From an attachment theory framework this study investigated the relationship of working models of self and other to the experience of intimacy conceptualised as a multidimensional phenomena. It was hypothesised that more self disclosure and increased intimacy goals would be associated with a positive model of other and that a positive model of self would be associated with greater levels of receiving disclosure and perceiving a partner to be responsive. Using a cross sectional sample of upper high school students (N=265) the results provided support for the view that the model of other primarily influences intimacy goals and self disclosure. Partial support was found for the effect of the model of self on eliciting disclosure from others and perceptions of partner responsiveness. The results are discussed in the context of multidimensional models of intimacy and adolescent psychosocial development. Intimacy is argued to be an important influence on relationship quality, and its presence in relationships gives a sense of 'belonging' to the individuals involved (Sprecher & Hendrick, 2004). When intimacy occurs with another person it produces positive affect states, such as happiness, feelings of closeness and being validated and cared for (Reis & Shaver, 1988). Conversely, a lack of intimacy in relationships can lead to feelings of depression, low relationship satisfaction, and loneliness (Sprecher & Hendrick, 2004). Despite the evidence that intimacy is associated with many benefits, people differ in the extent to which they desire intimacy in their relationships (Bartholomew, 1990). Attachment theory has recently been proposed as a theoretical framework to explain individual differences in experiencing intimacy (Prager, 2000). Bowlby (1980) proposed that the early care given to an infant is internalised to produce cognitive representations of the self and others, and these 'working models' continue to influence the interpretation of behaviour in interpersonal relationships across the lifespan. Weis (1982) argued that important changes occur in adolescent relationships with regard to both intimacy and attachment; and that peer relationships become of increasing importance. Both adolescents and adults believe closeness, sharing and revealing private information are the most important aspects of intimacy (Monsour, 1992). According to Reis and Shaver's (1988) 'transactional' model, intimacy is a process where one person 'discloses' information, and the listener responds in a way which produces feelings of validation and support. At each point in this process both partner's goals, expectations and beliefs regarding interpersonal behaviour influence how each interaction is perceived and interpreted. Researchers (e.g., Grabill & Kerns, 2000; Sprecher & Hendrick, 2004) have now adopted the model proposed by Reis and Shaver (1988) by using multiple measures of intimacy to capture the different processes involved. A central concept of attachment theory is that working models influence the perceptions one holds of the behaviour of others in interpersonal experiences. The model proposed by Reis and Shaver (1988) allows the specific stages of the intimacy process, where working models of other and self can influence an individual's motivation for intimacy and the interpretation of a partner's behaviour, to be identified. Attachment working models of other


Background: Thalamic lesion due to deep cerebral venous thrombosis (DCVT) is an uncommon cause of stroke. Until now, only a few case reports have been published. The aim of the study is to report the clinical and radiological findings of thalamic lesion with DCVT. Methods: We reviewed our computerized stroke database of patients from October 1998 through December 2012; the diagnosis of thalamic lesion and DCVT was made in 5 patients who had done brain MRI and magnetic resonance venography. Results: Five patients had thalamic lesion and DCVT with ages ranging from 27 to 79 years (mean age, 47 years). Chronic and insidious headache was the most common initial clinical symptom. Neuropsychological abnormalities were present in 4 patients. All patients had a decreased level of consciousness. Four patients did well, with no (n = 1) or mild (n = 3) disability on the modified Rankin Scale at a 6-month follow-up examination. Conclusion: Thalamic lesion can be caused by DCVT with neuropsychological and radiological features that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intracranial artery occlusion or bleeding, especially in young patients. In this small group, most patients survived with few or mild defects.


Theoretical evaluation of the angular scattering enhancement around the back-scattering direction from a randomly rough surface is studied by employing the Kirchhoff approach. An analytic expression of polarized double-scatterered intensity that takes into account the coherence of multiple scattering from the rough surface is used to quantitatively evaluate the scattering enhancement around the back-scattering direction from such a surface.


Purpose: Presymptomatic testing for susceptibility to genetic prion diseases is often delivered in difficult circumstances, as the index case is often dying when a genetic diagnosis is obtained. Since test requests in these diseases are very rare, the factors underlying decisions of relatives to be tested or not and the long-term psychological consequences are not reported. Methods: We contacted subjects who had consulted between 2004 and 2017 because a relative carried a pathological PRNP variant. Standardized psychological scales and semistructured interviews were proposed. Results: We did contact 19 of the 30 subjects who had consulted: 6 of 10 who did not undergo testing, 10 of 12 noncarriers, and 3 of 8 mutation carriers. Anxiety rates were high and similar between noncarriers and untested subjects. Conclusions: Living in a family with inherited prion disease produced psychological burden, regardless of the decision to undergo testing and its results. Decisions in favor of being testing did not allow relief of anxiety about the family disease. The dilemmatic decision not to know remained a burden to be coped with. Genetic counseling procedures should take into account all these situations, even that of noncarriers and that of untested.


In order to guarantee the output of a quantum computation, we usually assume that the component devices are trusted. However, when the total computation process is large, it is not easy to guarantee the whole system when we have scaling effects, unexpected noise, or unaccounted correlations between several subsystems. If we do not trust the measurement basis nor the prepared entangled state, we do need to be worried about such uncertainties. To this end, we proposes a "self-guaranteed" protocol for verification of quantum computation under the scheme of measurement-based quantum computation where no prior-trusted devices (measurement basis nor entangled state) are needed. The approach we present enables the implementation of verifiable quantum computation using the measurement-based model in the context of a particular instance of delegated quantum computation where the server prepares the initial computational resource and sends it to the client who drives the computation by single-qubit measurements. Applying self-testing procedures we are able to verify the initial resource as well as the operation of the quantum devices, and hence the computation itself. The overhead of our protocol scales as the size of the initial resource state to the power of 4 times the natural logarithm of the initial state's size.


This paper represents the numerical analysis in unsteady state on the variation of diameter and environmental velocity of carbon heating source. In general heating system, the oil and sheath heater is widely used, but these systems have many problems. So, the heating source with carbon ingredient has been researched in many country about manufacture, thermal and electrical properties. In this research, the carbon heating source was studied through numerical analysis on several conditions of unsteady state, heat generation, diameter and environmental velocity. The temperature distributions at steady state are appeared as a non-proportional linear pattern with variations of environmental velocity due to the Nesselt number with convective heat flux is proportioned to 0.805 of Reynolds number. As the radius is increasing, the temperature distributions is appeared the minus tilt because of the environmental condition is cooling by constant temperature. So, the correlation equation between temperature at steady state and environmental velocity was obtained.


ABSTRACT Despite its long history of success, the EM algorithm has been vulnerable to local entrapment when the posterior/likelihood is multi-modal. This is particularly pronounced in spike-and-slab posterior distributions for Bayesian variable selection. The main thrust of this article is to introduce the particle EM algorithm, a new population-based optimization strategy that harvests multiple modes in search spaces that present many local maxima. Motivated by nonparametric variational Bayes strategies, particle EM achieves this goal by deploying an ensemble of interactive repulsive particles. These particles are geared toward uncharted areas of the posterior, providing a more comprehensive summary of its topography than simple parallel EM deployments. A sequential Monte Carlo variant of particle EM is also proposed that explores a sequence of annealed posteriors by sampling from a set of mutually avoiding particles. Particle EM outputs a deterministic reconstruction of the posterior distribution for approximate fully Bayes inference by capturing its essential modes and mode weights. This reconstruction reflects model selection uncertainty and is supported by asymptotic considerations, which indicate that the requisite number of particles need not be large in the presence of sparsity (when p > n). Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


Over the last decade the library and information science (LIS) field has experienced an increasing concern with workforce issues, including the aging of the workforce, the lack of minority presence in the field, and the need for succession planning. Little systematic research has been done to characterize the exact nature of the problems and to develop data collection models that can be used to track the workforce on an ongoing basis. The Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 1 (WILIS 1) project is a three-year research project designed to study the career patterns of graduates of library and information science (LIS) programs in North Carolina. The purpose of this paper is to describe the study design and methodology of the career retrospective study fielded by the WILIS study and to discuss the methodological lessons learned from this experience. The WILIS 1 career retrospective survey was fielded as a Web-based survey with complex skip patterns and achieved a 35 percent response rate. Topics for which lessons were learned include: the identification of effective strategies for updating graduate contact records, the relative efficacy of paper versus e-mail contacts in the survey recruitment process, the contributions of a nonresponse study to issues of generalizability, issues related to survey length, and the use of incentives.


A longstanding tradition exists, surveyed by Freud in the opening pages of his Interpretation of Dreams, holding that dream life is continuous with awake life. Contrary to Domhoff (2017), Freud partook of this tradition, and Calvin Hall, who was much influenced by Freud, articulated the idea in 1971 (with A. Bell) as "the continuity hypothesis." A decade later, with Domhoff's collaboration, "personal preoccupations and concerns" (and, sometimes, "interests"), extending over years, became the focus of the continuity hypothesis, which Domhoff seeks to make the exclusive defining feature of the hypothesis. It is urged here that wider aspects of continuity, including "latent contents" as well as "manifest contents," short- and intermediate-term dream–wake congruences, and personality constancies, should not be peremptorily excluded from a widely unifying principle of psychology.


