly in certain ways. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to formalize the SET protocol for the purpose of model checking.


Seventeen normal teenagers and eight asthmatic children were studied during submaximal exercise on a bicycle ergometer. A modification of a noninvasive multiple gas rebreathing method was utilized for the estimation of pulmonary capillary blood flow (Qc), diffusing capacity (DL), oxygen consumption (VO2), functional residual capacity (FRC), and pulmonary tissue plus capillary blood volume (VTPC). Significant increases in Qc, DL, VO2, and heart rate occurred in both groups of subjects. Regression equation of Qc equaled 6.0 + 0.0078 VO2 (ml/min) in the teenagers and 3.39 + 0.0082 X VO2 (ml/min) in the asthmatic children. The values of DL as a function of VO2 in both groups were similar to previously reported data. No significant changes in FRC or VTPC occurred in either group during exercise. This method appears to be an acceptable noninvasive way of studying exercise physiology in healthy or sick children.


This paper presents the flight control system using a PC104 with GPS and IMU. This System includes an Auto/Manual conversion module by PIC16 for safety, and homing type guidance algorithm to flight toward a scheduled target. We verify the performance of the flight control system via ground test, and present the possibility of application into UAV control system via comparison with the commercial system.


We find that US public firms spread out their debt more across different sources in recession quarters, making measures of debt concentration move pro-cyclically. There is substantial cross-sectional variation in these dynamics. Firms with less leverage and higher debt concentration further decrease leverage and increase debt concentration in recessions. The opposite is true for firms with higher leverage and lower debt concentration. The latter (former) group consists of firms that are larger (smaller), less risky (riskier), have fewer (more) growth options and lower (higher) cash levels. While the fraction of total assets funded by bank debt increases in the recession by approximately 18% of its average non-recession level, the equivalent measure for market debt drops by approximately 7%. Bank debt, in particular, term loans, appears to become more attractive during recession quarters, especially for borrowers characterized by high profitability while firm size, in contrast, has a positive effect on the use of market debt in recessions. A cluster analysis shows that a substantial fraction of firms changes its debt policy over the business cycle. For example, 12% of the firms that exclusively use bond-financing pre-recession switch to bank-financing during recessions.


Background : Hymenolepis nana (human infecting tapeworm) and H. diminuta (rodent infecting tapeworm) are currently incriminated to be the cause of non-specific bowel disturbances. They are in most instances resistant to the available anticestodal compounds due to misuse of drugs and probably adaptation of the parasites to the commercially available drugs Objective : Our objective is to study the toxicity and curative efficacy of different medicinal plants that are candidate for the treatment of tapeworm infections in man. Methods : Four medicinal plants were tested for their ability to treat Hymenolepis diminuta tapeworm infection in rats. These plants are Amaranthus viridis, Cucurbita maxima, Hagenia abyssinica and Balanites aegyptiaca. Selection of these plants was based on ethnobotanical information. The evaluation of the efficiency of these medicinal plants was based on the "controlled test design", modified from Moskey and Harwood10: Following pre-infection screening, and life cycle establishment rats were grouped to six experimental groups for each plant. Stool specimens were collected from all groups, the mean of eggs counts per gram of faeces were counted. The reduction percentage of eggs per gram (EPG) was calculated and time to clear eggs was compared with that of Niclosamide. Niclosamide drug was used in this study as a control treatment14. Results : There were no signs of toxic effect on the rats due to administration of any of the tested medicinal plants. Amaranthus viridis leavs exhibited a very weak efficacy. It did not reduce eggs in either water or food significantly as compared to the untreated control group (p> 0.05). The deparasitization activity of this plant (35%) was not significant. Similarly, Balanites aegyptiaca seeds were not effective in treatment of the infection in rats. Egg counts and deparasitization in food and water, were not significantly (p> 0.05) different from those of the untreated control group. On the other hand, Cucurbita maxima and Hagenia abyssinica seeds were very effective in the treatment of Hymenolepis diminuta infection in rats. Egg reduction (100%) was highly significant (p< 0.01) in food and water as compared to that of the untreated control group of rats (zero%). C. maxima seeds in food deparasitized 80% of the worms, while Hagenia abyssinica deparasitized 100%. Conclusion : Our conclusion was that Hagenia abyssinica was the most active plant of this group in the treatment of Hymenolepis diminuta infection in rats.


Bioinformatics, being multidisciplinary field, involves applications of various methods from allied areas of Science for data mining using computational approaches. Clustering and molecular phylogeny is one of the key areas in Bioinformatics, which help in study of classification and evolution of organisms. Molecular phylogeny algorithms can be divided into distance based and character based methods. But most of these methods are dependent on pre‐alignment of sequences and become computationally intensive with increase in size of data and hence demand alternative efficient approaches. 'Inter arrival time distribution' (IATD) is a popular concept in the theory of stochastic system modeling but its potential in molecular data analysis has not been fully explored. The present study reports application of IATD in Bioinformatics for clustering and molecular phylogeny. The proposed method provides IATDs of nucleotides in genomic sequences. The distance function based on statistical parameters of IATDs is proposed and distance matrix thus obtained is used for the purpose of clustering and molecular phylogeny. The method is applied on a dataset of 3′ non‐coding region sequences (NCR) of Dengue virus type 3 (DENV‐3), subtype III, reported in 2008. The phylogram thus obtained revealed the geographical distribution of DENV‐3 isolates. Sri Lankan DENV‐3 isolates were further observed to be clustered in two sub‐clades corresponding to pre and post Dengue hemorrhagic fever emergence groups. These results are consistent with those reported earlier, which are obtained using pre‐aligned sequence data as an input. These findings encourage applications of the IATD based method in molecular phylogenetic analysis in particular and data mining in general.


Representing all variables in double‐precision in weather and climate models may be a waste of computer resources, especially when simulating the smallest spatial scales, which are more difficult to accurately observe and model than are larger scales. Recent experiments have shown that reducing to single‐precision would allow real‐world models to run considerably faster without incurring significant errors. Here, the effects of reducing precision to even lower levels are investigated in the Surface Quasi‐Geostrophic system, an idealised system that exhibits a similar power‐law spectrum to that of energy in the real atmosphere, by emulating reduced precision on conventional hardware. It is found that precision can be reduced much further for the smallest scales than the largest scales without inducing significant macroscopic error, according to a −4/3 power law, motivating the construction of a "scale‐selective" reduced‐precision model that performs as well as a double‐precision control in short‐ and long‐range forecasts but for a much lower estimated computational cost. A similar scale‐selective approach in real‐world models could save resources that could be re‐invested to allow these models to be run at greater resolution, complexity or ensemble size, potentially leading to more efficient, more accurate forecasts.


