The 2011 Tohoku earthquake off the Pacific coast of Japan was the largest earthquake since the setup of a high-density seismic network in Japan. This network has recorded a change in seismicity patterns after the Tohoku earthquake, with seismicity increasing in a number of areas, including the southeast of the Tohoku region. Here, we present new research into shear-wave splitting during crustal earthquakes within this area of newly-activated seismicity by comparing shear-wave splitting before and after the 2011 event. In the pre-2011 Tohoku earthquake dataset, polarization azimuths within the area of newly-activated seismicity and the region immediately surrounding this area were almost NNE-SSW and ESE-WNW, respectively. Post-2011 Tohoku earthquake data in the same area also records a NNE-SSW polarization azimuth direction. Data with an ESE-WNW polarization azimuth most probably relate to the regional stress field in the area associated with the westward subduction of the Pacific Plate; however, data from the area of seismicity-activated with NNE-SSW polarization azimuths are inconsistent with the expected regional stress field. Our shear-wave splitting analysis suggests that the orientation of the maximum stress axis in the area that underwent activation in seismicity did not change significantly after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.


Biodiesel is one of the most environmentally friendly and renewable fuels, as it is a non-polluting fuel and is made from living resources, such as vegetable oils. The steel industry generates a variety of solid wastes, including electric arc furnace slag (EAFS). The synthesis of biodiesel from waste sunflower cooking oil was examined in this study, utilizing EAFS as a catalyst, which mainly contains ferric and ferrous oxides, calcium oxide, and silica. To evaluate their impact on biodiesel production, four independent variables were chosen: temperature (50–70 °C), catalyst loading (1–5%), methanol-to-oil (M:O) molar ratio (5–20), and time (1–4 h). The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to examine the impact of independent variables on reaction response, which is the biodiesel yield. This process was carried out using a design expert program by central composite design (CCD). A model was constructed, and showed that the biodiesel yield was directly proportional to all independent reaction parameters. The predicted model's adequacy was investigated using analysis of variance (ANOVA), which showed that it is an excellent representative of the results. The optimization of reaction conditions was investigated in order to maximize biodiesel yield at minimal reaction temperature and time, achieving a 94% biodiesel yield at a 20:1 M:O molar ratio, 5% catalyst loading, 55.5 °C reaction temperature, and 1 h reaction time.


We develop an extensive yet tractable framework for analyzing and optimally controlling local energy networks. A local energy network is any set of generation, storage, and end-use devices existing to provide energy fulfillment to a building, a group of jointly operated buildings, or a village power system. The software developed is called TOTEM for Total Energy Management, and provides hourly (or sub-hourly) control over the flows in such energy networks. TOTEM manages multiple energy flows such as electricity, chilled water, heat, and steam together, since such energies are often coupled, particularly for networks containing cogeneration turbines (which produce electricity and steam) and absorption chillers (which use steam for driving refrigeration turbines). Due to the large number of interconnected devices in such networks, the model is kept as a linear mixed integer program, able to be solved rapidly with off-the-shelf mathematical optimization packages. Certain nonlinearities, for example input-output relationships for generators, are handled in this linear framework with piecewise linear approximations. Modeling flexibility is achieved by taking a node-centric approach. Each device in the network is represented as a node, and depending on each node's set membership, proper constraint and objective equations are written. Given the network, TOTEM uses hourly electricity and fuel pricing, weather, and demand projections to determine the optimal operating and scheduling strategy for the day, in both deterministic and stochastic settings. MIT's cogeneration plant is used as a case study, with other examples throughout the thesis demonstrate the use of TOTEM for assessing and controlling renewable resources, storage options, and demands. Extensions to the core TOTEM model include a demand charge model, used for making daily optimal control decisions when the electric bill includes a charge based on the monthly maximum power draw. The problem of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control is treated separately since it strongly violates TOTEM's linearity assumptions. Nonetheless, we describe a solution approach to the HVAC problem which operates in conjunction with TOTEM. We also provide an analysis of storage suitability in stochastic supply and demand networks.


The aim of the study was to determine the effect of sows' condition, being expressed as fat reserve – the mean from two measurements (P2 + P4)/2 on the 104th day of pregnancy (±2 – 3 days) on hematological indicators in blood of PLW x PL sows. Classification of sows into two groups was performed on the basis of lifetime evaluation of backfat thickness in 97 sows (primiparous: multiparous – 30%:70%); group I consisted of the sows with (P2 + P4)/2>20 mm and group II with (P2 + P4)/2≤20 mm. The condition of sows, as expressed by backfat thickness in three dates (late pregnancy, parturition, weaning) amounted to >3,5 for group I and ≤2.5 for group II on a 5-point scale. The examination of hematological indicators was performed on a representative group of 32 randomly chosen sows, 16 animals from each group. Blood for analyses was sampled from the sows on the 104th day of pregnancy and on the 21st day of lactation. Any significant differences between group I and II in respect of morphological indices, excluding significantly higher MCV in sows from group I vs. II on the 21st day of lactation (P≤0.05), were not found. In late pregnancy, significant differences were recorded for the content of ALB and TP (P≤0.05), BUN (P≤0.01), HDL (P≤0.001) and in final stage of lactation – HDL (P≤0.01) (higher in group I vs. II). The mean values of the studied blood indicators of the sows were found within the standards for the species, production group and stage of reproduction cycle, irrespectively of the condition of the females.


BACKGROUND: An important problem exists for the implementation of biodesulfurization technology of fuels related to the influence of mass transfer on the overall reaction rate and process yield. Pseudomonas putida CECT5279 has been shown to be one of the most promising biocatalysts, but most kinetic studies were done at small scale and their capability for the transformation of alkyl substituted forms (Cx–DBTs) has not yet been reported.

RESULTS: Conversion yields and kinetic parameters were calculated under aqueous and biphasic resting cell conditions in a 2 L stirred tank reactor. In aqueous reaction media, 100% conversion of DBT, 4MDBT and 4,6DMDBT was achieved while the conversions in the presence of an organic liquid were 38% for DBT, 19.5% for 4MDBT and 16.5% for 4,6DMDBT, showing that the process is strongly affected by mass transfer between liquids. Laboratory scale–up of P. putida CECT5279 growing step was successfully carried out using a 15 L stirred tank, on the basis of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa).

CONCLUSIONS: P. putida CECT5279 is capable of removing Cx–DBT compounds successfully in aqueous resting cell conditions using stirred tank reactors, but in biphasic media, mass transfer between liquids controls the process, increasing time of reaction and lowering process yield. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry


Opening the last frequency window for radio astronomy in the sub - 30 MHz region includes a few challenges. First of all, at frequencies below 30 MHz the Earths ionosphere severely distorts radio waves originating from celestial sources, and it completely blocks radio waves below 10 MHz. This means that radio astronomy and astrophysics below ∼ 30 MHz is best conducted from space. Secondly, the radio spectrum below 30 MHz is filled with very strong transmitters signals, making it difficult to do Earth-based radio observations. Most low frequency space-based radio telescope studies and initiatives aim to place a swarm of satellites far away from the Earths radio interference. Deployment location options include a lunar orbit, the Earth-Moon Lagrangian point behind the Moon (L2), and an Earth leading or trailing location. There is little knowledge about the radio frequency interference (RFI) environment outside the ionosphere. However, to determine the location of the radio telescope, it is important to understand the radio environment at possible deployment locations. In this paper we will address the radio environment for space-based low frequency radio astronomy. To do so, we will use the data of the WIND/WAVES instrument. The data from November 1994 till November 2016 is used for this analysis. Analysing the data results in addressing the best location for a space-based low frequency radio telescope.


As the increasing of power electronics based systems, not only the component-based analysis but also a systematic interaction analysis with each other systems are being important. Especially studies about the stability and the harmonics interaction are critical in order to establish the required performance in a power network. However, the traditional small-signal modeling approaches are not enough to represent the complexity of the interaction due to the time varying components of such systems. This paper compares the small-signal modeling methods for harmonic analysis of AC DC converters and discusses their advantages and limitations. The Harmonic State Space (HSS) model based on the Linear TimePeriodically varying (LTP) system and the traditional small signal model based on the Linear TimeInvariant (LTI) system are evaluated. The results show that the HSS model presents superior performance for the AC-DC converters with a low ratio of switching to the fundamental frequency, and it provides an effective way to reveal the harmonic interaction and stability analysis for the future power electronics based power systems.


P300 auditory evoked potentials were recorded in 27 schizophrenic patients in the standard oddball paradigm. P300 amplitude in the right frontal zone correlated positively with the age of the patients at the onset of disease. As compared with normal (18 subjects), schizophrenics showed both smaller P300 amplitudes and longer latencies. The findings are assumed to reflect impairment of information processing in schizophrenia. It is emphasized that the level of impairment is higher when the disease occurs in adolescence.


Light Emitting Diode lamp or LED lamp is one of the energy saving lamps nowadays widely used by consumers. However, LED lamp has contained harmonics caused by the rectifier circuit inside the lamp. Harmonics cause a quality problem in power system. As the harmonics present in current or voltage, the waveforms are distorted. Harmonics can lead to overheating in magnetic core of electrical equipments. In this paper, several tests are carried out to investigate the harmonic content of voltage and currents, and also the level of light intensity of the two brands of LED lamps. Measurements in this study are conducted by using HIOKI Power Quality Analyzer 3197. The test results show that the total harmonic distortion or THD of voltage on various brands of LED lamps did not exceed 5% as in compliance to the limit of IEEE standard 519-1992. The largest harmonic voltage is 2.9%, while maximum harmonic current for tested brands of LED lamp is 170.6%. The use of low pass filter in the form of LC filter was proposed. Based on experimental results, the application of LC filter at input side of LED lamp has successfully reduced THD current in the range of 85%-88%.