Topological solitons that polarize the Dirac vacuum can assume fractional fermion (and electric) charge. The effect is investigated in detail in low-dimensional [(1 + 1)- and (2 + 1 )-dimensional space-time] quantum field theory models. A review is given of phenomena associated with fractional charges found experimentally in quasi-one-dimensional (spin-charge anomaly in lightly doped polyacetylene) and two-dimensional systems (quantum Hall effect). Topics covered include: (1) fractional charge in one-dimensional quantum field theory models, (2) anomalous quantum numbers in the Peierls-Frohlich system, and (3) twodimensional models of quantum field theory and the quantum Hall effect.


pulled back into the canal, the cord preceding it, will depend on the relative sizes of testis and superficial ring, and on the relative lengths of the parts of cremaster inside and outside of the inguinal canal. It is plain that in normal circumstances, in man, conditions will be right only for a short time during the later stages of descent of the testis-that is, in some infants and in children in whom descent is occurring late. I believe I have seen such cases. Mr. Browne says I have not. The dartos and hand can move the testis in its subcutaneous position and cannot push it into the superficial ring because that structure is occupied by the cord and protected by the reflection of external spermatic fascia on to the cord. It is rather like trying to pot the black when the pink is in the jaws of the pocket. The little experiment described in Mr. Browne's second paragraph proves that the experiment can be performed but does not test the action of the cremaster as he claims. In medicine, as in physics and chemistry, it is desirable to test hypotheses only by properly designed experiments.-I am, etc.,


Combing active ester chemistry and click chemistry, a cyclic double-grafted polymer was successfully demonstrated via a "grafting onto" method. Using active ester chemistry as post-functionalized modification approach, cyclic backbone (c-P2) was synthesized by reacting propargyl amine with cyclic precursor (poly(pentafluorophenyl 4-vinylbenzoate), c-PPF4VB6.5k). Hydroxyl-containing polymer double-chain (l-PS-PhOH) was prepared by reacting azide-functionalized polystyrene (l-PSN3) with 3,5-bis(propynyloxy)phenyl methanol, and further modified by azide group to generate azide-containing polymer double-chain (l-PS-PhN3). The cyclic backbone (c-P2) was then coupled with azide-containing polymer double-chain (l-PS-PhN3) via CuAAC reaction to construct a novel cyclic double-grafted polymer (c-P2-g-Ph-PS). This research realized diversity and complexity of side chains on cyclic-grafted polymers, and this cyclic double-grafted polymer (c-P2-g-Ph-PS) still exhibited narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 1.10).


The use of human mammary epithelial antigens (HME-Ags) was explored in detection of human breast cancers. Specific antibodies were made against HME-Ags, which are normal differentiation antigens of human breast epithelium, and were used in a solid phase radioimmunoassay. Circulating HME-Ags were detected in sera of breast cancer patients with high-tumor load. These antibodies, after radioiodination, were also successfully used to localize human breast tumors grafted in athymic nude mice by whole body radioimaging devices. These results suggest that HME-Ags can be applied to breast cancer diagnosis with higher specificity than those already reported.


According to the State Statistics a comparative analysis of total disability in the Russian Federation in 2010-2016 years was conducted, taking into account the performance of the working-age and over working-age population. The necessity of integration policy towards the older generation and social policy in respect of disabled persons is shown: it is advisable to make adjustments to the national strategies and programs involving the duties of authorities to protect and promote the rights of disabled people, the development of preventive, rehabilitation, medical and social trends in the interests of senior citizens are involved.


Syncope presents a proportion of up to 25% among children and adolescents and accounts for 0.9% of emergency room visits. Its most frequent aetiology is neurally mediated syncope, which includes vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension. Up to 70% of the paediatric population with reflex syncope is female. There are usually precipitating factors and prodromes. This mini-review will discuss the particularities of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, modified Calgary score, indications and accuracy of the head-up tilt test, classification, and pathophysiology in four sequential phases. Prognostic data and the non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches will also be reviewed and differences regarding reflex syncope in adults will be discussed.


We utilize a multiprocessor server-based approach to schedulea general class of soft real-time systems with stochastic execution demands, when bounded average-case tardiness is sufficient for schedulability. A key feature of the task model considered here is that the stochastic execution-time demands can have arbitrary amounts of dependence within pre-specified time intervals of bounded length. This is an important practical step forward from requiring complete independence of execution times between successive jobs of the same task. Our main result does not require the scheduler to know the execution time of each job in advance, and requires only average-case utilization to be bounded by the number of processors. This constraint is mild compared to constraints on worst-case utilization because in multiprocessor systems, worst-case execution times may be orders of magnitude higher than average-case execution times.


Twentieth-century philosophy of language saw a number of related but interestingly distinct arguments that independently challenge the objectivity and determinacy of traditional semantic notions like reference, denotation or extension. Collectively, they can be called 'semantic scepticism'. This essay will examine three of these arguments due to Quine (1960, 1969), Putnam (1978, 1980, 1981, 1985) and Kripke (1982), noting the increasing pressure they bring to bear on our common sense conceptions of meaning and reference. I will begin by identifying that conception independently.


This paper reports that the (Ga, Co)-codoped ZnO thin films have been grown by inductively coupled plasma enhanced physical vapour deposition. Room-temperature ferromagnetism is observed for the as-grown thin films. The x-ray absorption fine structure characterization reveals that Co2+ and Ga3+ ions substitute for Zn2+ ions in the ZnO lattice and exclude the possibility of extrinsic ferromagnetism origin. The ferromagnetic (Ga, Co)-codoped ZnO thin films exhibit carrier concentration dependent anomalous Hall effect and positive magnetoresistance at room temperature. The mechanism of anomalous Hall effect and magneto-transport in ferromagnetic ZnO-based diluted magnetic semiconductors is discussed.


We extend Parikh's study to the non-stationary black hole. As an example of the non-stationary black hole, we investigate the tunnelling effect and Hawking radiation from a Vaidya black hole whose Bondi mass is identical to its mass parameter. The Hawking radiation is considered as a tunnelling process across the event horizon and we calculate the tunnelling probability. It is found that the result is different from Parikh's study because drH/dv is the function of Bondi mass m(v).


Lipase produced by Aspergillus is widely known and used in many industrial sectors. In a previous study, three lipolytic filamentous fungi were isolated from Kendari (Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia) landfill soil and identified as Aspergillus niger KE1, Aspergillus terreus KC1, and Aspergillus fumigatus KE6. However, the optimization of these isolates has not been reported. In this study, statistical optimization was selected because it is more effective, efficient, economical, and robust in achieving results, and the possibility of analyzing the interaction effects among factors. Three lipolytic isolates were screened in the initial medium to obtain the highest lipolytic isolate, which was used in the medium optimization process. Optimization was performed using the series experimental design of Taguchi and RSM. Optimization successfully obtained the optimum medium with the reduction of the medium component from the previously reported medium. Aspergillus niger KE1 was the selected isolate with the highest lipase productivity after 72 h in the initial medium. The significant factors affecting lipase production were peptone, olive oil, glucose, and MgSO4 .7H2O. The model equation obtained was Y = 1043 ? 228 A + 300 B ? 19803 C + 99 A*A + 5720 B*B + 292855 C*C ? 979 A*B + 6563 A*C ? 56338 B*C. This model successfully predicted the lipase productivity with an R2 of 96.9%. The optimized medium was composed of 2% peptone, 0.1% olive oil, 0.5% glucose, and 0.075% MgSO4 .7H2O. Using the medium, lipase productivity increases 4.7-fold. Our results suggest that A. niger KE1 is a potential lipase source which catalyses the esterification reaction. Further research is needed to purify and characterize the lipase enzyme of this isolate.


Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the shock-induced phase transformation of iron at a certain initial temperature, which shows that the temperature lowers the threshold pressure of shock-induced phase transformation. Also, the evolution of the loading and unloading waves is calculated and analyzed, and it is found that the velocity of the inverse phase transformation wave(during e phase → α phase)equals the longitudinal sound speed of the wave front and is less than that of the wave rear. The pressure and density of unloading traces is also calculated, which affords a good explanation to the evolution of the unloading waves, and the phase transformation band of unloading is obtained, which shows the hysteresis in the reverse transformation.


Paurodontella gilanica n. sp. is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular characters. The new species is characterised by its small body size, four lines in the lateral field, weak stylet with minute asymmetrical knobs, female reproductive system lacking a diverticulum but with small post-vulval uterine sac, elongate conoid tail with pointed, sometimes filiform, tip, males common with small spicules and cloacal bursa not reaching tail tip. Morphological differences between the new species and seven known species of the genus, namely P. asymmetrica , P. auriculata , P. balochistanica , P. minuta , P. myceliophaga , P. parapitica and P. persica , are discussed. The new species is also compared with four known species of Paurodontus having four lines in the lateral field. Using a 1123 nt long partial 18S rDNA sequence of the new species to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships revealed that it formed a clade with members of the Sphaerulariidae and Paurodontidae. Using a 746 nt long partial sequence of the 28S rDNA D2-D3 segment revealed that P. gilanica n. sp. formed a clade with Abursanema iranicum in both Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses with 0.99 Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) and 89% bootstrap support value (BS). The morphological affinities of Paurodontella and Paurodontus are discussed.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of banana trunk as an adsorbent in removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution. Functional groups of adsorbent were determined using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Batch experiments were conducted to determine the adsorption percentage of heavy metals (Cu, As, Pb and Zn). The optimum adsorption using banana trunk was based on pH difference, contact time and dosage. Adsorption percentage was found to be proportional to pH, contact time and dosage. Maximum adsorption percentage of Cu, As, Pb and Zn at pH 6, 100 minutes and 8 gram of dosage are 95.80 %, 75.40 %, 99.36 % and 97.24 %, respectively. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to determine the equilibrium state for heavy metals ion adsorption experiments. All equilibrium heavy metals were well explained by the Freundlich isotherm model with R 2 = 0.9441, R 2 = 0.8671, R 2 = 0.9489 and R 2 = 0.9375 for Cu, As, Pb and Zn respectively. It is concluded that banana trunk has considerable potential for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution.