Argentina's natural gas industry was privatized at the end of 1992. Prior to divestiture, the state-owned monopoly Gas del Estado was divided into two transport and eight distribution companies, all of which were sold through international bidding. An independent government body, Ente Naal Regulador de Gas (Enargas), was established to regulate the transport and distribution segments of the industry. As part of its mandate, Enargas is in charge of price reviews. These reviews, which occur every five years, determine the allowed tariffs for each transport and distribution company. The first such review took place in 1996-97, and the new tariffs went into effect in January 1998. This Note examines the methodology and outcome of this experience. The Enargas price review is of interest for several reasons. First, it is the first of its kind in Argentina, and one of the first in a developing country. The outcome of the process provides a test of the regulatory framework adopted by the Argentine government, and may influence regulatory reform in other parts of the world. Second, as the first such event, the 1996-97 review set a precedent for methodologies and approaches to be used in future utility price reviews in Argentina. Finally, the approach used to calculate the cost of capital-as well as the other parameters used to set prices-provide an interesting illustration of how theoretical and practical methods from regulatory practice in industrial countries can be adapted to developing countries, where data availability and other restrictions prevent a direct transfer of techniques.


Since its establishment in 2007, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency has been developing and releasing programme standards for different disciplines and subjects. A set of programme standards document serves to benchmark the quality but it also takes away the freedom from the institutions to design their own programmes. Currently, there are programme standards for 19 different disciplines. This paper serves as the first and foremost response and feedback to the Malaysian Qualifications Agency on the programme standards for performing arts launched in late 2013. This paper presents three main outcomes. The first outcome highlights the disconnection between the programme standards and Malaysia's performing arts development. The second outcome highlights the ambiguities of MQA's efforts in including the concepts of employability within the programme standards. The final outcome focuses on the inconsistencies in the quality assurance requirements stated in the programme standards.


The information of the products is very important for community in order to choose the best and the comfortable products that are used by people or babies. This research paper studies the thematic structure pattern of clauses of English use on the baby's products. The objective of this research is to examine the theme-rheme patterns of clauses of English use on the baby's products.
The data are taken from the English use on the package of the baby's products. The method of the data collection is observation and documentation. The writer takes 40 data of 10 baby's products in different brand. The writer uses descriptive qualitative method. By using this method, the writer describes the data based on thematic structure pattern or Theme-Rheme in clauses.
The result of the research shows that the theme-rheme pattern of clause is represented in (1) The Transitivity Structure pattern which has six elements, they are: Process, Agent, Affected, Recipient, Attribute, and Circumstance; (2) The Mood Structure pattern which has two elements, they are: Mood and Residue; (3) and The Thematic Structure pattern which has two elements, they are: Theme and Rheme. In the Thematic Structure, she finds the types of Theme they are: (a) Ideational theme, it can separate into two, they are: Unmarked topical theme (divided into three, they are: Nominal group as theme, Nominal group Complex as theme, and Embedded clause) and Marked topical theme (divided into three, they are: Adverbial as theme, Prepositional Phrase as theme, and Complement as theme), (b) Textual theme and (c) Interpersonal theme. The research finding of the data, they are: Ideational theme (adverbial as theme): 15%, Ideational theme (prepositional as theme): 7.5%, Ideational theme (complement as theme): 25%, Ideational theme (nominal group as theme): 12.5%, Textual theme there are: 7.5%, Interpersonal theme: 7.5% and the last is Theme in Imperative: 25%. The results of rheme are the new information or the rest of the clauses of all the data and it comes at the end of all the clauses.


Traffic-related air pollution is associated with adverse respiratory effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to air pollution in a road tunnel causes airway inflammatory and blood coagulation responses. A total of 16 healthy subjects underwent bronchoscopy with bronchial mucosal biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on two occasions, in random order: once at 14 h after a 2-h exposure to air pollution in a busy road tunnel, and once after a control day with subjects exposed to urban air during normal activities. Peripheral blood was sampled prior to bronchoscopy. The road tunnel exposures included particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm, particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm and nitrogen dioxide which had median concentrations of 64, 176 and 230 µg·m−3, respectively. Significantly higher numbers of BAL fluid total cell number, lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages were present after road tunnel exposure versus control. Significantly higher nuclear expression of the transcription factor component c-Jun was found in the bronchial epithelium after exposure. No upregulation of adhesion molecules or cellular infiltration was present and blood coagulation factors were unaffected. In conclusion, exposure of healthy subjects to traffic-related air pollution resulted in a lower airway inflammatory response with cell migration, together with signs of an initiated signal transduction in the bronchial epithelium.


Next generation sequencing platforms have democratized genome sequencing. Large genome centers are no longer required to produce genome sequences costing millions. A few lanes of paired-end sequence on an Illumina Genome Analyzer, costing < $10,000, will produce more sequence than generated only a few years ago to produce the human and cow assemblies. The de novo assembly of large numbers of short reads into a high-quality whole-genome sequence is now technically feasible and will allow the whole genome sequencing and assembly of a broad spectrum of ruminant species. Next-generation sequencing instruments are also proving very useful for transcriptome or resequencing projects in which the entire RNA population produced by a tissue, or the entire genomes of individual animals are sequenced, and the produced reads are aligned to a reference assembly. We have used this strategy to examine gene expression differences in tissues from cattle differing in feed efficiency, to perform genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism discovery for the construction of ultrahigh-density genotyping assays, and in combination with genome-wide association analysis, for the identification of mutations responsible for Mendelian diseases. The new 800K SNP bovine genotyping assays possess the resolution to map trait associations to the locations of individual genes and the 45 million polymorphisms identified in > 180X genome sequence coverage on over 200 animals can be queried to identify the polymorphisms present within positional candidate genes. These new tools should rapidly allow the identification of genes and mutations underlying variation in cattle production and reproductive traits.