Background: Low Birth Weight (LBW) is one of the most important health indicators in the world. It has certain known and unknown causes. The present study was designed to evaluate the role of socio-behavioral factors on neonatal birth weight. Methods: The current case-control study was conducted on 300 eligible neonates (150 LBW infants as cases and 150 normal body weight infants as controls) in 2015. The national pregnancy care forms of the neonates kept in heath care centers in Kerman were used. The data was analyzed running Independent samples t-test, Chi square test, and Fisher's Exact test in SPSS. The significance level was set as 0.05. Results: Preterm birth (P<0.001), number of primary care during pregnancy (P=0.001), mother's age (P=0.049), consumption of supplements during pregnancy (P=0.03), and history of substance abuse in mothers (P=0.03) were found to have significant roles in having LBW neonate. Conclusion: Identifying the sociobehavioral risk factors of Preterm labor and modifying them to prevent preterm birth are essential approaches to prevent LBW. Governments should pay special attention to nutritional status of teenage and young girls to have healthy mothers and babies in the future. Women of childbearing age should be screened and educated about risky behaviors. Pregnancy care and support should be delivered to all pregnant women according to the standard methods.


The purpose of this study is to examine whether a causal relationship exists between exchange rate and public debt as a percent of gross domestic product. The first step in order to achieve this was to examine the order of integration of these two timeseries. The next step, was applying the Johansen cointegration test in order to examine whether a long-run equilibrium exists between the two variables. Finally, to test the existence of a causal relationship between public debt and exchange rate the Granger causality test was applied.
 The data used for this study were the public debt as a percent of gross domestic product of three countries, Australia, Greece and Holland and the exchange rate of their currencies(EUR/AUD). The observations were measured quarterly for the years 2001-2018. After conducting all necessary tests, the conclusion that a long-run equilibrium between the two variables doesn't exist was made. Also the only causal relationship found was between the Australian debt and the EUR/AUD exchange rate. Specifically, the past values of the public debt seem to affect the exchange rate. These results may not be valid due to the fact that the amount of observations was not big enough.


This essay builds upon work surrounding reception and the figure of the early modern woman writer to examine textual instances in which women's writing has been "found" or manufactured: where writing falsely or tenuously attributed to historical women was circulated under their signatures as their voice. These fictions of production circulated as prosopopoeiae within women's lifetimes alongside writers' own scribal and print textual productions, as well as in the centuries following their deaths in the service of editorial, antiquarian, and historical projects. The complexity of naming and attribution in the texts discussed suggests that any distinct separation of speaker and author fails to recognize the centrality of prosopopoeiae to the rhetorical formations underwriting conceptions of the early modern woman writer. The essay newly argues for prosopopoeia as a generative figure of speech that enabled rather than restricted formations of the English woman writer and her participation in literary history.


One of the most significant philosophical doctrines of Buddhism, and an idea that has remained at the centre of its theory and practice in virtually all historical times and places, is karma. The motivations for being involved in the accumulation of karmic merit in early medieval China were diverse, but one frequently mentioned goal was the health of the physical body. This brief article examines several facets of the relationship between karma and well-being, providing a few examples of the wide range of sources on this subject and reflecting on its role in the popularization of Buddhism in China. I argue that medical metaphors were central to how the doctrine of karma was explained to diverse audiences, that the translation of these ideas emphasized connections with indigenous beliefs and social practices and that medical karma encouraged the self-regulation of behaviour and thoughts in conformity with Buddhist ideology.


The present paper addresses the determination of decision parameters in conceptualizing automated palletizing systems (APS). Conceptualizing is the process of developing an initial system design solution for a complex real-world material-handling problem. Such an initial solution is preliminary in nature and reflects the interaction between the problem environment (e.g. throughput needs, cost) and the material-handling system environment (e.g. equipment, operating system practices). The decision parameters for the concept are grouped in two categories: configuration options and operational strategies. In the system configuration stage, a system type is chosen among end-of-line, multi-line and multi-line-with-sortation. The number and length of the accumulation lines and the number of palletizers are also determined in this stage. Operational strategies are listed with regard to assigning the accumulation lanes to the items, selection of a dispatching rule and the setting of conveyor speeds. An 'unbalanced conveyor model' is developed for carton dispatching rules as an analytical alternative to an existing balanced conveyor model and its results are verified by simulation. Two dispatching rules are compared based on cost performance.


To explore the effect of nursing intervention on the treatment of lumbar disc herniation with radiofrequency thermocoagulation. The clinical data of 87 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation treated at our hospital from February 2018 to September 2019 were collected and divided into the control group (n=43) and the observation group (n=44) according to the randomized double-blind method. The control group was treated with routine nursing intervention, and the observation group was treated with comprehensive nursing, the changes of lumbar vertebra function, complications, and quality of life after 1 and 3 mo of intervention treatment were observed. At the same time, the pain degree of the two groups was evaluated 7 d after the operation. The results showed that the Oswestry disability index of the two groups decreased significantly 1 mo and 3 mo after the operation (p<0.05), the score and the incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group. On the 7th d after the operation, the visual analog scale score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). After intervention treatment, the scores of quality of life in the control group and the observation group were significantly improved, and the quality of life in the observation group was significantly better than that in the control group (p<0.05). The establishment of a correct and effective rehabilitation intervention program after the operation cannot only significantly reduce the degree of pain and the risk of complications, but also significantly improve the quality of life of patients, which is worth popularizing and applying in the clinic.


Targeting social assistance in situations of protracted conflict, protracted displacement, or recurrent climate shock, so that it reaches those most in need rapidly, effectively and without doing further harm, has historically been one of the most complex technical and political challenges for development and humanitarian programmes. Trade-offs involving costs beyond the economic – such as risks of exclusion and concerns over protection – raise questions about who to target, how to target and whether to target at all (i.e. through universal coverage or lotteries) would lead to better impacts in contexts where systems of state provision are often damaged or non-existent. The multiplicity of actors involved in delivering social assistance in crisis situations, with their own targeting cultures and mandates, can result in uncoordinated patchy and limited assistance, often overlooking equity concerns. Drawing on a range of literature, in this paper we examine the key considerations and dilemmas for targeting social assistance in protracted crises, including shock contexts, targeting methods, exclusion and protection risks, national and international actors' politics, and technologies. Our purpose is to draw out lessons to better inform targeting of future social assistance programming across the humanitarian-development nexus.


We survey the literature on sub-Saharan Africa to identify how gender has factored into explaining fertility levels and behavior. Tracing the development of male role theory, we argue that despite increasing awareness of men's authority, fertility research continues to focus almost exclusively on women and treats gender as a property of individuals instead of as a system of inequality. The mainstream fertility literature generally overlooks the decision-making nexus wherein men's authority seemingly overrides women's preferences. Positing that male authority in the reproductive and sexual arenas is predicated on cultural rights negotiated at marriage—and undergirded by bridewealth payments—we contend that attempts to understand (and change) reproductive behavior will hardly be sustainable without attention to this contextual realm. In that vein, we speculate that efforts to empower women (via increased education, occupational opportunities, microcredit schemes, etc.) may hardly yield sustainable outcomes ...


Abstract The work system in which diagnosis takes place is affected by the external environment, which includes requirements such as certification, accreditation, and regulations. How errors are reported, malpractice, and the system for payment are some other aspects of the external environment. Improving the external environment is expected to decrease errors in diagnosis. More research on improving the diagnostic process is needed.


Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the carpal tunnel was performed in 23 wrists of 13 patients who were suspected to have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In ten out of 23 wrists, diagnostic images of the carpal tunnel could be obtained. MR images were analysed retrospectively as to swelling of the median nerve, signal intensity of the median nerve on T2 weighted image, and swelling of the tendon sheath. In 8 wrists the median nerve was significantly swollen at the inlet of the carpal tunnel. Four of them showed increased signal intensity of the median nerve on T2 weighed image at the inlet. Swelling of the tendon sheath was demonstrated in two cases. These finding seem to represent edematous change of the median nerve due to compression. Surgical correlation was obtained in two wrists. Since MR imaging is capable of demonstrating pathological changes of the median nerve in CTS, it can be a diagnostic tool in selected cases.


Background: In 2018, Dolutegravir (DTG)-based combination treatment was introduced in Zambia as the preferred first-line treatment for HIV infection in adults and adolescents weighing 35kg and above, with the exception of pregnant women. There is currently insufficient information regarding the safety of DTG-based combination regimen,including the types and frequency of suspected adverse drug events (ADEs) experienced and reported in Zambia.
Aim: To describe ADEs experienced and reported among patients taking DTG-based regimen for HIV treatment in Zambiabetween the periods January 2018 to April 2019.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to review all spontaneous reports submitted by health workers and patients to the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) pertaining to suspected ADEs experienced bypatients on DTG-based antiretroviral regimen during the period starting January 2018 to April 2019. Case reports were accessed from the national pharmacovigilance database at ZAMRA. Variables of interest were types and prevalence of suspected ADEs experienced and reported, onset and seriousness of the ADE.
Results: Forty-five spontaneous ADR reports received by ZAMRA between January 2018 and April 2019 involved 27 (62.8%) male and 16 (37.2%) female HIV patients. The mean age was 50 ± 11 years. Sixty ADE incidents were reported during the review period involving patients initiated on DTG-based regimen. The most reported ADEs were headache (n = 14), dizziness (n = 7), limb numbness (n = 5), insomnia (n = 5), and drowsiness (n = 5). Neurological and neuropsychiatricsymptoms accounted for 30% (n = 18), followed by an altered sense of balance 16.7% (n = 10) of the suspected ADEs reported. No mortality was recorded but 17 (37.8%) cases experienced morbidity and 8 (17.8%) cases had therapydiscontinued or changed secondary to ADEs.
Conclusion: Suspected neurological and neuropsychiatric ADEs were commonly experienced by the majority of patients on DTGbased antiretroviral regimen in Zambia. The low rate of ADE reporting among patients and healthcare providers remains a cause for concern. This must be addressed to improve medication safety monitoring.


Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a group of malignancies that originate from the biliary tract, is associated with a high mortality rate and a concerning increase in worldwide incidence. In Thailand, where the incidence of CCA is the highest, the socioeconomic burden is severe. Yet, treatment options are limited, with surgical resection being the only form of treatment with curative intent. The current standard-of-care remains adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy which is ineffective in most patients. The overall survival rate is dismal, even after surgical resection and the tumor heterogeneity further complicates treatment. Together, this makes CCA a significant burden in Southeast Asia. For effective management of CCA, treatment must be tailored to each patient, individually, for which an assortment of targeted therapies must be available. Despite the increasing numbers of clinical studies in CCA, targeted therapy drugs rarely get approved for clinical use. In this review, we discuss the shortcomings of the conventional clinical trial process and propose the implementation of a novel concept, co-clinical trials to expedite drug development for CCA patients. In co-clinical trials, the preclinical studies and clinical trials are conducted simultaneously, thus enabling real-time data integration to accurately stratify and customize treatment for patients, individually. Hence, co-clinical trials are expected to improve the outcomes of clinical trials and consequently, encourage the approval of targeted therapy drugs. The increased availability of targeted therapy drugs for treatment is expected to facilitate the application of precision medicine in CCA.


In this paper, we discuss the implementation of the BCH decoder Chien search algorithm on a SIMD style programmable baseband processor with minimum memory footprint and processing time degradation. Due to the emergence of long BCH codes, the computational efficiency of the Chien search algorithm becomes a major implementation issue for BCH decoders. We minimize the memory usage and processing time of the BCH decoders by deriving a computation rule, which is used to efficiently generate the power terms of primitive elements upon the SIMD datapath, instead of storing all pre-computed terms in the memory.


Synchronous Dataflow (SDF) is a well-known model of computation for dataflow-oriented applications such as embedded systems for signal processing and multimedia. It is important to minimize the buffer size requirements of applications generated from SDF graphs, since memory space is often a scarce resource in these systems due to cost or power consumption constraints. Some authors have proposed to use model-checking for finding the minimum buffer size requirements, but the scalability of model-checking is limited by state space explosion. In this paper, we present several techniques for reducing state space size and improving scalability of model-checking by exploiting problem-specific properties of SDF graphs.


Solving the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) and its related variants is at the heart of scientific research for optimizing logistics planning. One important variant of the VRP is the Pickup and Delivery Problem (PDP). In the PDP, it is generally required to find one or more minimum cost routes to serve a number of customers, where two types of services may be performed at a customer location, pickup or a delivery. We considered two variants of the PDP, the Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows (PDPTW), and the One-commodity Pickup and Delivery Problem (1-PDP). We investigated heuristic and meta-heuristic approaches for solving the selected PDP variants. Our research focuses on handling the difficult problem constraints in a simple and effective way. Two main aspects of the solution algorithm are directed to achieve this goal, the solution representation and the neighborhood moves. In general, the findings of the research indicate the success of our approach in devising simple and robust solution mechanisms that can be integrated with vehicle routing optimization tools and used in a variety of real world applications.


The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) is of high ecological and economic importance to the western Caribbean region, and contains spawning sites for a number of reef fish species. Despite this, little is known of the distribution and transport of pelagic fish larvae in the area, and basic in situ information on larval fish assemblages is lacking. Here we describe the results of two biological oceanography research cruises conducted in winter-spring of 2006 and 2007, focusing on larval fish assemblages. We use multivariate assemblage analyses to examine vertical and horizontal distribution characteristics of larval fish assemblages, to highlight key distinguishing taxa, and to relate these to the observed oceanographic structure. Our results showed a general separation between the Gulf of Honduras region, which was characterized by weaker currents and high abundances of inshore and estuarine taxa (Eleotridae, Priacanthidae), and the northern MBRS, which was subject to strong northward flow and contained a mixture of mesopelagic and reef-associated taxa (Myctophidae, Sparidae). Although distinct patterns of vertical distribution were observed among taxa, both shallow and deep living larvae were broadly distributed throughout the study area. Analysis of historical drifter tracks highlighted the strong northward flow and low retention conditions typically present along the northern MBRS, as well as potential connectivity between the western Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.


Though very important in software engineering, linking artifacts of the same type (clone detection) or of different types (traceability recovery) is extremely tedious, error-prone and requires significant effort. Past research focused on supporting analysts with mechanisms based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify candidate links. Because a plethora of NLP techniques exists, and their performances vary among contexts, it is important to characterize them according to the provided level of support. The aim of this paper is to characterize a comprehensive set of NLP techniques according to the provided level of support to the human analyst in detecting equivalent requirements. The characterization consists on a case study, featuring real requirements, in the context in which SELEX Sistemi Integrati is involved, i.e. the defense and aerospace domain. The major result from the case study is that simple NLP are more precise than complex ones.


In this study, a flexible pavement system was instrumented using fiber-optic strain sensors (FOSS). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a FOSS installation, monitor the long-term strains under repeated traffic loading, and compare the measured strains with the calculated ones from multi-layer elastic (MLE) analysis. MLE analysis was performed before and after FOSS installation to monitor strains during and after construction. In-situ strains during construction under the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) delivery truck, paver operations, and roller operations were compared to the results of theoretical MLE analysis. In addition, in-situ strains after construction under dump truck and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) loadings at multiple load levels were compared to the results of theoretical and in-situ MLE analysis. The in-situ strain under construction was at least 50 fold that obtained with MLE analysis. The FOSS were sensitive enough to collect strain measurements during construction at very high construction temperatures and moisture conditions. Further, the MLE analysis results were very close to the measured deflection under dump truck and FWD loadings. The results show that MLE analysis can be used to validate and calculate the strains in asphalt pavement sections. Long-term performance monitoring is continuing, and the study will be repeated after FOSS placement in new HMA pavement sections. Understanding the behavior of asphalt pavement under repeated traffic loads can result in an optimized design, thus reducing the rehabilitation costs associated with premature failures or the higher costs associated with conservative asphalt pavement designs. The in-situ strains can be used to calibrate mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) performance models for local conditions so that measurements can better predict the life of pavement layers and the layers that will need replacement. The installation of FOSS at selected pavement sites that represent the typical pavement designs across the state would allow for the development of accurate statewide mechanistic-empirical performance models, which would lead to more cost-effective pavement rehabilitation decisions.


Gaillonia eriantha is a member of family Paederieae (Rubiaceae). The essential oil of G. eriantha growing wild in south of Iran was obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antioxidante activity and polyphenolic content were identified by DPPH microplate method and HPLC-DAD, respectively. Twenty-two compounds were identified in the oil. The major volatile compounds (VCs) were camphor (14.8%), octyl formate (14.7%), 1,8-cineole (10.9%), n-decane (8.1%), n-undecane (6.8%), n-dodecane (6.1%), n-nonane(5.4%) and α-agarofuran (5.2%). The antioxidant activity of the extract of G. eriantha was found to be 786.57 µg/ml .It was found that the predominant phenolic constituents were chlorogenic acid (2.23 mg/g), catechin (0.37 mg/g), hesperidin (0.13 mg/g),trans-ferulic acid (0.12 mg/g), caffeic acid (0.051 mg/g), carvacrol (0.028 mg/g) and vanillin (0.021 mg/g), respectively.


This paper describes the Arabic MGB-3 Challenge — Arabic Speech Recognition in the Wild. Unlike last year's Arabic MGB-2 Challenge, for which the recognition task was based on more than 1,200 hours broadcast TV news recordings from Aljazeera Arabic TV programs, MGB-3 emphasises dialectal Arabic using a multi-genre collection of Egyptian YouTube videos. Seven genres were used for the data collection: comedy, cooking, family/kids, fashion, drama, sports, and science (TEDx). A total of 16 hours of videos, split evenly across the different genres, were divided into adaptation, development and evaluation data sets. The Arabic MGB-Challenge comprised two tasks: A) Speech transcription, evaluated on the MGB-3 test set, along with the 10 hour MGB-2 test set to report progress on the MGB-2 evaluation; B) Arabic dialect identification, introduced this year in order to distinguish between four major Arabic dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, North African, Gulf, as well as Modern Standard Arabic. Two hours of audio per dialect were released for development and a further two hours were used for evaluation. For dialect identification, both lexical features and i-vector bottleneck features were shared with participants in addition to the raw audio recordings. Overall, thirteen teams submitted ten systems to the challenge. We outline the approaches adopted in each system, and summarise the evaluation results.