Achondroplasia was induced in chicken embryos by in ovo application of 0.6 mg/egg thallium sulfate. The critical (sensitive) period for production of achondroplasia began on day 5 of incubation and ended at the start of HH stage 35 (8.5 days). The end of the critical period was accurately timed and found to be 205-207 hours of incubation and to coincide with a 66% decrease in growth rate of the embryos. Treatment resulted in reduced tibial growth one day later, tibial angulation two days later, and chrondrocytic necrosis four days later. The last was therefore not the cause of the angulation. Tibias were taken from thallium-treated and control donor embryos of various ages and grafted to the chorioallantoic membranes of treated and control host embryos of various ages during and outside the critical period and achondroplastic changes induced in grafted tibias exposed to thallium while on the chorioallantoic membrane. The critical period was extended into day 10 of incubation in such grafted tibias. Tibias maintained for seven days in organ culture were achondroplastic if pretreated with thallium at seven or eight days of incubation but not at ten days. Exposure of as little as 0.5 hour was sufficient to elicit micromelia when the tibias were grafted or organ cultured. Thallium therefore rapidly binds to skeletal tissues during a critical period of embryonic development but this critical period may be extended when tibias are removed from the embryo.


Peptic ulcer is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries, characterised by imbalance between aggressive gastric luminal factor and defensive mucosal barrier. This disease is mainly associated with increase in gastric acid secretion. Numerous factors like diet, smoking, drugs like aspirin and infection are responsible for augmentation of ulcers. Still, no therapeutic intervention has been found successful. So, this review has been designed to explore various animal models to find out a suitable medication. Various synthetic Omeprazole, cemitidine and herbal drugs like tulsi, Areca catechu are employed in the management of the ulcers but still no curative treatment is available due to unknown mechanism behind ulceration. So this review has been designed to explore various animal models that depict the signalling pathway involved in ulcers and have open vista for the development of the new drugs.


A small-scale mixer designed by Bryce Maxwell is commercialized by Custom Scientific Instruments, Inc. under the name of MINI-MAX Molder. It is very useful for the study of polymer blends, especially when the available amount of polymer specimen is limited, for example, less than a few grams. However, it gives essentially shear flow and suffers from poor distribution and dispersion capabilities in comparison with large scale extruder and internal mixers. We propose here an improvement of the mixing and dispersing capabilities of the Maxwell small-scale mixer by the addition of Teflon disk and steel balls together with the mixed materials. When polypropylene and high impact polystyrene were mixed at 70/30 wt. ratio at 180°C without the disk and balls, the high impact polystyrene particle size (D) was 6.27 μm. A finer dispersion (D = 1.44 μm) was achieved by the introduction of one Teflon disk at the center of mixing cup and three steel balls. Furthermore, with increasing the number of steel balls from three to seven, and with using different sizes of balls, much finer dispersions were achieved (D = 0.58 μm and 0.47 μm). This may be caused by: (1) the addition of Teflon disk eliminates the low shear regions in the mixing cavity, and (2) the addition of steel balls induces asymmetric circulation of the materials, some changes in the flow lines going from the center to the border or from the top to the bottom, some reorientation of the materials, and higher shear fields. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1–5, 2006


Jerusalem. By Trude Weiss-Rosmarin. New York: Philosophical Library, 1950. 51 pages plus 12 plates. $2.75. The stated object of this book is to analyze "the untenable scheme for Jerusalem's internationalization" and the author proceeds on the presupposition that such a scheme is untenable. The analysis itself follows a manifest apology for recent Jewish violence in Palestine. The early chapters in the very brief treatment are devoted to the history of Jerusalem and refer summarily to the Biblical account. Though hardly worthwhile from a Bible study standpoint, the book is significant as a Jewish expression of love for Jerusalem, and reveals the viewpoint of modern Jewry to United Nations proposals for dealing with the problems of Palestine. J. Estill Jones


A transmitter (1) which transmits a predetermined amount of transfer data using an infrared ray includes: a controller (13) for transmitting an SNRM command to the other station without transmitting a station-search command (XID) for searching the other station, the SNRM command including parameters such as maximum transferable speed and maximum receivable data length of the transmitter (1); and a transmission section (14). Consequently, it is possible to shorten a time necessary for a connection between the transmitter and the receiver. This allows shortening a time from the start of communication to the end of the communication in transmitting information data.


Pasture renovators, which are also known as aerators, are used by growers to increase pasture
productivity. The increased productivity is believed to be due to increased infiltration of
rainwater, since yield increases are normally only observed during drier years when water is
limiting growth. If infiltration is significantly increased by renovating, then runoff should be
decreased. Reductions in the amount of water running off pastures should result in reductions in
phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) runoff. The objectives of this study were to determine the
effects of pasture renovation on pasture hydrology (infiltration and surface runoff), nutrient (P
and N) runoff, and forage production. Two sites located within the Piney Creek Basin in
Arkansas, USA, were selected for this study. There were 3 fertilizer treatments for each soil;
unfertilized, 8.97 Mg/ha of poultry litter (4 tons/acre), and 46,728 L/ha swine manure (5,000
gal/acre). Rainfall simulations were conducted after 1 day, 3 mo and 13 mo. after renovation in
2001 and 2002. The time to runoff was significantly longer on renovated land, the amount of
infiltration was greater and the volume of runoff was less than that on unrenovated land. On
average the amount of runoff was reduced by 45% with renovation, which translated into
reductions in nutrient runoff of roughly the same magnitude. Total P loads in runoff were
reduced by 43% with renovation; total N loads were reduced by 55%. Forage yields were not
different on this first study, probably because the plots received simulated rainfall during dry
periods of the year. Hence, forage yields were measured on a second study the following year.
Pasture renovation significantly increased yields (27% higher on renovated plots). These data
indicate that pasture renovation is a best management practice that can be used to reduce nutrient
runoff from pastures, while improving productivity.


Medicine is undergoing a transformation toward minimally invasive surgery, and with it comes an increasing need for more precise miniature instruments to accurately execute complex procedures. In catheter-based surgeries, the physician must control the tip of the catheter from a distal point outside the body, which makes it difficult to achieve precise manipulative control. Providing actuation local to the desired point of manipulation will greatly improve the physician's ability to intervene on diseases in a minimally invasive fashion. We present a new actuator made from laser machining shape memory alloy (SMA) tubes for use in an active steerable catheter. Using finite-element analysis and experimental verification, we have designed a 1.5-mm-long SMA actuator cut from 1.27-mm-diameter NiTi tubing that exhibits good fatigue properties, and can produce forces of 12 N at 20% elongation. We use an iterative rapid design process, so that many actuator geometries can be tested quickly to achieve the desired mechanical properties without complex material models. In this paper, we describe the design and testing of the actuator, and verify its force, elongation, and fatigue properties.


Unsupervised bilingual lexicon induction is the task of inducing word translations from monolingual corpora of two languages. Recent methods are mostly based on unsupervised cross-lingual word embeddings, the key to which is to find initial solutions of word translations, followed by the learning and refinement of mappings between the embedding spaces of two languages. However, previous methods find initial solutions just based on word-level information, which may be (1) limited and inaccurate, and (2) prone to contain some noise introduced by the insufficiently pre-trained embeddings of some words. To deal with those issues, in this paper, we propose a novel graph-based paradigm to induce bilingual lexicons in a coarse-to-fine way. We first build a graph for each language with its vertices representing different words. Then we extract word cliques from the graphs and map the cliques of two languages. Based on that, we induce the initial word translation solution with the central words of the aligned cliques. This coarse-to-fine approach not only leverages clique-level information, which is richer and more accurate, but also effectively reduces the bad effect of the noise in the pre-trained embeddings. Finally, we take the initial solution as the seed to learn cross-lingual embeddings, from which we induce bilingual lexicons. Experiments show that our approach improves the performance of bilingual lexicon induction compared with previous methods.


Purpose To synthesize echogenic chitosan/perfluorohexane nanodroplets (CNDs) for DKK-2 gene delivering in a spatiotemporally controlled manner in vitro. Methods The characteristics, contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, DNA binding and DNase protection capacity, DKK-2 gene transfection and effects on LNCaP cells of these CNDs were investigated. Results The obtained CNDs showed positive surface charges and could attract the genetic cargo with negative surface charges to form nanocomplexes. Agarose gel electrophoresis confirmed binding of the CNDs and pDNA. DKK-2 pDNA-loaded CNDs, in combination with ultrasound, ruptured and released DKK-2 pDNA, entering LNCaP cells through nano-scale pores in the cell membrane, which further reduced the proliferation of LNCaP cells. Conclusion These stable and safe CNDs may be a promising choice to achieve efficient ultrasound-mediated gene delivery to specific tissues in a spatiotemporally controlled manner.


The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of signalling molecules and its receptors (FGFRs) contribute to normal developmental and physiological processes. However, the subversion of this powerful growth stimulatory pathway has been implicated in the generation of a variety of pathological conditions. This review focuses on the role of FGF/FGFRs in cancer. The case will be made that this signalling pathway is associated with and functionally important for the growth of some human tumours. As such, FGF/FGFRs can be viewed as rational therapeutic oncology targets and strategies used to inhibit these molecules are discussed. The therapeutic exploitation of tumour-associated FGFR expression to deliver toxins or antiproliferative signals to tumour cells is also reviewed, as is the use of FGFs as protein therapeutics to alleviate the side effects of cancer therapy.


Basilar artery occlusion has a poor prognosis, but intra-arterial revascularization therapy has been shown to improve outcome. We report the case of a 32-year-old patient who suffered recurrent basilar artery occlusion and was successfully treated first with mechanical and pharmacological thrombolysis, then with stenting, in 2 separate angiographic sessions. An etiology of vascular dissection may account for the early postprocedural recurrence.