Although traffic sign recognition has been studied for many years, most existing works are focused on the symbolbased traffic signs. This paper proposes a new data-driven system to recognize all categories of traffic signs, which include both symbol-based and text-based signs, in video sequences captured by a camera mounted on a car. The system consists of three stages, traffic sign regions of interest (ROIs) extraction, ROIs refinement and classification, and post-processing. Traffic sign ROIs from each frame are first extracted using maximally stable extremal regions on gray and normalized RGB channels. Then, they are refined and assigned to their detailed classes via the proposed multi-task convolutional neural network, which is trained with a large amount of data, including synthetic traffic signs and images labeled from street views. The postprocessing finally combines the results in all frames to make a recognition decision. Experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed system.


Context. The true mass-loss rates from massive stars are important for many branches of astrophysics. For the correct modeling of the resonance lines, which are among the key diagnostics of stellar mass-loss, the stellar wind clumping has been found to be very important. To incorporate clumping into a radiative transfer calculation, three-dimensional (3D) models are required. Various properties of the clumps may have a strong impact on the resonance line formation and, therefore, on the determination of empirical mass-loss rates. Aims. We incorporate the 3D nature of the stellar wind clumping into radiative transfer calculations and investigate how different model parameters influence the resonance line formation. Methods. We develop a full 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code for inhomogeneous expanding stellar winds. The number density of clumps follows the mass conservation. For the first time, we use realistic 3D models that describe the dense as well as the tenuous wind components to model the formation of resonance lines in a clumped stellar wind. At the same time, we account for nonmonotonic velocity fields. Results. The 3D density and velocity wind inhomogeneities show that there is a very strong impact on the resonance line formation. The different parameters describing the clumping and the velocity field results in different line strengths and profiles. We present a set of representative models for various sets of model parameters and investigate how the resonance lines are affected. Our 3D models show that the line opacity is lower for a larger clump separation and shallower velocity gradients within the clumps. Conclusions. Our model demonstrates that to obtain empirically correct mass-loss rates from the UV resonance lines, the wind clumping and its 3D nature must be taken into account.


microRNA-dependent post-transcriptional control represents an important gene-regulatory layer in post-mitotic neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. We recently identified the brain-enriched miR-138 as a negative regulator of dendritic spine morphogenesis in rat hippocampal neurons. A potential involvement of miR-138 in cognition is further supported by a recent GWAS study on memory performance in a cohort of aged (> 60 years) individuals. The expression of miR-138, which is encoded in two independent genomic loci (miR-138-1 and -2), is subject to both cell-type and developmental stage-specific regulation, the underlying molecular mechanisms however are poorly understood. Here, we show that miR-138-2 is the primary source of mature miR-138 in developing rat hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, we obtained evidence for the regulation of miR-138-2 biogenesis at the level of primary miRNA processing. Using biochemical pull-down assays, we identified the nuclear matrix protein Matrin-3 as pri/pre-miR-138 interacting protein and mapped the interaction to the pri/pre-miR138-2 loop region. Matrin-3 loss-of-function experiments in HEK293 cells and primary neurons together with protein localization studies suggest an inhibitory function of Matrin-3 in nuclear pri-miR-138-2 processing. Together, our experiments unravel a new mechanism of miR-138 regulation in neurons, with important implications for miR-138 regulation during neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and memory-related processes.


Using a support vector machine (SVM), two computational models were built to predict whether a compound is an active or weakly active strand transfer (ST) inhibitor based on a dataset of 1257 ST inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase. The model built with MACCS fingerprints gave a prediction accuracy of 91.82% and a Matthews Correlation Coeffiient (MCC) of 0.73 on test set, and the model built with 40 MOE descriptors gave a prediction accuracy of 93.64% and an MCC of 0.79 on test set. Some molecular properties such as electrostatic properties, van der Waals surface area, hydrogen bond properties and the number of fluorine atoms are important factors influencing the interactions between the inhibitor and the integrase. Some scaffolds like β-diketo acid and its derivatives, naphthyridine carboxamide or the isosteric of it and pyrimidionones may play crucial rule to the activity of the HIV-1 integrase inhibitors.


Abstract Zika is a vector-borne viral disease transmitted to humans primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The increased climate instability has contributed to the emergence of infections carried by mosquitoes like dengue, chikungunya and zika. While infection with the zika virus is not new, the recent epidemic of microcephaly in Brazil and other countries in South America resulting from the infection of pregnant women with the zika virus raise a number of serious public health concerns. These include the question of how climate change affects the range of zika vectors, what can we do to shorten the length of mosquito season, how and why the symptoms of zika infection have changed and what can be done to reduce the burden of human disease from this infection? Another important question that needs to be answered is what are the factors that caused the zika virus to leave the non-human primates and/or other mammals and invade the human population?


A fully integrated 2.4GHz transmitter for 802.15.4 based on a digital ΣΔ fractional-N PLL is presented. A self-calibrated two-point modulation scheme enables modulation rates much larger than the loop bandwidth. An oversampled 1-bit quantizer is used as a phase detector, reducing spurs and nonlinearity associated with some TDC-based digital PLLs. The prototype achieves an MSK modulation rate of 2Mb/s, delivers −2dBm of output power, and is free of in-band fractional spurs. The transmitter, implemented in 130nm CMOS, consumes 17mW from a 1.2V supply and occupies an active area of 0.6mm2.


As of 1st of January 2005 there were 4696 registered cases of HIV in Kazakhstan. 31 of infected are children under 15 years, 12 of them are infected from the mother. The analysis and research of HIV/AIDS epidemic situation and prevention of a prenatal transmission of the HIV on territory of republic was held. Thus 311 cases of HIV - infected pregnant women had been carefully studied. And as the analysis has shown the number of pregnancy cases among HIV infected was growing from 2002 till 2004 and has compounded 253 cases, or 81,3 % from a total number. The coverage of the pregnant women by preventive treatment was expanded up to 70 %, however one-third of the women remained without preventive actions. Most children (78,4 %) born from HIV – infected mothers had pathology involving part of a central nervous system. The PCR method was found useful in early diagnosis of HIV – infection for children in Kazakhstan.