To the Editor:— The AMA Council on Drugs, in reviewing the current status of enzyme therapy (JAMA188:875 [June 8] 1964), concludes that the therapeutic usefulness of enzymes, when administered systemically, has not been established. The "proposed mechanisms of action" are objected to as being "entirely theoretical." The Council, however, does admit that "All of these enzymes except alpha amylase have proteolytic properties, which form the basis for their use," but objects that, "The rationale for the use of proteolytic enzymes in the treatment of inflammation is based on experimental data." Certainly, there can be no objection to experimental data per se. The objection by the Council appears to be that experimental data do not parallel clinical data. This objection disregards recent studies which have demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of a mixture of proteolytic enzymes, bromelains. Seltzer found, in a double-blind study, that resolution of edema and ecchymoses in


SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) is an integral light water reactor developed by KAERI for both electricity generation and various applications. SMART can produce 90MWe of electricity and 40,000 tons/day of sea-water desalination, which is deemed suitable for a city population of 100,000. The SMART project aims at standard design approval. The experimental validation for SMART specific thermal hydraulic phenomena is to generate background information required for SMART licensing.The objective of the experimental validation is to demonstrate the safety and performance of the SMART-specific system and component designs, and to provide a database for the validation of the design tools, such as a system analysis code. From the experimental results, it is proved that SMART was designed properly and the data are used to approve the validation of the system analysis code. Also, the experimental results were submitted to a regulatory body as technical background information of the SMART standard design, and they enhance the licensing possibility of this design.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


The thermoluminescence excitation spectrum of single crystals of was measured and its convolution with solar spectral irradiances reaching the ground was estimated from a radiation-transfer model. The same crystals were used to register direct solar ultraviolet-C radiation reaching the ground at Madrid (N, W, 700 m ASL) on clear-sky days. By comparing the ultraviolet dose thermoluminescence sensitivity with the measured dose of solar irradiation, we concluded that, although UV-C irradiation at ground level is six orders of magnitude smaller than the UV-B, the solar UV-C radiation at ground level is nonetheless detectable and can be measured using dosemeters.


Abstract  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke sponsored a meeting to explore the current status of basic and clinical research in peripheral neurobiology and clinical neuropathy. The goal of the workshop was to identify areas where additional research could lead to the development of new therapeutics in the next 5 years. Participants discussed the current understanding of disease mechanisms of axonal and demyelinating neuropathies, existing techniques in research, disease biomarkers, and assessment of neuropathy. Painful neuropathies were discussed at the basic scientific and clinical levels in relation to new insights into etiology and treatment. The meeting concluded with a discussion on therapeutic development in neuropathy and the need for a unified approach to multicenter trials. Short‐term goals of the workshop were to form a working group for neuropathy, the Peripheral Neuropathy Study Group, and to translate new scientific findings into therapies and complete clinical trials.


Background: This article examines the phenomenon of academic integrity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with particular reference to emergency online assessments in 2020.Aim: It explores academic dishonesty, cheating and plagiarism of university students during emergency remote online assessment, from the perspective of South African students.Setting and Methodology: The authors explore the approaches of different universities worldwide, as well as the extant literature on the topic. An examination of the current literature related explicitly to the COVID-19 online assessments reveals a dearth of engagement by researchers in the South African context. In order to address this lacuna, the authors rely on data generated from an institutional forum on academic dishonesty at a University in South Africa. It focuses specifically on the voices of students presented during the forum, which explained both why students are dishonest and ways to curb dishonesty.Results and Conclusion: The data generated show whilst some students were dishonest due to pandemic-related issues (like lack of monitoring), there are also other reasons, such as lack of time management, feeling overwhelmed and stressed and struggling with technology that contributes to student dishonesty. Students suggest that assessments be approached differently online to curb academic dishonesty. The paper concludes by providing some fundamental changes needed to address academic dishonesty.


The estimation of application in Russia liquefied natural gas as motor fuel condition is given. The idea about necessity curtailment developments of vehicle synthetic and bio-fuels in Russia, for use of the liberated resources on speeding up of works on CNG is stated and proved. Various designs of automobile fuel tanks are considered and the results of cheaper and lighter cassette type of automobile fuel tanks based on polyurethane foam heat-insulation creation are given. The generalized complex quality indicator that considering relative mass of automobile fuel tank, fuel tank hold time and relative price of fuel tank is offered for estimation of cryogenic fuel tanks quality.


Aiming at the synergy between a system's carbon emission reduction demand and the economy of peak shaving operation in the process of optimizing the flexible resource peaking unit portfolio of a multi-energy power system containing large-scale electric vehicles, this paper proposes a low-carbon optimal scheduling model for peak shaving resources in multi-energy power systems considering large-scale access for electric vehicles. Firstly, the charging and discharging characteristics of electric vehicles were studied, and a comprehensive cost model for electric vehicles, heat storage, and hydrogen storage was established. At the same time, the carbon emission characteristics of multi-energy power systems and their emission cost models under specific carbon trading mechanisms were established. Secondly, the change characteristics of the system's carbon emissions were studied, and a carbon emission cost model of multi-energy power was established considering the carbon emission reduction demand of the system. Then, taking the carbon emission of the system and the peak regulating operation costs of traditional units, energy storage, and new energy unit as optimization objectives, the multi-energy power system peak regulation multi-objective optimization scheduling model was established, and NSGA-II was used to solve the scheduling model. Finally, based on a regional power grid data in Northeast China, the improved IEEE 30 node multi-energy power system peak shaving simulation model was built, and the simulation analysis verified the feasibility of the optimal scheduling model proposed in this paper.


Objective and Participants: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of seating location on the number of trips to the dessert bar in a college dining hall setting. The authors examined the effects of 464 college students' seating location, group size, and gender on their trips to the cafeteria dessert bar. Methods: Data were collected by observational methods during the lunch hours of 11:00-2:00 on multiple days. Results: Students seated in the section nearest the desserts had the highest mean, while the furthest section had the lowest mean trips. As the group size increased, trips to the desserts increased. The interaction between females and group size suggests that as group size increased, females were more likely to get dessert. Conclusions: Individuals' dessert consumption may be influenced by proximity, visibility, and group size.


Objective.To describe clients, operation and impact of an African public HIV testing and counselling centre. Design and setting.Analysis of samples from clients attending the AIDS Information Centre (AIC) in Kampala, Uganda in early 1991. Subjects.HIV-1-positive and HIV-negative consecutive clients (250 of each), 86 consecutive couples, and 200 consecutive clients who were HIV-negative in 1990 and were attending for their repeat test. Main outcome measures.HIV seroprevalence rates, attitudes, behaviour and behaviour change. Results.HIV-1 prevalence was 28% overall, 24% in men and 35% in women. Reasons for taking the HIV test were a planned marriage or a new relationship (27%; 84% in couples), to plan for the future (35%), distrust of sexual partner (14%) and illness or disease/death (not HIV-specific) of partner (20%). The majority of the reported intentions in response to a positive or a negative HIV test result were positive, demonstrating the ability to cope with this information. Of repeat clients, two (1%) had become HIV-1-positive. The majority of repeat clients reported one sexual partner only (67%) or sexual abstinence (25%). Compared with pre-test information from AIC clients attending for the first time, repeat clients reported casual sexual contacts less often (6 versus 25%) and, of those, the majority used condoms. Conclusions.Our study demonstrates the demand for and the feasibility of confidential HIV testing and counselling services in Uganda, and illustrates the value of these services in achieving behaviour changes. Such services should be considered an additional approach for the reduction of HIV transmission in Africa, especially in areas with high HIV seroprevalence rates.


The molecular structures of 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dicarbomethoxy-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine and the 3-methyl-, 4-methyl-, 3-nitro-, 4-nitro-, and 2,4-dinitrophenyl derivatives were determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The dihydropyridine ring in each of the compounds exists in a boat-type conformation. However, the degree of ring puckering varies among the compounds. The observed ring distortions were found to be influenced to a great extent by the position of the substituent in the 4-phenyl ring and the conformation about the interring bond. The distortion at the apical nitrogen of the dihydropyridine ring was found to be linearly related to that at the apical tetrahedral carbon. A correlation was observed between the pharmacological activities of this class of calcium channel antagonists, determined by their ability to inhibit the Ca2+-dependent muscarinic mechanical responses of guinea pig ileal longitudinal smooth muscle, and the magnitude of the 1,4-dihydropyridine ring puckering; the more active compounds exhibited the smallest degree of ring distortion from planarity.


Kefir is obtained through the fermentation process of milk using a starter in the form of kefir grains containing Streptococcus sp., Lactobacilli and several types of nonpatogenous yeast. Generally the ingredients for making kefir come from animal milk. However, most people are very allergic to animal milk. For this reason, this research tries to make fermented milk derived from vegetable milk, which is derived from soy milk and red bean milk. The purpose of this study was to determine the pH, lactic acid concentration, alcohol content, and organoleptic test results in kefir derived from cow's milk, soy milk, and red bean milk. The study was conducted with a three-repetition treatment design. The parameters in this study include pH, alcohol content, lactic acid levels, and organoleptic. Data obtained from each kefir were compared with SNI standards on processed milk products (fermentation). Alcohol test results obtained from kefir from cow's milk, soy milk, and red bean milk were 4.95%, 5.54%, and 3.52%, respectively. Lactic acid levels of cow's milk, soy milk, and red bean milk were 0.12375%, 0.04878%, and 0.07128%, respectively. The pH of the three kefir is 3. Based on these results it can be concluded that the highest alcohol is found in kefir from soy milk, which is 5.54%; The highest levels of lactic acid are found in kefir from cow's milk, which is 0.12375%; c) pH tends to be the same for 3. Based on comparative analysis with SNI, that the three kefir do not meet SNI so that it is not yet feasible to be traded and to be produced on a large scale.