Global app marketplaces make families in foreign countries easily accessible to developers, but most scholarship on joint media engagement (JME) between parents and children reports on data from participants in Western contexts. We conducted an observational lab study to examine how preschoolers (age 3-5) and parents (N=74) from three different regions of the world (communities in China, Taiwan, and the United States) engage with two types of tablet games: an instructional game with goals and an exploratory, open-ended game. We found systematic differences among groups and between games. For example, parents from China and Taiwan frequently picked up their child's hand and used it as a tool to engage with the screen, a practice parents in our U.S. sample did not employ. Dyads from all three samples exhibited more warmth when playing an instructional game than an exploratory one. Our results suggest that characteristics of the populations we sampled interact with design features, that is, the same design prompted opposing behaviors in different groups. We conclude that it may be useful to examine goal-free and goal-oriented JME as separate constructs, that design choices influence the roles parents adopt during JME, and that the range of behaviors we observed complicate the prevailing research narrative of what positive and productive JME looks like.


OBJECTIVE
To perform a systematic critical appraisal of the methodological quality of systematic reviews on the effect of a history of periodontitis on dental implant loss.

MATERIALS & METHODS
PubMed, the Cochrane database for systematic reviews, the DARE, Biosis Preview, CINAHL, Web of Science, and LILACS electronic databases were searched on 16th June 2012, independently and in duplicate, for systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to dental implants for patients with and without a history of periodontitis. Manual searching of the reference lists of included papers was also conducted. The methodological quality of these systematic reviews was assessed by use of the AMSTAR and R-AMSTAR checklists. Before quality assessment was initiated, the reviewers were calibrated until they achieved excellent agreement.

RESULTS
Sixty-eight papers were initially retrieved. Of these, nine systematic reviews and three meta-analyses were included. Some domains, for example, "characteristics of the included studies" were satisfied in both checklists. In contrast, domains such as "comprehensive literature search" and "assessment of likelihood of publication bias" were rarely met.

CONCLUSION
Much methodological variability was encountered in the selected reviews. To furnish readers with a more comprehensive assessment of the evidence, authors should observe higher standards when conducting and reporting their reviews.


The number of lung "metastases" that develop from intravenously injected tumor cells is modified by the administration of certain carcinostatic agents. The number is increased by post-treatment with small amounts of mechlorethamine (HN2) or actinomycin D, but is decreased by larger amounts. Pretreatment with HN2 results in increased numbers of lung metastases. Pretreatment with actinomycin D, HN2, or triethylenemelamine (TEM) results in a strikingly increased growth of transplanted ascites tumor cells. Increasing the dose of actinomycin D or HN2 reduces the minimum number of cells required for successful transplantation. Although experimental results like these cannot be directly applied to clinical work, they still serve as a warning that cancer chemotherapy that is inadequate because the dosage is insufficient or the drug is ineffective may sometimes be even less satisfactory than no chemotherapy at all.


OBJECTIVE: To describe 34 cases of placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) treated at Charing Cross Hospital over 25 years. STUDY DESIGN: Between 1975 and 2001, 1,685 patients with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) were treated; 34 of them had PSTT (2%). The computer database clinical notes and the pathology reports were accessed to obtain data on this patient group. The data were subsequently analyzed using Excel computer software. RESULTS: The mean age of the group was 33 years (95% CI 25-41). The antecedent pregnancy was a full-term, normal one in 18 cases (53%), a molar pregnancy in 7 (21%) and a missed abortion in 5 (15%). The mean interval from the last pregnancy to diagnosis was 3.4 years (95% CI 1.9-4.9). The range of serum hCG concentrations at diagnosis was 0-58,000, 79% with levels <1,000 and 58% < 500. hCG was raised in all with active disease. The most frequent presenting complaint was vaginal bleeding, in 27 cases (79%). At diagnosis, the disease was localized to the uterus in 15 (44%); there was pelvic involvement in 8 (24%) and lung secondaries in 10 (29%). All seven deaths were disease related (21%); all had lung secondaries and presented more than four years since the last pregnancy. Excluding the seven deaths, the primary treatment was surgery alone in 10 cases (37%) (8 hysterectomies and 2 dilatation and curettages); 4 had surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy; 5 had neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery; 1 had chemotherapy alone, and the disease recurred and was successfully rechallenged; and 5 had surgery between chemotherapy cycles. The most common regimens consisted of EMA/CO and EP/EMA. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for death include lung metastatic involvement (50%) and an antecedent pregnancy interval of four years or more (100%). In contrast, those with no extrapelvic disease or a pregnancy interval of less than four years had 100% survival. In two-thirds of patients with disease limited to the uterus, surgery alone was curative. The WHO scoring system for GTD did not correlate with this outcome. Patients with PSTT should be managed separately from those with other types of GTD, as the disease behavior is different.


Extensive research over the past half century suggests that many types of intergroup interactions, including contact between strangers, acquaintances, roommates, neighbours, workmates, and teammates, have positive implications for intergroup relations. This extensive research has, moreover, revealed that intimate forms of intergroup contact, such as cross-group friendships, are particularly effective at improving intergroup attitudes. Despite this emphasis on intimate cross-group contact, however, there has yet to be an investigation into the intergroup outcomes of cross-group romantic relationships. The current research utilises and unites research on interpersonal relationships and intergroup contact theory in order to investigate the predictors and outcomes of cross-group romantic relationships. Across a series of cross-sectional and experimental studies, I examine the interpersonal and intergroup consequences of having direct and extended cross-group romantic contact. In addition, I explore intergroup preferences regarding romantic relationships and how the quality and norms associated with cross-group relationships are associated with these preferences. Results indicate that romantic preferences and choices are predicted by a powerful and pervasive ingroup bias. Importantly, the findings also reveal that although there are similarities with other forms of intergroup contact, cross-group romantic relationships are a unique form of contact. Similar to cross-group friendships, for example, extended contact with cross-group romantic relationships is associated with positive intergroup attitudes via perceived ingroup norms. Distinct from friendships, however, results reveal that cross-group partners continue to be maligned and this disapproval is negatively associated with their relationship quality and intergroup attitudes. Nevertheless, as extended contact predicts positive outcomes, future research and interventions could apply the current findings to reduce prejudice towards cross-group couples which would not only benefit the relationships, but would also promote a more harmonious society.


A combination of solid‐state CPMAS‐13C‐NMR and TMAH thermochemolysis‐GC/MS was applied to investigate the molecular composition of particulate organic matter (POM) separated from a Chinese paddy soil, from the Tai Lake region, under a long‐term field experiment with different fertilizer treatments. The treatments were: (i) no fertilizer application (NF), (ii) chemical fertilizers only (CF), (iii) chemical fertilizer plus pig manure (CFM) and (iv) chemical fertilizer plus crop straw (CFS). CPMAS‐13C‐NMR spectra showed that POM from all treated plots was rich in O‐alkyl‐C compounds, followed by alkyl‐C and aromatic‐C compounds. However, as compared with a control (NF), POM under CFM and CFS treatments exhibited a smaller relative O‐alkyl‐C content and a larger contribution of aromatic‐C and alkyl‐C, thus increasing both aromaticity and hydrophobicity and, hence, recalcitrance of POM samples. Thermochemolysis of POM from all treatments demonstrated a dominance of aliphatic and lignin‐derived compounds. However, the distribution of lignin monomers (p‐hydroxyphenyl, P, guaiacyl, G, and syringyl, S) revealed significant differences among the treatments. The relative distribution of lignin P, G and S monomers in NF, CF and CFS indicated a preferential contribution of annual crops and maize straw, as compared with that found for CFM. Concomitantly, a larger content of aliphatic thermochemolysis derivatives was found for CFS and CFM. The relative increase of aliphatic molecules in CFS was attributed to hydrophobic polyesters from higher plants. In the CF and CFM systems, the presence of aliphatic components of microbial origin suggested a greater microbial activity in comparison with NF and CFS. The combined application of solid state CPMAS‐13C‐NMR and TMAH thermochemolysis‐GC/MS can be used to assess effectively the accumulation of recalcitrant organic compounds in soil POM under long‐term fertilizer application with organic biomass. It is thus inferred that soil organic matter stabilization by molecular recalcitrance contributes to carbon sequestration in Chinese paddy soils under long‐term managements.


A computer aided design system for determining the color appearance of metallic automotive coatings has been developed. A sketch based bidirectional reflectance distribution function design interface allows simple concept art to be used to style new metallic car colors. The final design is specified using industrial measurement standards for metallic color appearance, and paint formulations are determined by employing an automotive refinish system. A virtual collection of existing automotive paints, specified using the measurement standard, is provided, and tools for searching this database, for both design and manufacturing purposes, are described. The system is assessed by using it in industrial and educational design studios. c 2015 Society for Imaging Science and Technology. (DOI: 10.2352/J.ImagingSci.Technol.2015.59.3.030403)


The Casimir force for a planar gauge model is studied considering perfect conducting and perfect magnetically permeable boundaries. By using an effective model describing planar vortex excitations, we determine the effect these can have on the Casimir force between parallel lines. Two different mappings between models are considered for the system under study, where generic boundary conditions can be more easily applied and the Casimir force be derived in a more straightforward way. It is shown that vortex excitations can be an efficient suppressor of vacuum fluctuations. In particular, for the model studied here, a planar Chern-Simons type of model that allows for the presence of vortex matter, the Casimir force is found to be independent of the choice of boundary conditions, at least for the more common types, like Neumann, perfect conducting and magnetically permeable boundary conditions. We give an interpretation for these results and some possible applications for them are also discussed.