Why are progressives often critical of US foreign policy and the national security state? What would a statecraft that pulls ideas from the American left look like? Grand Strategies of the Left brings the progressive worldview into conversation with security studies and foreign policy practice. It argues that American progressives think durable security will only come by prioritizing the interconnected conditions of peace, democracy, and equality. By conceiving of grand strategy as worldmaking, progressives see multiple ways of using foreign policy to make a more just and stable world. US statecraft – including defense policy – should be retooled not for primacy, endless power accumulation, or a political status quo that privileges elites, but rather to shape the context that gives rise to perpetual insecurity. Progressive worldmaking has its own risks and dilemmas but expands how we imagine what the world is and could be.


Lactic acidosis is a rare but severe complication in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin. Patients with lactic acidosis show commonly signs of shock, tissue hypoxia, acute hepatic or renal failure and the link between metformin therapy and lactic acidosis may be coincidental, associated or causal. Excessive plasma metformin concentrations show that lactic acidosis is due to a toxicological mechanism. We report a case of severe multiorganic failure in a subject after treatment with high doses of metformin.


This study aims to determine the model of inter-institutional coordination in handling criminal acts of corruption (TIPIKOR), identify efforts to strengthen coordination between law enforcement institutions in handling corruption crimes, and identify inhibiting factors in the investigation of corruption cases. The study adopts a qualitative research approach using analytical descriptive analysis. The results of the study show that the coordination model between institutions is carried out in two directions: between the Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (APIP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Law Enforcement Officials (APH), including the Police, Prosecutors Office, Courts, and Correctional Institutions. These entities are interrelated in the settlement of Corruption Crimes in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua.
Keywords: model, coordination, corruption crime


Background Postoperative chylothorax may be caused by iatrogenic injury of the collateral lymphatic ducts after thoracic surgery. Although traditional treatment could be considered in most cases, resolution may be slow. Radiological interventions have recently been developed to manage postoperative chylothorax. This study aimed to compare radiological interventions and conservative management in patients with postoperative chylothorax. Methods We retrospectively reviewed periprocedural drainage time, length of hospital stay, and nil per os (NPO) duration in 7 patients who received radiological interventions (intervention group [IG]) and in 9 patients who received conservative management (non-intervention group [NG]). Results The baseline characteristics of the patients in the IG and NG were comparable; however, the median drainage time and median length of hospital stay after detection of chylothorax were significantly shorter in the IG than in the NG (6 vs. 10 days, p=0.036 and 10 vs. 20 days, p=0.025, respectively). NPO duration after chylothorax detection and total drainage duration were somewhat shorter in the IG than in the NG (5 vs. 7 days and 8 vs. 14 days, respectively). Conclusion This study showed that radiological interventions reduced the duration of drainage and the length of hospital stay, allowing an earlier return to normal life. To overcome several limitations of this study, a prospective, randomized controlled trial with a larger number of patients is recommended.


Soft materials are a diverse and rich field of interest. Materials which form structure by their own self-assembly are of special interest. New material properties can be achieved by the self-assembly of constituent soft matter. Two soft matter systems are investigated in this dissertation from different perspectives. An in silico approach is applied to explore semiflexible polymers; X-ray scattering is applied to probe QD-LC composites.Semiflexible polymers can generate a range of filamentous networks significantly different in structure from those seen in conventional polymer solutions. Our coarse-grained simulations with an implicit cross-linker potential show that networks of branching bundles, knotted morphologies, and structural chirality can be generated by a generalized approach independent of specific cross-linkers. Network structure depends primarily on filament flexibility and separation, with significant connectivity increase after percolation. Results should guide the design of engineered semiflexible polymers.Thermotropic liquid crystal provides an active basis for organization of nanoparticles. Using a bottom-up approach, nanoparticles well dispersed in the isotropic phase can be self-assembled by exclusion from the nematic phase as the material cools from the isotropic phase. A ligand exchange reaction can be used to create nanoparticles with mesogenic ligand coatings to allow better dispersion and assemble novel structures. Small angle X-ray scattering is used to inform the structure of a variety of materials which apply this design concept. These metamaterials have tunable properties with applications in quantum dot based electro-optic devices and more.


Electrical and structural properties were investigated on the effects of ZnO and the lead-free NKN-LST ceramics with the addition of ZnO were fabricated by a conventional mixed oxide method. A gradual change in the crystal and microstructure was observed with the increase of ZnO addition. For the NKN-LST-ZnO ceramics sintered at 1050℃, bulk density increased with the addition of ZnO and showed maximum value at addition 2.0mol% of ZnO. Curie temperature of the NKN-LST-ZnO ceramics slightly decreased with adding ZnO. The dielectric constant, piezoelectric constant (d₃₃) and electromechanical coupling factor (k p ) increased at the small amount of ZnO addition, which might be due to the increase in density. The high piezoelectric properties = 153 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor = 0.484 and dielectric constant = 2883 were obtained for the NKN-LST+0.5ZnO ceramics sintered at 1050℃ for 2h.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risk awareness and preparedness related to pandemic flu in China.

METHODS
Two groups of people, mainly employers and employees from enterprises, were covered in the survey, using quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (in-depth interview) methods. The employers and employees were from joint-ventured corporations, large state-owned corporations and private companies which were randomly selected from 7 major cities in China.

RESULTS
(1) 82% of the people surveyed and interviewed had basic knowledge on pandemic flu. (2) 60% of the joint-ventured corporations had worked out or were working on their business continuity plan in the event of pandemic flu, compared to that of state-owned corporations and private companies that the figure was only 21% . (3) 67% of the joint-ventured corporations had informed their preparedness plan on pandemic flu to their employees, while that of the state-owned and private corporations, it was only 42 %. (4) About 70 % of the corporations was establishing policies for restricting travel to affected geographic areas (both domestic and international), evacuating the employees who working in or near the affected area when an outbreak began. (5) Nearly 60 % of the corporations thought annual flu vaccination was important and hence encouraging and tracking annual flu vaccination for employees. (6) 70% of the corporations paid high attention on providing sufficient and accessible supplies (e. g. hand - hygiene products, tissues and receptacles for their disposal) to control the epidemics in all business locations while nearly 76 % of the corporations were interested in purchasing commercial medical insurance.