This paper uncovers the socioeconomic and health/lifestyle factors that can explain the differential impact of the coronavirus pandemic on different parts of the United States. Using a dynamic panel model with daily reported number of cases for US counties over a 20-day period, the paper develops a Vulnerability Index for each county from an epidemiological model of disease spread. County-level economic, demographic, and health factors are used to explain the differences in the values of this index and thereby the transmission and concentration of the disease across the country. These factors are also used in a zero-inflated negative binomial pooled model to examine the number of reported deaths. The paper finds that counties with high per capita personal income have high incidence of both reported cases and deaths. The unemployment rate is negative for deaths implying that places with low unemployment rates or higher economic activity have higher reported deaths. Counties with higher income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient experienced more deaths and reported more cases. There is a remarkable similarity in the distribution of cases across the country and the distribution of distance-weighted international passengers served by the top international airports. Counties with high concentrations of non-Hispanic Blacks, Native Americans, and immigrant populations have higher incidence of both cases and deaths. The distribution of health risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, smoking are found to be particularly significant factors in explaining the differences in mortality across counties. Counties with higher numbers of primary care physicians have lower deaths and so do places with lower hospital stays for preventable causes. The stay-at-home orders are found to be associated with places of higher cases and deaths implying that they were perhaps imposed far too late to have contained the virus in the places with high-risk populations. It is hoped that research such as these will help policymakers to develop risk factors for each region of the country to better contain the spread of infectious diseases in the future.


Introduction: LPS-induced inflammation contributes to osteoarthritis (OA). It is known that Circ_0038467 plays a critical role in LPS-mediated inflammation, suggesting the its involvement in OA. This study aimed to study the possible involvement of Circ_0038467 in OA.Materials and Methods: Circ_0038467, mature miR-203 and miR-203 precursor expression in controls and OA patients was determined by RT-qPCR. Circ_0038467 overexpression in chondrocytes and RT-qPCR was performed to analyze its effects on the expression of mature miR-203 and miR-203 precursor. The role of Circ_0038467 and miR-203 in cell apoptosis was analyzed by cell apoptosis assay.Results: Circ_0038467 was upregulated in OA and positively correlated with mature miR-203, but not miR-203 precursor. In chondrocytes, increased expression of both Circ_0038467 and miR-203 was observed after LPS treatment. In chondrocytes, Circ_0038467 overexpression increased the expression levels of mature miR-203, but not miR-203 precursor. Analysis of cell apoptosis showed that overexpression of Circ_0038467 and miR-203 increased cell apoptosis. In addition, miR-203 inhibitor reversed the effects of Circ_0038467 overexpression on cell apoptosis.Conclusions: Circ_0038467 is highly expressed in OA and may promote the production of mature miR-203 to increase the apoptosis of chondrocytes induced by LPS.


In this paper, the authors present a description of the clinical and psychological data of three girls with ring chromosome 15. These children were carefully observed and tested on their mental level and school skills, and the results are compared with the findings in the literature. In general, patients with ring 15 present a mild to moderate mental retardation, with some language difficulties at early age. Observation of behaviour and social skills, present these patients as cordial, willing and with good social integration, despite their severe growth failure.


Author(s): Hanssmann, Christoph | Advisor(s): Clarke, Adele E; Shim, Janet K | Abstract: Care in Transit examines the transnational emergence of transgender health care as an institutionalizing field and public entitlement. Clinical care for trans people has been classically framed as a pitched struggle between providers and patients, but coordination and negotiation increasingly characterize this relation. Care in Transit thus turns to examine sites of local and transnational collaboration (in addition to conflict), specifically in trans health's public provision and regulation. Looking ethnographically to activists and health care providers in Buenos Aires and New York City, the project seeks to explain how these groups work together to assemble, intervene on, and refigure the infrastructures through which trans health care takes shape. While such cooperation may seem to signal an increased standardization and stabilization, I propose that it instead signals the protraction of a period of ambiguity within which a multitude of care practices and political claims can proliferate. I call this set of dynamics and practices "transmutable care," and explore it analytically through classification, racialized citizenship, statistical politics, and feminist politics of care.


ABSTRACT Diet has long been known to influence the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may even result in acute kidney injury (AKI). Diet may influence kidney disease through a direct impact of specific nutrients on the human body through modulation of the gut microbiota composition or through metabolites generated by the gut microbiota from ingested nutrients. The potential for interaction between diet, microbiota and CKD has fueled research into interventions aimed at modifying the microbiota to treat CKD. These interventions may include diet, probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplant and other interventions that modulate the microbiota and its metabolome. A recent report identified Lactobacillus casei Zhang from traditional Chinese koumiss as a probiotic that may protect mice from AKI and CKD and slow CKD progression in humans. Potential mechanisms of action include modulation of the gut microbiota and increased availability of short-chain fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties and of nicotinamide. However, the clinical relevance needs validation in large well-designed clinical trials.


Poly-β-(1→6)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine is an exopolysaccharide secreted by numerous pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Yersinia pestis, Bordetella pertussis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Burkholderia spp., and others. A convergent approach was developed for the synthesis of oligosaccharide fragments consisting of 5, 7, 9, and 11 glucosamine or N-acetylglucosamine units and for the preparation of five nona-β-(1→6)-D-glucosamines with various N-acetylation patterns. Penta- and nona-β‑(1→6)-D-glucosamines conjugated to protein carriers through a specially developed sulfhydryl linker proved to be highly immunogenic in mice and rabbits and elicited antibodies that mediated opsonic killing of multiple strains of S. aureus (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, MRSA) and E. coli, and protected against S. aureus skin abscesses and lethal E. coli and B. cenocepacia peritonitis. These findings provide a basis for the construction of a unique semisynthetic vaccine against multiple bacterial targets. Conformational studies by means of special NMR experiments and computer modeling revealed that the oligo-β-(1→6)-D-glucosamine chain exists mostly in a helix-like conformation, where the terminal monosaccharides are arranged close to each other. Owing to this feature, oligoglucosamines consisting of 2 to 7 residues easily form products of cycloglycosylation. Cyclooligo-β-(1→6)-D-glucosamines represent a new family of functionalized cyclic oligosaccharides. Owing to their molecular architectonics, these compounds are convenient scaffolds for the design of conjugates with defined valency, symmetry, flexibility, and function.


Background. We initiated a pancreatic islet transplantation program using fresh, single-donor tissue. Methods. Group 1 (n=3) received cadaver kidney and islets from the same donor; islets were placed beneath the capsule of the transplanted kidney. Group 2 (n=6) received islets via percutaneous portal vein puncture subsequent to successful kidney transplant. Group 1 and 2 recipients had type 1 diabetes mellitus. Group 3 (n=6) received autologous islet transplantation after total or near-total pancreatectomy (for chronic pancreatitis and intractable pain). Implantation and graft function was considered successful if C-peptide exceeded 0.10 ng/ml. Sustacal challenge test was done before and after transplant at day 1, week 1, and months 1, 3, 6, and 12. We also measured glycated hemoglobin and insulin requirements at regular time intervals. Results. Post-Ficoll yield was 402,000 (SD 174,000) equivalent islet number, average purity of 67% (range, 50-90%). Group 1 had initial primary nonfunction followed by occasional evidence of C-peptide at months 3 and 6. Group 2 recipients had significant C-peptide levels early after transplantation which gradually declined over several months. However, all recipients had graft function at 6 months and 50% recipients still maintained graft function at 1 year. Group 3 recipients are off exogenous insulin (mean follow-up of 5.5 months). Insulin requirement was unchanged in group 1, while a reduction of approximately 20% was noted in four of six patients in group 2. Glycated hemoglobin was reduced in four out of six recipients of group 2, while in group 3, glycated hemoglobin remained within normal limits. Pain relief was sustained when patients (group 3) received total pancreatectomy ; near-total pancreatectomy resulted in recurrence of pain within 3 months. Conclusions. Autologous islet transplantation is uniformly successful ; total excision of pancreas was superior to partial pancreatectomy for pain relief. For allogeneic islet transplantation, the intrahepatic site is superior to the renal subcapsular site. Insulin independence was not achieved in allogeneic islet transplants ; however, continued graft function resulted in reduction of glycated hemoglobin in some recipients.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Adverse environmental factors in tunnels increase the occurrence of respiratory and intestinal inflammatory disease, which is seriously harmful to worker health. It is reported that medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) can improve immune status and alter the gut microflora. This study investigates MCT effects on immune status and gut microbiota among tunnel workers.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN
Forty-five workers were randomly divided into an MCT group (n=30) and control group (n=15), where they ingested MCT-milk or a placebo milk for 12 weeks, respectively. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of respiratory infection and diarrhea. Secondary outcomes were changes in serum immune-related markers and changes in gut microbiota.

RESULTS
The incidence of diarrhea in MCT group was significantly decreased after 4 weeks (p<0.01), with no significant differences in the control group. MCT reduced the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, CRP, and IL-6) and enhanced the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, C3, C4, IgA, IgG, and IgM), respectively (p<0.01). The Chao index was reduced (p<0.01) and microbiota composition changed significantly after 12 weeks of MCT intervention. MCT reduced the abundance of Bacteroides, Roseburia, Ruminococcus_1, Lachnospira and increased that of Blautia and Fusicatenibacter at the genus level (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The consumption of MCT reduces diarrhea occurrence and improves serum immune profiles together with gut microbiomics in tunnel workers.