The rupture of ectopic ovarian pregnancy accompanied by massive intra-abdominal bleeding is a rare obstetric complication, occurs predominantly in the first trimester of pregnancy, and can be dangerous and life-threatening for the pregnant woman. Our case describes a 37yr old woman with a history of 4 lower segment Cesarian sections (LSCS) (Caesarean sections) and multiple surgical abortions, presenting at the ER with acute abdomen symptoms. The patient's hemodynamic status was unstable. The positive urine pregnancy test combined with the clinical and ultrasound findings established the diagnosis of the ruptured ectopic pregnancy, and immediate surgical treatment was decided. During surgery, a large amount of blood was found in the peritoneal cavity, resulting from a rupture of the right ovary and accompanied by hemorrhagic infiltration of adjacent tissues, without participation in the damage of the ipsilateral fallopian tube. It was deemed necessary to remove the ipsilateral adnexa and whole blood transfusion. The patient was discharged from our department on the fourth postoperative day. The price of beta-chorionic gonadotropic hormone was on a downward trend. Three weeks later, the level of beta-chorionic gonadotropic hormone was zero. In the present paper, a brief review is attempted regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic approach for patients with ruptured ectopic ovarian pregnancy after describing the case.


The problem of terrorism is both an immediate threat and a long-term issue of safety and social cohesion, locally and globally. An immediate threat requires relatively straightforward interventions. Our public debates seem to be focusing too much on "fire-fighting" crisis management, and congratulating ourselves on instant emotional displays of solidarity, without paying enough attention to the substantial challenges of developing a broader social consensus, and a culture of mutual respect. More specifically, we need to find new ways to understand how local and global issues intersect, and why the global hegemony of one or two superpowers no longer seems to deliver stability and security (even for themselves). This is particularly true in a world where national borders have less and less relevance for the homogeneity of populations, cultures or values, and where whole communities, for instance, continue practices with impunity which are completely unacceptable to others – as well as being illegal, e.g. female genital mutilation. This paper explores some key theoretical issues which might help us to understand some of the underlying longer-term issues: the articulation of identity, culture, and power, and impact of micro-practices on global cohesion and security. The new globally connected social media have a central role to play in this analysis.


The child's readiness for entering primary education is characterized by the development of all the potential of the child. One of the potential that needs to be developed early on was the base for the preparation of skills in reading, writing and counting. On the cognitive field is the addition of knowledge into long-term memory therefore age 4-5 years children can get knowledge about simple concepts in everyday life today, as does the math to know the beginning. In Indonesia, learning counting can be taught on children provided in accordance with tahapanya and methods used should be fun, realistic mathematics learning strategies could be options of teachers to introduce children in the learning of mathematics in particular the introduction of the basic concept of the symbol number. This study aims to describe the application of learning strategies in realistic mathematics introduces math beginning in children.This study is a qualitative research approach with the approach of case studies and using the method of observation, interviews, and documentation in and gather data. Technique of data analysis research is Miles: with Huberman& presentation data, reduction of data, summary and verification.The research results showed that introducing math commencement through learning strategies in realistic mathematics done in kindergarten the include Ananda Kudus planning learning strategy, organizing, delivery strategies, and management strategies. Introducing mathematics beginning kindergarten teacher AnandaKudus one of them invites children to play traditional games, traditional games with children indirectly learning about the introduction of the concept. So child-centered learning and the teacher is a facilitator for the children, where the main activities facilitate teacher needed by the child. The main activities will be explained by teachers in the delivery of the material to the next teacher freed children to perform the play. Teachers evaluate the child by means of observation during the activities of the main and petrified children when children have difficulty in completing the game activities.


Purpose The benefits of sports and exercise to the lives and rehabilitative journeys of military veterans with disabilities is increasingly well-documented but veteran sporting events remain underexplored. Addressing this topic, the current article seeks to provide insight into the health and well-being of Team Ukraine during a 5-week preparatory camp in the UK before attendance at the 2022 Warrior Games. Materials and methods Two surveys were run, one toward the beginning and one toward the end of the camp. Eighteen of the 55 veterans and serving personnel (with disability), support staff, and family members in attendance responded to both surveys. Data on sleep, mood, and competition-related emotions, motivations for participation and perceived support were gathered. Data were analysed descriptively, and sleep, mood, and competition-related emotion responses were categorised to explore improvements, maintenance, or worsening in these areas. Results and conclusion Sleep, mood, and competition-related emotions were relatively stable, although sleep duration was low, and there were some increases in daytime dysfunction, anxiety, nervousness, and feeling tense. Family was the most important source of support and representation of one's country and raising awareness of Ukraine's circumstances were the most important motivational factors. Findings offer insight into not only the health and well-being experiences associated with participation in this disabled veteran sporting event, but also the important role played by this event in meeting collective goals relating to this unique time in Ukraine's history.


Abstract The response of a quadrupolar spin system in zero applied magnetic field to a long rf pulse, for both single crystal and polycrystalline samples possessing broad Lorentzian-shaped resonance lines has been studied. The dependencies of magnetization on frequency offset, linewidth and power are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The problem of the effective field direction in both single crystal and polycrystalline samples is also discussed. For a polycrystalline cuprous oxide (Cu2O) sample it is observed that the magnetization after a long pulse in on-resonance condition does not become zero for time t ≫ T2 , in agreement with theoretical results. It has also been shown that the magnetization increases with increase in the width of the resonance line as well as with the decrease in the excitation power.


Abstract In this paper, we first discuss some of the well-known methods available in the literature for the estimation of the parameters of a univariate/multivariate stable distribution. Based on the available methods, a new hybrid method is proposed for the estimation of the parameters of a univariate stable distribution. The proposed method is further used for the estimation of the parameters of a strictly multivariate stable distribution. The efficiency, accuracy and simplicity of the new method is shown through Monte-Carlo simulation. Finally, we apply the proposed method to the univariate and bivariate financial data.


Author(s): Hoppa, Kristin Michele | Advisor(s): Glassow, Michael A; VanDerwarker, Amber M | Abstract: The Chumash, complex marine hunter-gathers of the Santa Barbara Channel region, have occupied both the northern Channel Islands and parts of the California mainland for around 13,000 years (Johnson et al. 2000). On the islands, where there are no terrestrial game animals, there is a dichotomy of marine faunal and terrestrial floral resources. Whereas fish, shellfish, and marine mammals are abundant in the waters surrounding the islands, terrestrial plants are less abundant and diverse than on the mainland. Nonetheless, dense shell middens throughout the northern Channel Islands attest to the fact that islanders regularly transported marine resources to interior and high elevation locations. The use of interior sites as residences (rather than logistical encampments) is most pronounced during the Middle Holocene (5500-1500 BC), after which there is a shift to permanent, coastal settlements (Kennett 2005). Scholars have hypothesized that this interior settlement pattern could be motivated by access to freshwater, toolstone, plants, travel routes, defensive locations, or locations used for community aggregation (Glassow 2014; Kennett 2005; Orr 1968; Perry and Delaney-Rivera 2011; Perry and Glassow 2015). There are several lines of indirect evidence suggesting that plant resources were important during the Middle Holocene, including the development of the mortar and pestle circa 3850-3050 BC (Glassow 1997a), higher frequencies of plant processing tools deposited as grave goods (Hollimon 1990, 2001), and higher rates of dental caries (associated with carbohydrate rich plant foods) in burial populations (Walker and Erlandson 1986). Recent macrobotanical studies on the northern Channel Islands (e.g., Gill 2015; Martin 2010; Martin and Popper 2001; Reddy and Erlandson 2012; Thakar 2014) provide direct evidence that many ethnographically important plant resources were locally available, and were used throughout prehistoric occupation; however, none of these studies explicitly address the role of terrestrial resources in Middle Holocene settlement patterns.The current study combines faunal and macrobotanical data from three interior Middle Holocene sites with starch granule residue analysis of groundstone artifacts from these and other interior Middle Holocene sites. The low densities of macrobotanical remains recovered do not support the long-held belief that interior sites were used to exploit terrestrial plant resources; indeed, the minimal seeds identified are largely from plants with ethnographic uses as medicine, rather than food. However, starch granules, including acorn (Quercus spp.), pine (Pinus muricata) and cherry (Prunus illicifolia), indicate that ethnographically important food resources were being processed at interior sites, but are not preserving in the macrobotanical record. Starch granules identified in this study provide the first direct evidence of what plants different types of groundstone were used to process on the northern Channel Islands. Moreover, this study demonstrates the value of integrating multiple lines of evidence to provide a more holistic understanding of prehistoric foodways, and sets baseline expectations for future paleoethnobotanical research in this region.


Mostowska`s novel had no editon since it`s first publication in the first decade of XIX century. For years her literary output was ignored and depreciated. Undoubtely in spite of some flaws, Mostowska` s literary output includes didactic value, innovatory current and tendency. Mostowska was one from the first woman writers. She engaged herself in cultural and literary life, watched over publication of her works. The premise of modern editing Mostowska`s novel is not only to allow reading after two hundred years of break, in the optimum editorial form, but also to show Mostowska`s achievements in a new light. Contemporary edition is an attempt to re‑read and objectify the clerical image of this author. At the beginning of the edition appeared belief or argument that language fault of author should not prevent the critical edition, especially when we are dealing in the artistic achievements, which was not published outside the first edition ever.


This systematic review elaborates the concepts and impacts of border malaria, particularly on the emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax multidrug resistance (MDR) malaria on Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Cambodia borders. Border malaria encompasses any complex epidemiological settings of forest-related and forest fringe-related malaria, both regularly occurring in certain transmission areas and manifesting a trend of increased incidence in transmission prone areas along these borders, as the result of interconnections of human settlements and movement activities, cross-border population migrations, ecological changes, vector population dynamics, and multidrug resistance. For regional and global perspectives, this review analyzes and synthesizes the rationales pertaining to transmission dynamics and the vulnerabilities of border malaria that constrain surveillance and control of the world's most MDR falciparum and vivax malaria on these chaotic borders.