CONCLUSION
Joint-verntured corporation were doing better than domestic corporations in terms of risk awareness and preparedness on pandemic flu, suggesting that the domestic corporation should learn from them regarding on pandemic flu preparedness to limit the negative impact of pandemic flu.


Novel LiBH4–metal-loaded carbonaceous foams have been designed to trigger reversible hydrogen storage properties. The metallic nanoparticles favour preferential wetting of LiBH4 on their surface and subsequent nucleation and growth, a configuration in which borate formation is strongly minimized. A cooperative effect between lower boron oxidation and the presence of metallic particles bearing intrinsic high heat capacity (acting as high temperature nanospots) promotes a strong improvement toward the rehydrogenation process, where the chemical inertness of boron has been overcome in this way for the first time. Hence, the LiBH4–M@C-HIPE(25HF) hybrid macrocellular foams (with M = Pd or Au) facilitate a reversible hydrogen storage process with a remnant capacity of about 7.4 wt% H2 (related to LiBH4) after 5 desorption–absorption ) hybrid…" and throughout the article should "absorption" be changed to "adsorption"??>cycles.


Simple Summary This study investigated the effects of different DL-methionine levels on quail breeders kept from 8–16 weeks of age. The results revealed that using DL-methionine at levels of 0.5 or 1.5 g/kg improved the liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, immunity and antioxidant parameters of quail breeders. Abstract The present study was carried out to study the effects of varying dietary DL-methionine (0, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 g/kg) levels on the productive and reproductive performance, egg quality and blood biochemical parameters of quail breeders. In total, 150 mature Japanese quails at eight weeks of age were randomly allotted to five groups of 30 for each group. Each group included five replicates, each of six quails (four females and two males). The results showed that egg number, egg weight and egg mass were higher (p < 0.05) with the addition of all DL-methionine levels than that of the control group. Quails from the control group had a lower feed intake (p < 0.001) and a worse feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those from the DL-methionine-treated groups. Supplementation of DL-methionine up to 2.5 g/kg in quail diets increased fertility and hatchability percentages. Birds fed DL-methionine at 1.5 g/kg had the best egg production indices, better FCR and the highest values of fertility and hatchability. Egg weight, yolk %, Haugh unit, egg shape index and unit surface shell weight (USSW) were increased and eggshell % was decreased in quail supplemented with DL-methionine levels compared with the control quail (p < 0.05). Dietary DL-methionine levels did not affect (p > 0.05) the hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and packed cell volume (PCV) of quails. DL-methionine levels (0.5 and 2.5 g/kg) augmented lymphocytes and basophile (p < 0.05). Low DL-methionine levels (0.5 or 1.5 g/kg) improved liver enzymes and kidney functions. Dietary DL-methionine levels (except 3.5 g/kg) declined serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and decreased lipid profile parameters (except high-density lipoprotein—HDL). Supplementation of DL-methionine at 0.5 and 1.5 g/kg increased immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM and IgA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) (p < 0.001) compared with the control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of DL-methionine (1.5 g/kg) can enhance the reproductive performance and egg quality of quail breeders. DL-methionine use at levels of 0.5 or 1.5 g/kg improved the liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, immunity and antioxidant parameters of Japanese quail.


Numerous examples of disproportionation and symproportionation of bromine in dynamic redox systems are resolved according to GATES/GEB principles and represented graphically by the functions E = E(Φ) and pH = pH(Φ) of the fraction titrated Φ, and completed by dynamic speciation diagrams log zi ( ) i i log ??X ?? = ? Φ , for different species zi i X . The results of calculations can be considered from the viewpoint of relative efficiency of the competing reactions, on different steps of the titration procedure. The idea of linear combination of the balances related to electrolytic systems (aqueous media) is presented in context of GEB formulation GEB according to Approach II. Oxidation number, oxidant, reductant, are perceived as derivative (not primary) concepts within GATES/GEB. The equivalency of Approaches I and II to GEB is also proved.


PURPOSES
To evaluate the effects of simultaneous high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction on 1) the external knee adduction moment, 2) the external knee flexion and extension moments, and 3) the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius muscle activity during walking.

METHODS
Twenty-one patients with varus malalignment of the lower limb, medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, and concomitant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency were tested before and 1 yr after undergoing simultaneous medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and ACL reconstruction during a single operation. Three-dimensional kinetic and kinematic data were used to calculate external coronal and sagittal moments about the knee. EMG data from the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius were used to determine coactivation ratio and activation patterns.

RESULTS
Neutral alignment and knee stability were achieved in all patients after surgery. The peak knee adduction moment decreased from 2.88 +/- 0.57 to 1.71 +/- 0.56%BW x Ht (P < 0.001). The early stance knee flexion moment decreased from 1.95 +/- 1.89 to 0.88 +/- 1.17%BW x Ht (P < 0.01). The late stance knee extension moment increased from 1.83 +/- 1.53 to 2.76 +/- 1.22%BW x Ht (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in muscle coactivation or muscle activation patterns (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Improving lower limb alignment and knee stability significantly alters the coronal and the sagittal moments about the knee during walking, without apparent changes in muscle activation patterns.


Grapefruit juice inhibits esterase enzyme. Therefore, a possible interaction with ester prodrugs should be taken into consideration. In this study, the influence of grapefruit juice on sacubitril (SAC) rat liver S9 activation by esterase enzyme was evaluated. An RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for estimation of SAC in rat liver S9 fraction using a C18 Cyano column as stationary phase and acetonitrile-sodium di-hydrogen phosphate buffer (0.02 m, pH 4 adjusted by o-phosphoric acid, 40:60, v/v), as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and UV detection at 254 nm. The method was successfully applied to an in vitro study in which SAC was incubated with rat liver S9 fraction prepared from rats that had previously ingested grapefruit juice for a week. The calculated SAC concentration after incubation was compared with that of SAC incubated with rat liver S9 fraction from the rat control group. The statistical significance between the results of test and control incubation sets was assessed. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that grapefruit juice decreased SAC hydrolysis, hence delaying its activation to sacubitrilat (active form) in gut lumen. Based on this food-drug interaction, it may be required that grapefruit juice should be consumed with caution in patients receiving SAC.