Introduction: Human-wildlife conflict in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is the major concern in and around the protected area due to dramatic change in the ecosystem which includes a rise in human population and their basic requirements that leads to loss of natural habitat for agriculture farming and residential purpose. On the other hand, successful conservation programme in some protective areas leads to a rise in a number of wildlife. This conflict ultimately leads to damage of the crops, property, livestock and the most important human casualties which is the main focus of this study.Methods: This is a hospital-based retrospective study in which 32 patients visiting the emergency and outpatient department with a history of wild animals attack were included. Advanced trauma life support protocol for polytrauma patients was followed. Anti tetanus and anti-rabies prophylaxis given followed by antibiotics coverage. Operative and multidisciplinary interventions were made as per the requirement.Results: Out of the total 32 patients, soft tissue injury Oestern-Tscherne grade 3 was the commonest type of injury seen in 19(59.4%) of the cases, the commonest species involved was rhinoceros 8(25%). The anatomical site most commonly involved was lower limb 10(31.3%). Fracture fixation was required in 8(25%) cases. The commonest complication was wound infection in 5(16%) cases.Conclusion: This research elaborates the current scenario of human-wildlife conflict, facilitates to identify and face the common type of injuries, their complications, the role of a multidisciplinary approach and hence implement certain treatment protocols as a part of effective management to avoid major consequences to public health.


Creating Chan water control diagnostic plots is a common well surveillance activity to search for signatures that distinguish and explain mechanisms behind excessive water production in oil wells. The technique involves an engineer who visually classifies patterns or signatures related to a water production mechanism. This study shows how the Chan plot signature identification can be approached as a machine learning (ML) classification problem, where a well can be characterized by the slopes of water-oil ratio (WOR) and WOR time derivative (WOR') curves. A model tries to find the pattern category to which that well belongs. Having ML models that can predict whether a well belongs to a specific Chan plot signature, or pattern, would be valuable as a well surveillance tool, especially in high-well-count fields.
 Our previous work focused on using the shape of the Chan plot as features for a radial basis function (RBF) support vector machines (SVM) model. In this study, we examine how features to identify Chan plot signatures can be simplified and how different ML models compare in accuracy. ML models used in this study were: nearest neighbor, SVM, decision tree, random forest, logistic regression, and Naive Bayes. In this study, we use the slopes of WOR and WOR' as features. As a result, we observed an increase in the accuracy of the ML models that we used. By performing the quality check on the data set after selecting slopes as features, we identified that the dataset contained several incorrectly labeled examples, which we adjusted before we trained the ML models. By comparing the models' metrics in the context of the test set, we identified that the ML model with the highest f1-score was nearest neighbor at 0.93, whereas the RBF SVM model achieved a value of 0.90. We also compared models' decision boundaries to find how they differ among all ML models.
 We obtained an improved accuracy of an ML model by simplifying features as well as raising the quality of data used in the Chan plot signature identification problem. These ML models could be useful in automatic classification whether a well exhibits a specific Chan plot signature, to flag it for a review within a broader petroleum engineering decision framework.


The aim of this paper is to find out whether neglecting of the ethnical diversity leads to the distortion of the real stratification of Russian society. Firstly the author solves the problem of the interaction of the ethnology and sociology in their analytical procedures and terminology. After that the stratification analysis of defined groups is given. The difficulty here is that main sociological theories were worked out by the western scientists with regard to their societies. The short review of the ethnical entrepreneurship in Europe and the USA allows us to define the frame for the Russian practices. The last two parts of the paper are devoted to the consideration of the Russian literature and to the design the own theory of ethnicity and stratification correlation. At the same time the author continuously addresses to the problem of importing the accumulated western knowledge to the analysis of Russian reality.


The increasingly popular light sheet microscopy techniques generate very large 3D time-lapse recordings of living biological specimen. The necessity to make large volumetric datasets available for interactive visualization and analysis has been widely recognized. However, existing solutions build on dedicated servers to generate virtual slices that are transferred to the client applications, practically leading to insufficient frame rates (less than 10 frames per second) for truly interactive experience. An easily accessible open source solution for interactive arbitrary virtual re-slicing of very large volumes and time series of volumes has yet been missing. We fill this gap with BigDataViewer, a Fiji plugin to interactively navigate and visualize large image sequences from both local and remote data sources.


Effective management of change presents an ongoing series of challenges for organisations, especially for the ones operating in third world countries. This case study has depicted a rare story of successful change management of a real-life organisation, New Zealand Dairy Products Bangladesh Ltd (NZDPBL), articulating experiences such as change of ownership, legal battle, retrenchment and new leadership that took place between years 2002 and 2012. Data for this case were collected between April 2011 and June 2012, mostly through semi-structured interviews of the managing director and six other employees at NZDPBL. The purpose of the case study is to offer management insights to business students and managers. These insights were developed through an exposure to practitioner's perspective and relevance of that perspective to literature of organisational change management. Authors find that five organisational features for successful change management, that is, organisational structure, organisational culture, organisational learning, managerial behaviour and power and politics, as proposed by scholars, were relevant in the case of NZDPBL. Furthermore, managers are urged to work on these five features collectively for effective management of change. Since the account of NZDPBL evidenced an overlap in the influence of these five features.


West Tulang Bawang is one of the new regencies in Indonesia which was
a new expanded area that continues to grow. It is followed by population growth
rates resulting in increased volume of waste. The landfill (TPA) is an important
component of any waste management system. A good waste has several
characteristics. To ensure the appropriate selected land, a systematic process must
be developed and followed.
The study of the selection of the landfill (TPA) is aimed at finding feasible
area as the location of the landfill, so that the allocation of the new landfill will be
in accordance with local policies in regional spatial planning and meet the criteria
of SNI No. 19-3241-1994. The role of Geographic Information System (GIS) in
the management of solid waste is important because many aspects of planning and
operations are highly dependent on the spatial data. The landfill selection process
consists of three stages of filtering, i.e., the feasibility of the environment by
utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) to map the location of viable
landfill, regional filtering phase based onthe regional policy and the elimination
filtering using SNI 19-3241-1994.
The results of the study showed that with an estimated population in 2033
which is 330 807 people, the amount of waste that will go to the landfillthrough
the 3R principle reached 309.36 m3 / day or 61.87 tons / day so that the area of
the required land for the sanitary landfill pattern with a 20 year planning is 17.70
Ha. The alternative location was selected by with a priority level which is located
on the Panaragan Jaya Utama of Central Tulang Bawang sub-district with a land
of 99.68 hectares, Tulang Bawang village districts Panaragan Central with a land
area of 136.26 ha and the Kagungan Ratu village of Tulang Bawang sub-district
of 74 , 65 Ha.
Key words: TPA, sanitary landfill, GIS, SNI 03-3241-1994


Biological infectious hazards are the main factors which nursing staff deal with. It
is fundamental rule, nurses to apply the guidelines of occupational exposure to
pathogenic micro-organisms. The aim of this review was to examine the current
literature on the degree of nurses' compliance to the guidelines of occupational
according to exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms. A review of literature was
conducted on the Medline / PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar
databases from 2000 to 2018. The keywords used in the bibliography search were,
health care professionals, nurses' attitudes, occupational exposure, and safety
guidelines. The inclusion criteria were: a) studies that were directly related to the
topic, and b) studies in English and Greek language, published in peer-reviewed
journals. The search strategy revealed 1287 studies, 1260 excluded. Finally 27
studies were included. Nurses' compliance to the guidelines of occupational
exposure to pathogenic microorganisms is described as unsatisfactory, and an
emergency situation has been shown to be the major obstacle to follow the
guidelines. It is necessary to understand the factors which contribute to nurse's noncompliance. The results show that there is a need to propose measures that will
positively affect the nurses' performance.

Keywords: Health care professionals; Nurses' attitudes; Occupational exposure;
Safety guidelines.


Objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause different clinical pictures from infectious mononucleosis (IM) to malignancies such as B-cell lymphomas, Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. VCA-IgM, VCA-IgG, EBNA-1 IgG antibodies are the most commonly used antibodies in revealing the serological profile. This study aimed to examine the serological profiles of patients with suspected EBV infection and to interpret the atypical profiles encountered.

Methods: The results of VCA-IgM, VCA-IgG, and EBNA-1 IgG antibodies studied in the Microbiology Laboratory between 2017-2019 were evaluated retrospectively. EBV serological tests (VCA-IgM, VCA-IgG, and EBNA-1 IgG) were performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) method (Architect, Abbott, Wiesbaden, Germany).

Results: Of the 2486 patients evaluated, 1341 (53.9%) were male, 1145 (46.1%) were female, and the average age was determined as 16.93 ± 19.5. EBV past infection was detected in 56.65% of the cases, the acute infection was detected in 17.25%, and 21.09% did not encounter EBV. Atypical serological profile was detected in 5.01%. As an atypical profile, the most common positivity of three antibodies together (3.90%), then isolated VCA-IgG positivity (0.91%), and isolated EBNA-1 IgG positivity (0.20%) were determined. It was determined that 24.24% of the cases with an atypical profile were immunosuppressive patient.

Conclusions: The rate of encountering EBV in our study is 78.91%. The atypical EBV serological profile rate was found to be 5.01%. Approximately one-fourth of the cases with an atypical profile was found to be in the patient group with immune disorders. It is thought that antibody tests are not sufficient to determine the stage of infection, especially in these patient groups, and further tests should be performed. It has been demonstrated that serological monitoring is required for the interpretation of atypical profiles.