Objectives – To isolate and maintain canine Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (WJMSCs) in culture, to determine the effects of micellar nanoparticles containing doxorubicin (DOX) on WJMSCs and canine osteosarcoma (OSA) D17 cell viability, and to determine the effects of conditioned media from WJMSCs loaded with micellar nanoparticles containing DOX on OSA D17 cell viability. Sample Population – Canine WJMSCs containing various concentrations of DOX micelles and canine OSA D17 cells. Procedures – WJMSCs were isolated from canine umbilical cords. Micellar nanoparticles containing DOX were prepared and added to culture plates containing canine OSA D17 cells to determine micelle effects on cell growth and viability. Conditioned media from culture plates containing canine WJMSCs incubated with various DOX micelle concentrations was added to OSA D17 cells for conditioned media experiments. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to assess OSA D17 cell viability. A trypan blue stain was also utilized to perform cell counts to determine the effect of the DOX micelles on stromal cell growth. Results – WJMSCs were successfully isolated and maintained in culture. Micellar nanoparticles containing DOX decreased OSA D17 cell viability. OSA D17 cell viability was also decreased following incubation with conditioned media from canine WJMSCs loaded with micellar nanoparticles containing DOX. Significant decreases with the conditioned media of canine WJMSCs loaded with 10μM micelles occurred at 48 hours (p < 0.005) and at 72 and 96 hours (p < 0.0001). Significant decreases were also observed with the 1 μM DOX micelles at 72 hours (p < 0.005) and 96 hours (p < 0.0001). WJMSC numbers decreased in a dose dependent manner following incubation with DOX micelles. Changes in WJMSC number was not caused by increased cell death as all variables produced similar percentages of dead cells. Conclusions – Canine WJMSCs were successfully isolated and maintained in culture. Stromal cells containing DOX micellar nanoparticles induced OSA D17 cell cytotoxicity while inducing an anti-proliferative, rather than cytotoxic effect, on the WJMSC. These data support future in vivo experiments utilizing canine WJMSCs and micellar nanoparticles.


The stationary states of nonlinear Schrödinger equation on a ring with a defect is numerically analyzed. Unconventional connection conditions are imposed on the point defect, and it is shown that the system displays energy level crossings and level shifts and associated quantum holonomies in the space of system parameters, just as in the corresponding linear system. In the space of nonlinearity parameter, on the other hand, the degeneracy occurs on a line, excluding the possibility of any anholonomies. In contrast to the linear case, existence of exotic phenomena such as disappearance of energy level and foam-like structure are confirmed.


OBJECTIVE: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is more common among chronic hepatitis C patients.
Various risk factors that predisposes chronic hepatitis C patients' to develop Type 2 Diabetes,
includes age, sex, BMI and positive family history of diabetes mellitus. The objective of present
study is to determine the frequency of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus in chronic hepatitis C virus infection and to compare the clinico-demographic features of hepatitis C cases with or without
diabetes mellitus.
METHODS: This cross sectional study was done in medical wards of Liaquat University Hospital
Hyderabad / Jamshoro from August 15, 2010 to February 15, 2011.Hundred consecutive patients
of chronic hepatitis C virus infection were enrolled after getting informed consent. Baseline patient's data was collected with the help of a self-administered questionnaire which includes patient's history and physical examination. Patients were especially asked about family history of
Diabetes mellitus and their body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were recorded. Blood
samples were drawn after twelve hours of fasting for fasting blood sugar and after two hours of
taking meal for post prandial blood sugar. Liver function test, ultrasound abdomen and serological tests for hepatitis such as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti hepatitis C antibody (antiHCV) were done in every patient. Patients with Type 1 Diabetes mellitus and those
having positive results for both HBsAg and anti HCV antibody simultaneously were not included in the study. The data was analyzed by SPSS (statistical package for social science) version 10.0. For statistical data analysis, Chi square test was applied. A p value of ˂ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
RESULTS: Hundred patients of chronic hepatitis C were included in the study. Sixty were males
(60%) and forty (40%) were females. The age range of patients was 35-74 years and the mean
age was 47.25± 11.02 (SD). Out of hundred patients, twenty seven (27%)had positive family history of diabetes mellitus and twenty eight (28%) had diabetes mellitus themselves. The BMI
range of patients was 21-37 kg/m2 and the mean BMI was 26.03kg/m2 ± 4.30 (SD). Correlation of
age (p = 0.001), BMI (p = 0.009) and family history of diabetes mellitus(p = 0.001)with the frequency of type 2 Diabetes mellitus in HCV +ve patients was statistically significant while comparison of gender with T2DM in HCV patient was not statistically significant (p = 0.413).
CONCLUSION: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is more common among patients with chronic hepatitis
C than those without hepatitis C. Increasing age, positive family history of diabetes mellitus and
raised BMI are the risk factors for its development.


Genetically engineered mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma have proven invaluable for understanding mechanisms of tumorigenesis, therapy response, and drug resistance. However, mechanistic studies focused on studying these processes in tumor-bearing mouse lungs are confounded by the fact that, in most cases, relevant signaling pathways are analyzed in whole-lung preparations, which are composed of a heterogeneous mixture of cells. Given our increasing knowledge about the roles played by different subpopulations of cells in the development of lung adenocarcinoma, separating the major cellular compartments of the tumor microenvironment is recommended to allow for a precise analysis of relevant pathways in each isolated cell type. In this study, we optimized magnetic- and fluorescence-based isolation protocols to segregate lung epithelial (CD326/epithelial cell adhesion molecule-positive), endothelial (CD31-positive), and immune (CD45-positive) cells, with high purity, from the lungs of transgenic mice with mutant epidermal growth factor receptor-induced lung adenocarcinomas. This approach, which can potentially be extended to additional lung adenocarcinoma models, enables delineation of the molecular features of individual cell types that can be used to gain insight into their roles in lung adenocarcinoma initiation, progression, and response to therapy.


Autonomous loading implies a fully automated scenario in which automated excavating machines, such as front-loaders, load themselves from a heap of bulk material and deliver to the dumping site. The process comprises all the functions of loading, navigating, obstacle detection and avoidance and unloading to be automated and controlled by a supervisory computer. Autonomous loading benefits a number of industries such as construction and mining, from economical view point as well as other concerns like operators safety when the workplace is not hazard free. Despite all the benefits and despite considerable amount of research on the subject, there are no commercially available systems that can be purchased and put to work. In addition to a breakdown of all the tasks that need to be automated and the difficulties involved, this paper reviews and reports the various research and/or development activities that have been carried out during the past two decades on the subject.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of Ipigrix in the complex treatment of patients with dorsalgia (DA) of the lumbosacral spine based on the results of the DORISS observational non-interventional multicenter study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Overall 3563 patients with verified diagnoses of DA at 200 clinical centers within the Russian Federation who received comparable baseline therapy according to nosological standards were examined, some of them additionally received oral or staggered treatment with Ipigrix. Baseline therapy for DA was given to 376 patients (treatment group 1), combination of baseline with oral Ipigrix was given to 1026 patients (group 2), and combination with staggered prescription of ipidacrine - to 2161 (group 3). Secondary endpoint of the study included analysis of the improvement of clinical symptoms, values of pain NRS and DN4 scales together with Roland-Morris questionnaire during the period of observation depending on the therapy with an assessment of its safety.

RESULTS
The results of the analysis of covariance allowed to exclude the influence of confounders (age and initial indicators of the utilized scales) on DA outcomes and demonstrated the greatest pain reduction in patients who additionally received Ipigrix via the staggered scheme. The inter-group comparison aligned by pseudorandomization showed statistically significant benefits of combined therapy regardless of the type of Ipigrix administration concerning main vertebral syndrome manifestations, sensory and motor disturbances, relief of pain, as well as neuropathic symptoms, improvement of neurophysiological parameters and restoration of life functioning without serious drug related adverse events.

CONCLUSION
Ipigrix (ipidacrine) can be considered an effective and safe adjuvant analgesic in the treatment of DA.


The intracellular dioxin receptor mediates the biological effects of dioxins and related environmental pollutants. The dioxin receptor belongs to a novel subclass of DNA binding transcription factors. In addition to the receptor, this very class comprises a neurodevelopmental factor in Drosophila [correction of Drosphila] melanogaster, and a gene on chromosome 21 that is possibly critical for Down syndrome in man. In analogy to the dioxin receptor these factors may represent "orphan" receptors with as yet unidentified classes of ligands. The mechanism of action of the dioxin receptors is similar to that of members of the steroid hormone receptor gene family. Structurally, however, the dioxin receptor is distinct from steroid hormone receptors.


A frontier play for gas-charged Jurassic carbonate buildups, interpreted as pinnacle reefs, is under way along the western shelf of the East Texas Basin. Scattered reef-type features 200-800 ac in size have been identified thus far over an area approximately 6 mi (10 km) wide by 50 mi (80 km) long. As of January 1996, four new fields had been discovered with individual well productivities of 9-30 Mcf (FOOTNOTE *) gas/day and per-well reserves of 5-75 Gcf (FOOTNOTE *) gas. This paper presents new well log, 3-D seismic, and other information indicating the basic structural and depositional character of these features through a focus on Branton field (Leon County). These data strongly suggest the regional potential of the play and highlight the value gained by reevaluating k own provinces in the light of new interpretive schemes and technology.