Given their low toxicity and natural presence in the human diet, selenium nanoparticles have been established as potential candidates for the treatment of numerous cancers. In this study, red-allotrope selenium nanoparticles (rSeNPs) were synthesized and characterized. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell lines were cultured and exposed to rSeNPs at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 100μg rSeNP/mL media for one to three days. The cytotoxicity of rSeNP towards HNSCC and HDF was analyzed. Results indicated that the particles were approximately four times as cytotoxic toward HNSCC compared to HDF, with their respective IC_50 values at 19.22 and 59.61μg rSeNP/mL media. Using statistical analysis, an effective dosage range for killing HNSCC cells while simultaneously minimizing damage to HDF over a three-day incubation was established as 20 to 55μg rSeNP/mL media. Such results indicate that rSeNPs are a potential option for treating HNSCC. Due to its ability to minimize nanoparticle agglomeration, making a it a candidate with which to functionalize selenium, similar assays were performed using poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 200g/mol (PEG200), with results indicating that only a slight cytotoxic effect exists for HNSCC and almost no effect for HDF.


In 1976, S. Winograd [20] presented a new DFT algorithm which had signi cantly fewer multiplications than the Cooley-Tukey FFT which had been published eleven years earlier. This new Winograd Fourier Transform Algorithm (WFTA) is based on the typeone index map from Multidimensional Index Mapping with each of the relatively prime length short DFT's calculated by very e cient special algorithms. It is these short algorithms that this section will develop. They use the index permutation of Rader described in the another module to convert the prime length short DFT's into cyclic convolutions. Winograd developed a method for calculating digital convolution with the minimum number of multiplications. These optimal algorithms are based on the polynomial residue reduction techniques of Polynomial Description of Signals: Equation 1 to break the convolution into multiple small ones [2], [12], [14], [23], [21], [9]. The operation of discrete convolution de ned by


Let C be a smooth non-degenerate integral curve of degree d and genus g in P3 over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. For each point P in P3 let VP be the linear system on C induced by the hyperplanes through P . By VP one maps C onto a plane curve CP , such a map can be seen as a projection of C from P . If P is not the vertex of a cone of bisecant lines, then CP will have only finitely many singular points; or to put it slightly different: The secant scheme SP = (VP ) 1 2 parametrizing divisors in the second symmetric product C2 that fail to impose independent conditions on VP will be finite. Hence each such point P gives rise to a partition {a1 ≥ a2 ≥ . . . ≥ ak} of ∆(d, g) = 1 2 (d− 1)(d− 2)− g, where the ai are the local multiplicities of the scheme SP . If P is the vertex of a cone of bisecant lines (for example if P is a point of C), we set a1 = ∞. It is clear that the set of points P with a1 ≥ 2 is the surface F of stationary bisecant lines (including some tangent lines); a generic point P on F gives a tacnodial CP . We give two results valid for all curves C. The first one describes the set of points P with a1 ≥ 3. The second result describes the set of points with a1 ≥ 4.


Lateral rearrangement of lipids on the surfaces of cell membranes plays an important role in multivalent interactions because a ligand for the second and subsequent binding events can be delivered through the lateral rearrangement. The binary monolayers containing glycolipids with mannose moieties at the air-water interface before and after binding of concanavalin A (Con A) have been investigated in detail using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). The spatial rearrangement of glycolipids in the binary monolayers directed by Con A in the subphase facilitated to match with protein binding pockets and minimize steric hindrance of neighboring carbohydrate ligands for bivalent protein binding. The amounts of specifically bound proteins were almost independent of surface glycolipid density at the air-water interface, different from the dependence of the amounts on surface ligand density at the solid-water interface with limited glycolipid rearrangement. Besides, hydrocarbon chains of the glycolipids in the monolayers were even reoriented favorable to the access of the ligands to the proteins for enhanced binding.


This paper considers feedforward control of extensional waves in a bar. The system is designed to have properties analogous to those of an electrical diode and is therefore referred to as a mechanical wave diode. We present three different feedforward control strategies. Two of them relies on an 'ideal' design which is derived in the noise-free case, whereas the third is based on Wiener filtering theory. The control strategies are compared and evaluated for different signal models and in the presence of measurement noise. We show that the performance of the device is improved by using the (optimal) Wiener feedforward filter.


Abstract This paper reports the fatty acid composition of the oil extracts from seeds and in vivo and in vitro grown organs of Pistacia lentiscus L. were determined by using gas chromatography. The main fatty acids were linoleic (LA), palmitic (PALM), oleic (OLA) and linolenic (ALA) acids in the fruits, resins and in both in vivo and in vitro grown root, leaf and stem sections of male or female tree. The major fatty acids were represented by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) accounting for 56.94 %, 64.44 % and 55.57 % in root, leaf and stem part of male tree grown in vivo, respectively. The prominent class of fatty acid composition of different male organs of P. lentiscus L. regenerated in vitro was represented by PUFA accounting for 63.24 %. The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), OLA and PUFA, LA were determined in the oils of the two genotypes studied.


Asiyati Lorraine Chiweza lectures in Public Administration at the University of Malawi and is currently a PhD student at Curtin University of Technology, Australia.


Antibodies from immune rat serum administered by mouth to young rats up to 18 days of age pass readily into the circulation. Thereafter the capacity to absorb antibodies from the gut declines rapidly and could not be detected beyond 21 days of age. Antibody could be detected in the circulation of the young rat within ½ h of administration and had reached a maximum concentration in 3 h. Immune sera prepared in mice, rabbits, cows and fowl were administered also and the results were compared with those obtained with immune sera prepared in rats. Agglutinins prepared in mice entered nearly as freely as those prepared in rats; those prepared in rabbits significantly more slowly than either. Agglutinins prepared in cows or in fowl did not appear to enter at all within the limits of the sensitivity of the technique. Incomplete agglutinins to sheep red cells prepared in rats entered as readily as complete agglutinins to Salmonella pullorum prepared also in rats.


This jubilee publication provides a representative overview of twenty years of the world-renowned lecture series and introduces all the speakers – more than 130 scientists, including 15 Nobel Prize laureates. The book details the history of the Mendel Lectures and the significant activity of scientists associated with the so-called "Brno Initiative": Kim A. Nasmyth, Anna Nasmyth, Max Perutz, Paul Nurse, Tim Hunt, James Watson, Eric Wieschaus, Peter Swetly, Jiřina Relichová, Jan Motlík, Emil Paleček, Eva Jiřičná, and Gustav Ammerer – the founders of the series, thanks to whom the lectures regularly take place, moreover, on the premises where the founder of genetics worked 200 years ago.