Keywords: Epstein-Barr virüs, serological tests, chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), atypical serological profile


The fragility of the economic system of capitalism and socialism makes the Islamic economic system into an alternative economic system and studied in depth by contemporary Islamic economic thinkers. In realizing Islamic economic system must be aligned with the maqasid alshari'ah (goals sharia). There are four main approaches in the study of Islamic economics namely: a pragmatic approach, recitative, utopian and adaptive. Such an approach always leads to moral values, human brotherhood, social justice, integrating Islamic values and aims for the establishment of al-mashlahah as the core maqashid al-shari'ah can be used as an argument of the legal establishment, especially relating to Islamic economics. Ijtihad in Islam economy by using al-maslahah can be done by meeting certain requirements that do not conflict with al-Qur'an and al-Hadith and not contrary to qiyas. Besides, it does not conflict with a higher benefit, both in how to do it and in a way to preserve from extinction. Economic Ijtihad Islam implemented by analyzing the social and political realities and priorities (fiqh figh realities and priorities) in order to achieve the benefit of society and the state.


Microporous membranes approx. 0.1 mm in thickness were prepared by controlled carbonization of phenol formaldehyde sheet. The effects of carbonization temperature on sorption capacity, volume ofmicropores, size of micropores and transport properties were studied. Sorption of CO 2 at room temperature was evaluated on the basis of Dubinin-Raduskewich's isotherm. The diffusion coefficients and permeability for CO 2 were established from the time course of pressure drop during sorption. Microporous membranes on a macroporous carrier were also designed.


Due to limited numbers of published studies regarding the relationship between sports and cognitive functions in adolescents. So, this study compares the metacognitive awareness skill (MAS) levels between athletes and sedentary Turkish University Students. Data were collected from 434 voluntary male and 493 female university students by MAS inventory including sub-dimensions of knowledge about cognition and the regulation of cognition. Mann Whitney U tests were used for comparison between two groups. Also, Spearman rank order correlations were performed to analyze the relations between participating sports activities and sub-dimensions of MAS. This study showed that there was no significant difference in the favor of athlete participants in all sub-dimensions in male and female group. In females, sedentary participants had significantly higher values than athlete counterparts in all sub-dimensions of MAS. In sedentary group, females had significantly higher values than males in the sub-dimensions of declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, conditional knowledge and evaluation while males had significantly higher values than females in all sub-dimensions except debugging strategies in athlete group. Also, there were negative significant relationships between participation sport activities and all sub-dimensions of MASI scores in females while observing no significant relations among variables in males.: It can be concluded that females in the sedentary group and male in the athlete group had significantly higher MAS values. Participation in sport activities had no positive effect on MAS scores in both genders.


The effective utilization of pseudo-ductile materials like Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) depends on the incorporation of suitable material parameters in appropriate design approaches. A design methodology has been developed for slabs-on-grade addressing various failure patterns, and giving a performance requirement as the design output. This opens up the choice of fibres, allowing the use of combinations of fibres to suit the service requirements. In this context, the current study explores the use of hybrid combinations of conventional steel fibres (SF) and a genre of corrosion-resistant amorphous metallic fibres (AMF) that have the ability to significantly enhance the flexural strength of concrete, even at relatively low dosages. It is shown that AMF, when used in combination with SF, results in a synergistic response with respect to toughness; mixes with 15 kg/m3 of SF and 20 kg/m3 of AMF exhibit about 50% higher characteristic flexural strength and more than double the characteristic equivalent flexural strength than the mix with 15 kg/m3 of SF alone, in the concrete considered here. Consequently, when FRC with a hybrid combination of fibres (AMF+SF) was considered in design, a significant reduction in thickness of slab was possible, in comparison to FRC with only SF.


Two-electron model potential calculations are presented for the 4-81 Sigma g+ intermediate Rydberg states of Na2. The theoretical spectroscopic constants agree within 1% with the experimental results of Taylor et al (1981). Two Rydberg series are identified; for one of them, the molecular quantum defect curve reveals a strong resonant character. Diabatic calculations show that the perturbation of this series is mainly due to an excitation of the Na2+ core into the two first excited states.


Abstract1. In certain seasons, vagal stimulation of frog stomach muscle produces contraction or relaxation which is abolished if the muscle is desensitised to histamine by mepyramine or histamine, suggesting the release of histamine.2. The above contraction or relaxation may require other antagonists such as atropine, 2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide or acetylsalicylic in addition to mepyramine, suggesting the release of acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and polypeptides in addition to histamine.


For the first time, we experimentally analyze the limiting scattering phenomena in gate-all-around nanowire CMOS transistors with aggressive dimensions (Leff of 32 nm for NMOS and 42 nm for PMOS with 15 nm nanowire width) and with high-k/metal gate stacks. One-level and multiple-level stacked nanowire structures are measured and compared. The apparent carrier mobility is degraded in short channel devices. Moreover, we show that the interface quality has a major impact on nanowire transport properties. In rounded nanowires (thanks to H2 anneal), the extracted coulomb-limited mobility decreases whereas the surface roughness-limited mobility increases. Additionally, stacked nanowires suffer from additional coulomb scattering which is attributed to a degraded interface with high-k.


The machinery of mass incarceration in America is huge, intricate, and destructive. To understand it and to tame it, scholars and activists look for the levers – where are they, who holds them, and what motivates them? This much we know: legislators criminalize, police arrest, prosecutors charge, judges sentence, prison officials confine, and probation and parole officials manage release.

As this Article reveals, jailers, too, have their hands on the controls. The sheriffs who run jails and the county commissioners who fund them have tremendous but unrecognized power over the size and shape of our criminal justice system, particularly in rural areas and particularly for people accused or convicted of low-level crimes.

Because they have the authority to build jails (or not) as well as the authority to release people (or not), they exercise significant control over both the supply of and demand for jail bedspace: not just conditions in jails, but how they should be and how many people should be confined in them. Through their power to finance jail construction and operations, jailers determine who has a stake in carceral expansion and contraction. Their decisions are influenced by politics – and by money. Constraints they create or relieve on carceral infrastructure exert or alleviate pressure on other officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

Drawing on surveys of state statutes and of municipal securities filings, data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, case law, and media coverage, this Article tells overlooked stories, of sheriffs who send their deputies out door-knocking to convince voters to support a new tax to fund a new jail, and of commissioners who raise criminal court fees and sign contracts to detain "rental inmates" to ensure that incarceration "pays for itself." It also tells of jail population caps imposed by commissioners, and of sheriffs who override the arrest decisions of city police officers, release defendants who have not made bail, and cut sentences short.


Zika virus (ZIKV) is a re-emerging flavivirus that leads to devastating consequences for fetal development. It is crucial to visualize the pathogenicity activities of ZIKV ranging from infection pathways to immunity processes, but the accurate labeling of ZIKV remains challenging due to the lack of a reliable labeling technique. We introduce the photo-activated bio-orthogonal cycloaddition to construct a fluorogenic probe for the labeling and visualizing of ZIKV. Via a simple UV photoirradiation, the fluorogenic probes could be effectively labeled on the ZIKV. We demonstrated that it can be used for investigating the interaction between ZIKV and diverse cells and avoiding the autofluorescence phenomenon in traditional immunofluorescence assay. Thus, this bioorthogonal-enabled labeling strategy can serve as a promising approach to monitor and understand the interaction between the ZIKV and host cells.


Accounting is an integral part of the financial and economic activity of economic entities, regardless of the type of activity and industry in which the enterprise operates. This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments in the scientific discussion regarding the nature of accounts in accounting practice. The purpose of the study is to deepen the analysis of European financial accounting practices, in particular in the context of the use of methodological support for the classification of the nature of accounts. Particular emphasis is placed on the evolution of accounting practices: an analysis of the major evolutionary stages that have occurred in different historical periods in accordance with the social needs of society and the economic and financial consequences of such transformational changes. The systematization of literary sources on the subject made it possible to identify three key stages of the evolutionary development of accounting and the essential nature of accounts, in particular: 1) the prerequisites for the emergence of financial and accounting, confirmed by a written accounting record dated 1494; 2) implementation of business continuity accounting based on the use of adjusting records and in-depth study of the nature and nature of accounts; 3) substantiation of the practical implementation of the triple record based on the implementation of blockchain technology. Based on the theoretical studies, the author substantiates the need to use in accounting practice a three-dimensional method of accounting by economic entities, which will more accurately reflect the financial transactions carried out by the company and avoid possible economic mistakes. The study postulates the need to integrate the third book within the accounting system. Summarizing, the author substantiates the need to develop in the future convergent methods of balancing the dual accounting system and maintaining accounts with the third book.
Keywords: financial and economic activity, financial reporting, accounting, double-entry, evolutionary development.


Abstract During the Proterozoic, several mafic dykes with variable trends and mineralogies intruded the Archaean basement of Southeast Greenland. Some of the younger ENE-trending dykes are interpreted to represent a prolongation of the Mesoproterozoic Gardar Province, and have been termed Timmiarmiit dykes. Extrapolations of their trends across the inland ice sheet coincide with the northernmost so-called brown dykes (BD's) which are part of the Gardar Province. Baddeleyite U–Pb ID-TIMS analyses for three ENE-trending Timmiarmiit dykes give ages of 1277 ± 4, 1275 ± 3 and 1268 ± 4 Ma, which are slightly younger than the oldest (BD0 = 1284–1279 ± 3 Ma, Upton 2013) and only dated generation of dykes in the Gardar Province, and thereby indirectly provide a possible age for the two younger dyke generations (BD1 and BD2). The Timmiarmiit–Gardar correlation is strengthened by a rigorous multivariate statistical analysis, on the basis of all major and trace elements. Thus, a coherent ENE-trending trans-Greenlandic dyke swarm is constituted. The major and trace element data of the Timmiarmiit dykes show that they crystallised from comparably evolved mantle-derived magma with minor crustal contamination and indicate a strong contribution of a metasomatised subcontinental lithospheric mantle component in the evolution of melts. This component was probably influenced by supra-subduction zone metasomatism during the Palaeoproterozoic Ketilidian orogeny. The data presented here, in addition to recent plate reconstruction models, give new evidence for a petrogenetic link between rift-related Mesoproterozoic magmatism in North America, South Greenland and Central Scandinavia which possibly formed in response to back-arc basin formation.


Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs among patients with Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and has also been proven to be associated with in-hospital mortality. Remdesivir has been authorized for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the incidence of AKI in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The incidence of AKI in different subgroups was also investigated. Method: A thorough search was carried out to find relevant studies in PubMed, Web of Science, medRxiv and EMBASE from 1 Jan 2020 until 1 June 2020. All systemic reviews of proportions were performed using the meta package for R project (4.0.1).Results: A total of 16199 COVID-19 patients were included in our systematic review. The pooled estimated incidence of AKI in all hospitalized COVID-19 patients was 10.0% (95% CI: 7.0-12.0%). The pooled estimated need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in COVID-19 patients was 4% (95% CI: 3-6%). According to our subgroup analysis, the incidence of AKI could be associated with the age, disease severity and the ethnicity of the patients. The incidence of AKI in hospitalized COVID-19 patients being treated with remdesivir was 7% (95% CI: 3-13%) in a total of 5 studies.Conclusion: We found that AKI was not rare in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The incidence of AKI could be associated with age, disease severity and ethnicity. Remdesivir probably not induced AKI in COVID-19 patients. Our systemic review provides evidence for future studies that AKI might be closely associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Incorporating the side information of text corpus, i.e., authors, time stamps, and emotional tags, into the traditional text mining models has gained significant interests in the area of information retrieval, statistical natural language processing, and machine learning. One branch of these works is the so-called Author Topic Model (ATM), which incorporates the authors's interests as side information into the classical topic model. However, the existing ATM needs to predefine the number of topics, which is difficult and inappropriate in many real-world settings. In this paper, we propose an Infinite Author Topic (IAT) model to resolve this issue. Instead of assigning a discrete probability on fixed number of topics, we use a stochastic process to determine the number of topics from the data itself. To be specific, we extend a gamma-negative binomial process to three levels in orderto capture the author-document-keyword hierarchical structure. Furthermore, each document is assigned a mixed gamma process that accounts for the multi-author's contribution towards this document. An efficient Gibbs sampling inference algorithm witheach conditional distribution being closed-form is developed for the IAT model. Experiments on several real-world datasets show the capabilities of our IAT model to learn the hidden topics, authors' interests on these topics and the number of topics simultaneously.


The Eulerian variational formulation of the gyrokinetic system with electrostatic turbulence is presented in general spatial coordinates by extending our previous work [H. Sugama, {\it et al}., Phys.\ Plasmas {\bf 25}, 102506 (2018)]. The invariance of the Lagrangian of the system under an arbitrary spatial coordinate transformation is used to derive the local momentum balance equation satisfied by the gyrocenter distribution functions and the turbulent potential which are given as solutions of the governing equations. This derivation is in contrast with the conventional method using the spatial translation in which the asymmetric canonical pressure tensor generally enters the momentum balance equation. In the present study, the variation of the Lagrangian density with respect to the metric tensor is taken to directly obtain the symmetric pressure tensor which includes the effect of turbulence on the momentum transport. In addition, it is shown in this work how the momentum balance is modified when the collision and/or external source terms are added to the gyrokinetic equation. The results obtained here are considered useful for global gyrokinetic simulations investigating both neoclassical and turbulent transport processes even in general non-axisymmetric toroidal systems.


The model was focusing on the community involvement of tourism activities based on rural collaborative-construction with the different ways to utilize at Tenggar Cave, Tenggarrejo Village, Tulungagung region in order to ensure the sustainability ofheritage tourism development in that area. A qualitative approach through participating observation, indepth interviews, study of document and focus group discussions were obtained to reliability and validity data. Interviews were conducted to informants of the development planning agency at sub-national level, tourism government regency, Indonesian State Forest Company, the members of the local tourism community, local entrepreneur, tourist, archeology and researcher. The results indicated that local communities and other stakeholders have participated in management, conservation, tourism development of the site, solved social problems and benefit in that area such as poverty, lack of job opportunity, and corncob waste. This research suggested that collaboration model which was developed within the tourism planning must implement principles of sustainable and involve full role of the local community. Community Based Heritage Management (CBHTM) is an ideal model in the development of tourism in the Tenggar Cave area.


Abstract The mandible is a bone that preserves well in forensic and archaeological contexts and has sound use for sex estimation techniques when the bones of the cranium and pelvis are absent. Past research has frequently used morphological assessments of the mandible, which have long been recognized as a useful means for estimating sex. This study addressed the application and effectiveness of metric and non-metric observations to illustrate the morphological variation of mandibular size and shape to explore sexual dimorphism between males and females. Three non-metric observations and fourteen metric measurements were recorded on mandibles from a skeletal sample of two-hundred and thirty-six individuals from a collection acquired in the region of southeastern Texas. The findings of this study demonstrate that the use of select metric measurements, including bigonial width, bicondylar breadth, minimum and maximum ramus breadth, transverse diameter of the mandibular condyle, maximum ramus height, mandibular length, mandibular total length, and mandibular ramus height, should be considered for sex estimation in the mandible. Two regression models were reported in this study one with eleven measurements at 81.48% accuracy and one with three measurements at 83.33% accuracy. Alternatively, the non-metric analyses exhibited no significant correlation with sex in the study sample, and therefore, non-metric observations of the mandible are not reliable in sex estimation.


Visible light communication (VLC) allows the dual use of lighting and wireless communication systems by modulation of illumination devices. However, to increase the performance, typically, beam-forming measures are taken creating pencil beams, thus contradicting the illumination purpose. In order to optimize the performance trade off between efficient illumination and communication, the switching capabilities of illumination LEDs are examined. Illumination LEDs with standard drivers and without beam-forming show limited applicability for communication purposes as they are not optimized for the necessary switching capability (f ≈11 MHz) and coherence. Methods to enhance the electrical current by pre-equalisation, biasing, carrier sweeping and current shaping are examined in respect to the illumination LED's communication performance. A novel driver scheme is derived which achieves considerably higher switching frequencies (f ≥100 MHz) without employing beamforming at the illumination LED. This driver is able to obtain a data rate of up to 200 Mbit/s at a distance of 3.2 m, using on-off keying (OOK) modulation technique. Therefore, it is feasible to apply the LED driver by implementing standardised illumination devices in VLC systems.


The research objectives were to study relationships between soybean seed vigor in laboratory and seed growth in field.  The research was carried out in Laboratory Seed Science and Technology and Seed Experimental Farm of Agriculture Faculty, University of Syiah Kuala, Darussalam Banda Aceh. Experimental design used was a completely randomized design (CRD) 2x5 with 3 replications in the laboratory and a split plot design with 3 replications in the field. The factors examined were soybean varieties and oxygen. The varieties were consisted of Pandermau S-37, Local of Bireuen, Wilis, Orba, local of Tasikmalaya. The oxygen was consisted of 2 levels, i.e. oxygen stress and normal oxygen. Variables observed in the laboratory were seedling growth rate and dry weight of normal seedling, while in the field were soybean growth rate and dry weight of plant.  Results showed that growth of the five varieties on the field of oxygen stress can be simulated through examination in laboratory. Of the two variables observed, seedling growth rate was more sensitive for the purpose. On the other hand, dry weight of seedling was less precise for simulating that condition.


Sodium hypochlorite is a clear yellowish solution with a characteristic odour of chlorine and is commonly used as a disinfectant and a bleaching agent. It is used in various healthcare settings for its fast-acting and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. It is a known irritant and there are some reports that it can also cause allergic contact dermatitis of type IV hypersensitivity. We report a case of work-related type I hypersensitivity to sodium hypochlorite, presenting with recurrent urticarial rash and a positive prick test reaction to this chemical. He was subsequently excused from further exposure with no further recurrences of the urticarial rash. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such reported case due to work in the healthcare setting.


Welcome - Merhaba - أهلا وسهلا - Hosgeldiniz - خوش آمدید ! This guide details useful sources for the study of Islamic rare books and manuscripts. It focuses primarily on materials held at McGill, and projects realized by the Islamic Studies Library.


Copper is an integrated parts of metal-protein required far varieties of oxide-reductive metabolic pathways in human. Copper deficiency is considered as risk factors in some pregnancies. Premature rupture of membrane is a pregnancy complication with major adverse effects and is believed maternal Copper deficiency can also be considered as interventional factors. This study was done to evaluate if there is a correlation between maternal serum Copper concentration and premature rupture of membrane in pregnancy. In this case-control study 60 pregnant women with Premature Rupture of Membrane (PROM) were selected as case group including term and pre term the control group consist of 60 pregnant women with normal delivery of term and pre term states. Both group were matched for maternal and pregnancy age. In case and control group the pregnancy at term and pre-term were grouped independently as well. In general the maternal mean serum Copper concentration were 192.4±78.2 and 201.08±82.06 in case and control groups, respectively but this differences statistically was not significant. Data in this study revealed that the absolute value of maternal serum Copper concentration of term or pre term in case groups was slightly lower than related controls. Drop in maternal Copper concentration in some disturbed pregnancies such as premature rupture of membrane is previously demonstrated and based on our data the absolute Copper serum concentration of women with premature rupture of membrane was also slightly lower compared to healthy pregnancy but it was not statistically significant. © Asian Network for Scientific Information.