Environmental factors and changes in phytoplankton community structure before (August 5, 2017), during (August 18 and 25) and after (August 30 and September 15) freshwater input were analyzed to investigate the effects of freshwater input from Ganwol and Bunam lakes located in the upper part of Cheonsu Bay. Due to the large amount of freshwater input in the Cheonsu Bay, the surface salinity of the bay decreased by more than 8 psu, and the thermocline existing in the bay during August weakened. In addition, hypoxic phenomena occurred temporarily in the bay as the low oxygen water mass from the freshwater lakes flowed into the bay, and chemical oxygen demand, nutrients, and N/P increased with freshwater inflow. The density of phytoplankton during the freshwater inflow increased owing to their input from the freshwater lakes. Diatom species (Eucampia zodiacus) dominated the phytoplankton community in the bay before freshwater input; nanoflagellates, chlorophyta, cyanobacteria, and diatoms (Pseudonitzschia delicatissima, Chateocceros spp.) entered during freshwater input; and after freshwater inflow ended, diatoms (Chateocceros spp.) again became predominant indicating a return to previous conditions. The amount of phytoplankton standing crops increased sharply due to the inflow of freshwater species into the bay on the second day of discharge compared to before freshwater input; pre-discharge conditions were restored at most stations except at some sites close to the Bunam Lake three days after discharge. Therefore, the large amount of freshwater flowing into the bay affects not only the geochemical circulation in the bay but also the phytoplankton community structure. In particular, the high concentration of nutrients in the freshwater lake affect the marine ecosystem of the bay during August.


Tr ace element deficiencies commonly encountered in Japanese infants and children are discussed. Premature birth infants have a high likelihood of developing deficiency of trace elements such as iron, zinc, and selenium, during the period of rapid growth from 2 months to 6 months of age. Breast-fed infants, in particular, are prone to develop trace element deficiency, and alopecia and dermatitis attributable to zinc deficiency have been reported. Furthermore, "follow- up milk" formulas (milk-substitute nutritional supplement for infants) in Japan con- tain practically no zinc or copper. Dependence on follow-up milk formulas as the main source of nutrition is associated with a high risk of zinc and copper deficiency. In one study, 60% of short-statured children without any endocrine disease were found to have zinc deficiency, and zinc administration was associated with an increase of body height. About 20 to 30% of adolescent and young women exhibit iron and zinc deficiency due to dieting. Excessive iodine intake by mothers during pregnancy has been suggested to be the cause of hyper-TSH-emia detected during the mass screening of neonates. Many enteral formulas in Japan do not contain selenium and iodine, and long-term administration of such formulas has been reported to be associated with deficiency of these elements.


Background This study assessed the extent of delays in childhood vaccinations and examined sociodemographic correlates of delayed and missing vaccinations. Methods Datasets from the 2005–7 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 31 countries were used. Information on vaccinations was based on vaccination cards. Survival analysis was applied to assess age-specific vaccination rates, and multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with delayed and missing vaccinations. Results The median vaccination coverage across all countries varied from 91% measles-containing vaccine (MCV) to 98% bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccine (BCG). The median fraction of timely administered vaccinations was 65% (range 14.5–97.2%) for BCG, 67% (11.6–89.3%) for the first dose of vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP1), 41% (10.8–82.1%) for DTP3, 68% (29.7–90.3%) for the first dose of polio vaccine (polio1), 38% (10.5–81.0%) for polio3 and 51% (22.3–91.1%) for MCV. The median of the median delays across all countries was 2.1 weeks (IQR 0.9–3.0) for BCG, 2.4 weeks (1.5–3.1) for DTP1; 6.3 weeks (3.3–9.0) for DTP3; 2.0 weeks (1.3–3.1) for polio1, 6.6 weeks (4.3–9.3) for polio3 and 4.1 weeks (2.5–5.8) for MCV. A higher number of children in households and lower socioeconomic status were associated with delayed and missing vaccinations; however, the effects of socioeconomic gradient varied by country. Conclusion Most countries achieved high up-to-date vaccination coverage. However, there were substantial vaccination delays. Collecting information on the timeliness of vaccination in national surveillance systems will provide a more complete view of vaccination coverage. Missing and delayed vaccinations can be addressed jointly in prevention programmes.


This book looks at the lives of six inspirational individuals who have made significant contributions to the well-being of disadvantaged children. Based on documentary research and extensive interviews, the book relates personal histories to wider developments and makes important connections between poverty, inequality and child care policy.


Current practice uses statistical tests to determine whether seasonal factors should be applied in a given forecasting situation. Research suggests that an optimal policy might lie somewhere between using full seasonal factors and using no seasonal factors on series. This research proposes and tests use of a modified seasonality factor. Modified seasonal factors reduce the emphasis on the seasonal adjustments when forecasts are made. The adjustments account for errors in the estimation of the factors and for possible changes in the factors over the forecast horizon. An analysis of data from US Navy personnel inventories was conducted to test the use of a modified seasonality factor. Modified seasonal factors led to improved accuracy for predictions of inventories by paygrade using quarterly data from the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center (NPRDC). Under certain selections of factors, the mean absolute percent error (MAPE) was reduced by 4.4%. No gain was obtained, however, for the inventories by length of service. It is expected, but not shown here, that the modified seasonal factors will only be of value for series where the estimated seasonal factors show a substantial variation across the year. 3 refs., 6 tabs.


Organism dispersal is nowadays highly driven by human vectors. This also refers to the aquatic organisms that can often silently spread in and invade new waters, especially when human vectors of dispersal act without brakes. Thus, it is mandatory to continuously identify human-mediated mechanisms of organism dispersal and implement proper biosecurity treatments. In this study, we demonstrate how the plankton net – one of the basic instruments in the equipment of every plankton sampling person is a good vector for plankton dispersal and invasions. We also demonstrate whether keeping the net in an ethanol solution after sampling is a proper biosecurity treatment, and what kind of treatments are implemented by people worldwide. The first simulation shows that bloom-forming cyanobacteria can easily infiltrate into the new environment thanks to the nets, and can prosper there. However, ethanol-based biosecurity treatment efficiently prevented their spread and proliferation in the new environment. The second simulation, based on wild plankton from an eutrophic lake, indicates that a plethora of phyto- and zooplankton taxa can infiltrate into the new waterbody through the net and sustain themselves there if the net is only flushed in the waterbody and left to dry after sampling (an approach that is commonly used by naturalists). Here, we also show that native plankton residents strongly shape the fate of hitch-hikers, but some of them like cyanobacteria can successfully compete with residents. Survey data alert us to the fact that the vast majority of biologists use either ineffective or questionable biosecurity treatments and only less than a tenth of samplers implement treatments based on disinfectant liquids. Our results emphasize that the lack of proper biosecurity methods implemented by the biologists facilitates the spread and invasions of plankton including also invasive species of a great nuisance to native ecosystems. Considering that naturalists usually use different instruments that might also be good vectors of plankton dispersal, it is necessary to develop proper uniform biosecurity treatments. No longer facilitating the plankton spread through hydrobiological instruments is the milestone that we, plankton samplers worldwide, should achieve together in the nearest future if we want to continue our desire to explore, understand, protect and save nature.


Flowers pollinated by mammals have evolved in many plant families. Several scent compounds that attract bats to flowers have been identified, but the chemical ecology of pollination mutualisms between plants and ground-dwelling mammals is poorly understood. Rodents are key pollinators in South Africa and rely heavily on olfaction to locate food. Our aim was to identify compounds that may function to attract rodents to flowers. Eighteen volatile compounds, including 14 that are prominent in the scent of rodent-pollinated flowers, were used in choice experiments involving wild-caught individuals of four native rodent species. Rodents were generally attracted to oxygenated aliphatic compounds, specifically ketones and esters, but not to some aromatic compounds common in floral scents of insect-pollinated species, nor to a sulfide compound that is attractive to bats. Associative conditioning using sugar solution as a reward had only weak effects on the attractiveness of compounds to rodents. The attractive effect of some compounds disappeared when they were blended with compounds that did not attract rodents. We conclude that aliphatic ketones and esters are likely to play a key role in attracting rodents to flowers. Deployment of these compounds may allow plants to exploit rodent sensory bias that evolved in other contexts such as intra-specific communication and searching for seeds. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.


Copper (Cu) electrodeposition (ECD) in through-silicon-vias (TSVs) is an essential technique required for high-density 3-D integration of complex semiconductor devices. The importance of Cu ECD in damascene interconnects has led to a natural development towards copper electrodeposition in TSVs. Cu ECD is preferred over alternative approaches like the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of tungsten (W) or aluminum (Al) because Cu ECD films have lower film stress, lower processing temperatures, and more optimal thermal and electrical properties as compared with CVD W or Al. Via filling with electroplated Cu on substrates that have undergone atomic layer deposition of a conformal platinum seed metal is investigated herein. These mesoscale vias (600 μm depth, 5:1 aspect ratio) will be utilized in ultra-high-vacuum systems and thus require a uniform, void-free Cu deposit of sufficient thickness to prevent device degradation due to skin effects when RF frequencies as high as 100 V at 100 MHz are used. Conformally Cu-lined TSVs are achieved through the implementation of a complex ECD parameter scheme, and these results are compared with computational finite element modeling (FEM) outcomes. A novel, single additive chemistry is also developed and implemented to achieve fully filled void-free mesoscale TSVs within 6 hours of plating time, which represents an extraordinarily fast and controllable plating rate (100 μm/hour) for interconnect (IC) feature filling.