SUMMARY Background – Schizophrenia is a complex disease resulting from the interplay of genetic and environmental factors. However, psychiatric genetics and epidemiology have often worked as independent research fields. Aims – To review the evidence about the gene-environment interplay involved in the development of schizophrenia. Methods – Systematic review of medical and psychological databases. Results – On one hand, quantitative and molecular genetics showed high heritability for schizophrenia and identified genes likely to be involved in its pathophysiology. The strength of the association between candidate genes and schizophrenia is however modest, and the need for a more appropriate conceptualization of the genetic risk has been claimed. On the other hand, psychiatric epidemiology described several environmental factors liked with the onset or the course of schizophrenia. The observational nature of epidemiology, however, may hamper inference on causation. Gene-environment correlations and interactions influence the exposure and the vulnerability to the environment, respectively. Current findings suggest that gene-environment correlations and interactions may be common phenomena in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The consideration of gene-environment interplay may help to overcome many limitations of genetic and epidemiological studies in psychiatry and suggest innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies. Conclusions – Taking into account the complexity of schizophrenia pathophysiology, mental health genetics may provide a comprehensive and heuristic model of disease. Declaration of Interest: none.


Sweat is emerging as a prominent biosource for real-time human performance monitoring applications. Although promising, sources of variability must be identified to truly utilize sweat for biomarker applications. In this proof-of-concept study, a targeted metabolomics method was applied to sweat collected from the forearms of participants in a 12-week exercise program who ingested either low or high nutritional supplementation twice daily. The data establish the use of dried powder mass as a method for metabolomic data normalization from sweat samples. Additionally, the results support the hypothesis that ingestion of regular nutritional supplementation semi-quantitatively impact the sweat metabolome. For example, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of relative normalized metabolite quantities show an area under the curve of 0.82 suggesting the sweat metabolome can moderately predict if an individual is taking nutritional supplementation. Finally, a significant correlation between physical performance and the sweat metabolome are established. For instance, the data illustrate that by utilizing multiple linear regression modeling approaches, sweat metabolite quantities can predict VO2 max (p = 0.0346), peak lower body Windage (p = 0.0112), and abdominal circumference (p = 0.0425). The results illustrate the need to account for dietary nutrition in biomarker discovery applications involving sweat as a biosource.


Seaweeds are important living organisms in the marine environment because they are recognized as a potential source of bioactive natural products. The methanol extract of Gracilaria edulis seaweed was prepared to screen its antibacterial activity against four common bacterial pathogens using the disc diffusion method. The tested pathogenic strains were Escherichia coli, an extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) producing coliform, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of the extract against the 4 organisms was determined using the broth macro dilution method. Methanol saturated sterile discs were used as the negative control and did not show any inhibitory zone against the tested 4 organisms. Four antibiotics, such as ceftazidime, cefotaxime, augmentin and ampicillin were used for comparison. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) produced by methanol extract of G.edulis was maximum against S.aureus (16±0.5 mm), medium against E.coli (12±0.8 mm) and ESBL producing coliforms (12±0.5 mm) but with minimum activity against P.aeruginosa (10±0.8 mm). In comparison, the ZOI produced by ceftazidime, cefotaxime and augmentin against E.coli were 26±0.8 mm, 32±0.8 mm and 18±0.8 mm respectively, against the ESBL producing coliform 25±0.5 mm, 32±1.4 mm, and 16±0.5 mm respectively and against S.aureus 9±0.5 mm, 21±1.9 mm and 30±0.5 mm respectively. A ZOI of 16±1.3 mm and 20±1.9 mm was exhibited only by ceftazidime and cefotaxime against P.aeruginosa. Ampicillin was relatively inactive against all test strains, giving a ZOI of 11.7±0.5 mm and 11.5±0.5 mm against E.coli and the ESBL producing coliform respectively. The MIC of the methanol extract was lowest for S.aureus at 1.25 μg/ml, 2.5 μg/ml for E.coli and ESBL producing coliform and 5 μg/ml against P.aeruginosa. The activity of the methanol extract of G.edulis against S.aureus, an ESBL producing coliform and E.coli is promising antibacterial and needs to be studied further.


Within the framework of the mean field theory, we study the magnetization profiles of ferromagnetic Ising films in a transverse field. By the transfer matrix method, we first derive a general nonlinear equation for phase transition temperatures and then calculate the magnetization profiles of the system. The method proposed here can be applied to ferromagnetic films with arbitrary surface layer number, bulk layer number, exchange interaction constants and transverse fields.


Traditionally the surface quality inspection especially for metal polishing purpose is perform by human inspectors. Defect detection is a method of nondestructive testing of material and products to detect defects. This study consists of two parts where the first part is applying vision system to detect and measure surface defects that have been characterized to some level of surface roughness. Specimen of G3141 cold rolled steel is used in this research as it represent the actual material applied in local automotive manufacturer. Gray image of scratch defect on metal surface is detected and information about mean gray pixel value (Ga) is interpreted and converted to surface roughness (Ra) measurement. In this study a new technique is developed where the Ga only read on the specific scratch line without considering the whole image. To realize this, automatic cropping algorithm is developed to detect the region of interest and interpret the Ga value. This techniques will enables the polishing to be done at specific scratch defect area without necessary to develop polishing path throughout the whole surface which is time consuming. Second part is to obtain the optimum polishing parameter by using artificial intelligence technique which is able to predict the grit size, polishing time and polishing force parameter to remove the scratch by polishing process. For the purpose of this study, multiple ANFIS or MANFIS have been selected to predict optimum parameter for polishing parameters. Polishing parameter data can be generated by using MANFIS to predict optimum polishing parameters such as grit size, polishing time and polishing force in order to perform polishing process. However due to lack of study done in the field of flat and dry polishing, the polishing parameter data have to be developed. The polishing parameter data for flat and dry polishing is performed by using robotic polishing arm and the experiment runs design by using full factorial design. Results show that the defect detection algorithm able to detect defect only on the scratch area and able to read the Ga value at detected scratch line and transform it to surface roughness measurement at considerably good level of accuracy compared with manual method. Results from MANFIS have shown that the system is able to predict up to 95% accuracy which is considerably high. The overall results from both parts of this research would inspire further advancements to achieve robust machine vision based surface measurement systems for industrial robotic processes specifically in polishing process.