Introduction: Application of chest radiography for all multiple trauma patients is associated with a significant increase in total costs, exposure to radiation, and overcrowding of the emergency department. Ultrasound has been introduced as an alternative diagnostic tool in this regard. The aim of the present study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasonography and radiography in detection of traumatic intrathoracic injuries. Methods: In the present prospective cross-sectional study, patients with traumatic intrathoracic injuries, who were referred to the emergency department from December 2013 to December 2014, were assessed. The patients underwent bedside ultrasound, radiographic and computed tomography (CT) scan examinations based on ATLS recommendations. Screening performance characteristics of ultrasonography and radiography were compared using SPSS 21.0. Chest CT scan was considered as gold standard. Results: 152 chest trauma patients with a mean age of 31.4 ± 13.8 years (range: 4 ‒ 67), were enrolled (77.6% male). Chest CT scan showed pulmonary contusion in 48 (31.6%) patients, hemothorax in 29 (19.1%), and pneumothorax in 55 (36.2%) cases. Area under the ROC curve of ultrasonography in detection of pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pulmonary contusion were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.86‒0.96), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78‒0.94), and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.736‒0.88), respectively. Area under the ROC curve of radiography was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.736‒0.87) for detection of pneumothorax, 0.77 (95% CI: 0.68‒0.86) for hemothorax, and 0.58 (95% CI: 0.5‒0.67) for pulmonary contusion. Comparison of areas under the ROC curve declared the significant superiority of ultrasonography in detection of pneumothorax (p = 0.02) and pulmonary contusion (p < 0.001). However, the diagnostic value of the two tests was equal in detection of hemothorax (p = 0.08). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that ultrasonography is preferable to radiography in the initial evaluation of patients with traumatic injuries to the thoracic cavity


Carburetion and a number of other engine functions dependent on manifold vacuum are adversely affected at higher altitudes. This paper presents various approaches to compensate for this effect, discusses the rationale leading to the variable air bleed approach chosen by Carter Carburetor Division and reviews the significant features of the compensating device as developed. /GMRL/


Normal hematopoiesis is a well-regulated process in which the generation of mature blood elements occurs from a primitive pluripotent stem cell in an ordered sequence of maturation and proliferation. Regulation occurs at the level of the structured microenvironment (stroma), via cell-cell interactions and by way of the generation of specific hormones and cytokines: erythropoietin, interleukin 3, granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), monocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin 5, interleukin 4, and other less well-defined factors, including the megakaryocyte growth factors. Understanding of this complex process has revealed insights into the pathophysiology of human disease and provided a theoretical framework for the therapeutic use of bone marrow transplantation and potential gene transfer therapy. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials suggest that the hematopoietic growth factors may represent a significant new group of therapeutic reagents for patients with hematological and oncologic disease.


The $k$-Opt and Lin-Kernighan algorithm are two of the most important local search approaches for the Metric TSP. Both start with an arbitrary tour and make local improvements in each step to get a shorter tour. We show that, for any fixed $k\geq 3$, the approximation ratio of the $k$-Opt algorithm for Metric TSP is $O(\sqrt[k]{n})$. Assuming the Erd\H{o}s girth conjecture, we prove a matching lower bound of $\Omega(\sqrt[k]{n})$. Unconditionally, we obtain matching bounds for $k=3,4,6$ and a lower bound of $\Omega(n^{\frac{2}{3k-3}})$. Our most general bounds depend on the values of a function from extremal graph theory and are tight up to a factor logarithmic in the number of vertices unconditionally. Moreover, all the upper bounds also apply to a parameterized version of the Lin-Kernighan algorithm with appropriate parameter. In the end, we show that the approximation ratio of $k$-Opt for Graph TSP is $\Omega\left(\frac{\log(n)}{\log\log(n)}\right)$ and $O\left(\left(\frac{\log(n)}{\log\log(n)}\right)^{\log_2(9)+\epsilon}\right)$ for all $\epsilon>0$.


The aim of this study was to analyze how the social problems underlying the care of boys and girls are described in judgments according to 3 § LVU (Care of Young Persons Special Provisions Act) from Judith Butlers gender perspective. Therefore I have studying totally 40 cases of 3 § LVU to see if there are any similarities and differences in how each genders social problems is described by social welfare board and the court. The questions in this study are based on the three procedural requirements in 3 § LVU, these three are abuse of drugs, criminal activity and other socially degrading behavior. The method selection is a qualitative content analysis. This method focuses on examining how the phenomenon is expressed in text and since I am looking to analyze how each gender is described in documents in the form of judgments, the method is appropriate. The analysis is divided according to the three procedural requirements in 3 § LVU. The analysis has shown that there are patterns in how each gender is described in relation to various social problems, which in turn creates norms for when boys and girls are relevant to LVU. Among other things, it has been discovered that the conditions for care due to abuse differ in such a way that there is a difference in ensuring the abuse between boys and girls. The difference shows that you do not trust the boys in the same way you do the girls. In addition, this also makes a difference in how detailed descriptions are, which results in the more seriously taking of girls mental illness. Therefore, social workers should reflect on what conditions they describe their clients, but they should also try to utilize their professional skills in getting to know every client and avoiding being affected too much by the standards that exist around each gender. (Less)


Research on stratification and inequality has been mainly preoccupied with differential resource allocation in a given society, thereby mainly assuming that class is the main predictor. In addition to class, more recent studies have turned their attention to multiple dimensions of inequality including gender, ethnicity/race, and age among others, thus using the term in the plural and investigating the processes leading to inequalities and stratification. Moreover, analysis of inequalities has usually been conducted within nation‐state frameworks, while contemporary transnational research argues for a deconstruction of territorialist and container thinking. This entry provides an analytical overview of a vast literature on the theories of social stratification and inequality while identifying the main arguments of classical and contemporary approaches.


Pentazolate compounds have attracted extensive attention as high energy density materials. The synthesis and recovery of pentazolate compounds is of great importance for their potential applications. Here, we report the synthesis of Pmn21-NaN5 and Pm-Na2N5 through compressing and laser heating pure NaN3 at ∼ 60 GPa. Upon decompression, the pressure-induced structural transition from Pmn21-NaN5 into Cm-NaN5 is observed in the pressure range of 14–23 GPa for the first time. The cyclo- N5− can be traced down to 4.7 GPa at room temperature and recovered to ambient pressure under low temperature condition (up to 160 K). The Pm-Na2N5 is suggested to decompose into the P4/mmm-NaN2 at 23 GPa, and be stable at ambient conditions. This work provides insight into the high-pressure behaviors of pentazolate compounds and an alternative way to stabilize energetic polynitrogen compounds.


BACKGROUND
Cranial capacity is used as a measure of brain volume and has a relationship with age and gender. The purpose of this study was to provide normative data and population-, age- and gender-specific regression formulae related to cranial capacity using head dimensions among the Ukwuani people of Nigeria.

METHODS
This study included 605 subjects grouped according to age as follows: 6-12 years, 13-19 years and ≥20 years. A cross-sectional study design using multistage sampling technique was adopted. Head length, head width, and auricular head height were measured in centimetres using a spreading caliper, and cranial capacity was calculated. The data were analysed using SPSS 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. A t-test was used to identify significant gender differences. Regression analyses were performed to derive age-, gender- and population-specific models. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS
In all the parameters, males had significantly higher values than females (P < 0.05). The mean (SD) cranial capacity values at 6-12 years, 13-19 years and ≥20 years were 1176.95 (98.35) cc, 1288.59 (113.21) cc and 1408.90 (116.44) cc, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
All the parameters exhibited sexual dimorphism. Cranial capacity was found to increase with age. The models derived in this work will be relevant to population and growth studies as well as forensic anthropology.


A rule-based controller based on fuzzy set theory for controlling the output power of a pulse width modulation (PWM) inverter in a photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion interface scheme is presented. The objective is to track and extract the maximum available solar power from the PV array under varying solar insolation levels. To achieve this the power error and the rate of change of this error are used as input signals to the fuzzy rule-based controller and its output signal is used to control the PWM inverter. The input error signals are fuzzified and expressed as linguistic labels characterized by their membership grades. Using a fuzzy relation matrix, a set of 49 rules find fuzzy logic operations, the controller output is obtained. The fuzzy controller output expressed in linguistic labels is defuzzified to obtain the actual analog signal to control the PWM inverter. The proposed fuzzy rule-based controller is simulated and experimentally verified, and is found to give good power tracking performance.<<ETX>>


Having highly accurate and reliable Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the Earth's surface is critical to orthorectify Landsat imagery. Without such accuracy, pixel locations reported in the data are difficult to assure as accurate, especially in more mountainous landscapes, where the orthorectification process is the most challenging. To this end, the Landsat Calibration and Validation Team (Cal/Val) compared the Copernicus DEM (CopDEM) to the DEM that is currently used in Collection-2 processing (called "Collection-2 DEM"). NGS ground-surveyed and lidar-based ICESat-2 points were used, and the CopDEM shows improvement to be less than 1 m globally, except in Asia where the accuracy and resolution of the DEM were greater for the CopDEM compared to the Collection-2 DEM. Along with slightly improved accuracy, the CopDEM showed more consistent results globally due to its virtually seamless source and consistent creation methods throughout the dataset. While CopDEM is virtually seamless, having greater than 99% of their data coming from a single source (Tandem-X), there are significantly more voids in the higher elevations which were mostly filled with SRTM derivatives. The accuracy of the CopDEM fill imagery was also compared to the Collection-2 DEM and the results were very similar, showing that the choice of fill imagery used by CopDEM was appropriate. A qualitative assessment using terrain-corrected products processed with different DEMs and viewing them as anaglyphs to evaluate the DEMs proved useful for assessing orbital path co-registration. While the superiority of the CopDEM was not shown to be definitive by the qualitative method for many of the regions assessed, the CopDEM showed a clear advantage in Northern Russia, where the Collection-2 DEM uses some of the oldest and least accurate datasets in the compilation of the Collection-2 DEM. This paper presents results from the comparison study, along with the justification for proceeding with using the Copernicus DEM in future Landsat processing. As of this writing, the Copernicus DEM is planned to be used in Collection-3 processing, which is anticipated to be released no earlier than 2025.