For many students, math is seen as an anxiety-inducing performance subject; their role in math class is to get as many answers correct as possible. Many students enter the education profession and become teachers. Can teachers successfully manage their anxiety and let go of their preconceived notions about themselves as learners? Through a semi-formal interview process, research explored teacher management of math anxiety and teaching growth mindset in math education; as well as anxieties about teaching mathematics to investigate the impacts anxiety has on growth mindset, efficacy, and confidence in teachers. Further, what mathematics practices and strategies that in turn, will impact the mathematical mindsets that teachers and students alike have about themselves as learners. The research in this paper suggests that teachers who gradually let go of traditional teaching practices and allow themselves to learn alongside their students; to allow mistakes and show students how to learn through mistake-making, can alter their own mindsets about math. A change in teacher identity may impact the mathematical mindsets that students have about themselves as learners.


Spontaneous Myocardial Calcium Oscillations. The physiological oscillation of cytosolic that underlies each heart heat is generated by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SK) in response to an action potential (AP) and occurs relatively synchronously within and among cells. When the myocardial cell and SR loading become sufficiently high, the SK can also generate spontaneous, i.e., not triggered by sarcolemmal depolarization, oscillations The purpose of this review is to describe properties of S‐CaOs in individual cells, myocardial tissue, and the intact heart, and to examine the evidence that may link S‐CaOs to the initiation or maintenance of ventricular fibrillation (VF). The SR Ca2+ release that generates S‐CaOs occurs locally within cells and spreads within the cell via Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release. The localized increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] due to S‐CaOs may equal that induced by an AP and causes oscillatory sarcolemmal depolarizations of cells in which it occurs. These oscillatory depolarizations are due to activation of the Na/Ca exchanger and of nonspecific cation channels. Asynchronous occurrence of diastolic S‐CaCs among cells within the myocardium causes inhomogencity of diastolic SR loading; this leads lo inhomogeneity of the systolic cytosolic [Ca2+] transient levels in response to a subsequent AP, which leads to heterogeneity of AP repolarization, due to heterogeneous modulation of the exchanger, nonspecific cation channels, and of the L‐type channel. In a tissue in which asynchronous S‐CaOs are occurring in diastole, the subsequent AP temporarily synchronizes SR Ca2+ loading and release within and among cells. Varying extents of synchronized S‐Caos then begin to occur during the subsequent diastole. The partial synchronization of this diastolic S‐CaOs among celts within myocardial tissue produces after contractions and diastolic depolarizations. When S‐CaOs are sufficiently synchronized, the resultant depolarizations summate and can be sufficient to trigger a spontaneous AP. S‐CaOs occurrence within some cells during a long AP plateau also modulates the removal of voltage inactivation of L‐type channels and increases the likelihood for "early after depoializations" to occur in myocardial tissue. S‐CaOs have an apparent modulatory role in the initiation at VF in the CV+ overload model and in the reflow period following ischemia. Likewise, in non‐a priori Ca2+ overloaded hearts, S‐CaOs modulate the threshold for VF induction (induced typically by alternating current) but may not be essential for VF induction. The role of S‐CaOs in maintenance of VF in these VF models is less clear: to date there is no evidence that inhibition of S‐CaOs can abolish VF once it has been established. The precise definition of the role of S‐CaOs in the initiation and mechanisms of VF merits further study.


A case of death is reported in a 26-year-old male previously thought to be healthy. At autopsy, the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery was markedly atherosclerotic with a superimposed thrombus. Toxicologic analysis revealed 3,4 methylene dioxyamphetamine (MDA) in the blood at a concentration of 0.08 mg per deciliter. The authors draw attention to the reappearance of designer drugs in Kentucky and to the need for awareness of these deadly substance.


Background and Purpose. To investigate the clinical applicability and validity of [123I] iodobenzofuran (IBF) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), the authors analyzed the changes in striatal dopamine D2 receptor binding among 7 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), 6 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (Hoehn and Yahr stage II to IV), and 8 normal controls. Methods. SPECT data were acquired every 1 minute for 60 minutes postinjection of 167 MBq [123I] IBF. The binding potential (BP) of the striatum was evaluated by 2 methods: region‐of‐interest (ROI) analysis by the nonlinear least squares method using blood sampling and time‐series brain radioactivities in normal controls and a voxel‐by‐voxel method based on a region model that provided parametric images of BP without blood sampling. Results. Statistical parametric mapping indicated that BP in the striatum of PSP patients was significantly lower than that of PD patients and normal controls (P <.005, uncorrected), and there was no significant difference between PD patients and normal controls, even in patients with PD at an advanced stage. Data derived from the ROI method and a simplified reference region model showed good correlations in normal controls, indicating the validity of the latter model. Conclusions. The results predict that [123I] IBF SPECT, especially voxel‐by‐voxel BP parametric imaging, can discriminate among extrapyramidal diseases such as PD and PSP and may be applicable for clinical use.


In this case report, we present an adult case of scoliosis following intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy. A 56-year-old female with stroke-induced right spastic hemiparesis for seven years underwent implantation of an ITB pump. Satisfactory spasticity control was achieved using 30 µg/day of baclofen; however, she began to complain of lumbar pain in the postoperative year (POY) 1. Scoliosis, which was not recognized preoperatively, was confirmed in POY 2 (Cobb angle of 19 degrees). It further progressed into a walking disturbance in POY 5 (Cobb angle of 28 degrees). Hence, posterior fusion with decompression was planned. Following the removal of the ITB pump, spasticity management was replaced by Botox injection. However, the progression of scoliosis and neurological conditions stabilized after the removal, and decompression surgery was electively performed in POY 6. Scoliosis remained stable during the two-year follow-up period (Cobb angle of 28 degrees). This case demonstrates the potential risk of ITB-induced scoliosis in an adult patient. Careful preoperative investigations and postoperative follow-up are recommended for patients on ITB therapy.