14 Recent years have seen increasing interest in multicultural music education. During the 1989-90 academic year, an ethnornusicologically oriented music program funded by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts was implemented at the Cold Spring School in New Haven, Connecticut. I came to this small, private, progressive elementary school to teach world music and to develop methods in multicultural music pedagogy. To many people, the term "ethnomusicology" refers to the study of socalled "ethnic" (or non-Euro-American) music. Ethnomusicologists, however, usually define their field as the study of music in (or as) culture. According to this definition, the subject matter of ethnomusicology is world music, which includes the musics of Europe and the Americas, as well as the other continents' and the theoretical perspective of ethnomusicology stresses the relationships between music and other aspects of culture. In keeping with this perspective, an ethnomusicological primary (or secondary) school curriculum need not expose students to a large number of world musics. Indeed, relationships between music and other aspects of culture are often best illustrated by focusing on one music culture at a time. An ethnomusicologically oriented music curriculum should teach performance of one or more world musics and communicate ways in which music reflects, shapes, and generally relates to other aspects of culture such as dance, language, the plastic arts, geography, history, and so forth. These were my goals for the Cold Spring music curriculum.


The application of indentation techniques to the evaluation of fracture toughness is examined critically, in two parts. In this first part, attention is focused on an approach which involves direct measurement of Vickers-produced radial cracks as a function of indentation load. A theoretical basis for the method is first established, in terms of elastic/plastic indentation fracture mechanics. It is thereby asserted that the key to the radial crack response lies in the residual component of the contact field. This residual term has important implications concerning the crack evolution, including the possibility of post indentation slow growth under environment-sensitive conditions. Fractographic observations of cracks in selected "reference" materials are used to determine the magnitude of this effect and to investigate other potential complications associated with departures from ideal indentation fracture behavior. The data from these observations provide a convenient calibration of the Indentation toughness equations for general application to other well-behaved ceramics. The technique is uniquely simple in procedure and economic in its use of material.


The performance of Particle Swarm Optimization is greatly affected by the size and sociometry of the swarm. This research proposes a dynamic sociometry, which is shown to be more effective on some problems than the standard star and ring sociometries. The performance of various combinations of swarm size and sociometry on six different test functions is qualitatively analyzed.


Paranasal mycosis is divided into non-invasive and invasive types. The invasive type is rare, but sometimes fatal; it can extend up to the skull base and affect the orbital cavity with bone destruction. We encountered a case of invasive paranasal-skull base mycosis resistant to surgical and pharmacological treatments. A 78-year-old man developed persistent headache and retro-ocular pain in June, 2004, and consulted the Department of Neurosurgery and Otorhinolaryngology, Ritsurin Hospital on July 20. CT scan demonstrated a soft tissue shadow in the ethmoid and sphenoid sinus with bone destruction of the skull base. We performed endonasal endoscopic biopsy on July 30, but we could not open the sphenoid sinus because of bleeding. Therefore, we only opened the bilateral ethmoid sinuses. The result of biopsy showed granulation tissue. On August 11, endonasal endoscopic surgery was performed to obtain biopsy and culture as well as to drain the sphenoid sinus. The second histopathological examination demonstrated a fungus ball. Culture of this fungus ball demonstrated Aspergillus fumigatus. Post-operative CT scan showed the persistent residue of a soft tissue shadow and expansion of a bone defect of the skull base. The patient was referred to Kagawa University for further treatment. Endonasal endoscopic surgery was performed again to remove residual fungus on August 20. Antifungal drug therapies had been administered throughout the treatment period, but we failed to control the fungal disease. The patient died on September 21.


Flow over two side-by-side square columns is studied numerically and experimentally at low Reynolds number (Re=100-200) to investigate the effects of the gap distance on the behaviour of the flow. Different gap distances between two square columns are simulated to analyse the interactions of laminar wakes with a gap flow. Four different flow regimes are observed based on different gap distance. Experimental test are performed to validate the simulations. A new water tank has been built specifically for these tests due to the requirements of low Reynolds number and the high sensitivity of the gap flow. Initial experimental flow visualizations of the vortex wake confirm the findings of distinct gap flow regimes.


Chondromyxoid fibroma involved the spinous process of L2. To our knowledge, this is the first reported occurrence in the lumbar spine.


A layer of water in a cylindrical tank is known to be capable of sustaining standing solitary waves within a certain parametric domain when the tank is excited under vertical oscillation. A new mode of forced waves is discovered to exist in a different parametric domain for rectangular tanks with the wave sloshing across the short side of the tank and with its profile modulated by one or more hyperbolic-tangent, or kink-wave-like envelopes. A theoretical explanation for the kink wave properties is provided. Experiments were performed to confirm their existence.


Federated learning (FL) is a distributed machine learning approach involving multiple clients collaboratively training a shared model. Such a system has the advantage of more training data from multiple clients, but data can be non-identically and independently distributed (non-i.i.d.). Privacy and integrity preserving features such as differential privacy (DP) and robust aggregation (RA) are commonly used in FL. In this work, we show that on common deep learning tasks, the performance of FL models differs amongst clients and situations, and FL models can sometimes perform worse than local models due to non-i.i.d. data. Secondly, we show that incorporating DP and RA degrades performance further. Then, we conduct an ablation study on the performance impact of different combinations of common personalization approaches for FL, such as finetuning, mixture-of-experts ensemble, multi-task learning, and knowledge distillation. It is observed that certain combinations of personalization approaches are more impactful in certain scenarios while others always improve performance, and combination approaches are better than individual ones. Most clients obtained better performance with combined personalized FL and recover from performance degradation caused by non-i.i.d. data, DP, and RA.


In recent years, the numerous reports about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch have raised the concern about marine litter. Some types of marine debris, notably plastics, are known to degrade very slowly and as a consequence they remain in the marine environment for a long time. This waste affects the marine ecosystem in several ways, e.g. by entanglement of wildlife or ingestion of plastics by seabirds. Another issue is that, due to the impact of currents, waves and UV radiation larger parts of plastic debris eventually break down to smaller particles known as microplastics (< 1mm).


Breast cancer impacts female population globally and is the second most common cancer for females. With various limitations and adverse effects of current therapies, several immunotherapies are being explored. Development of an effective breast cancer vaccine can be a groundbreaking immunotherapeutic approach. Such approaches are being evaluated by several clinical trials currently. On similar lines, our research study aims to evaluate a particulate breast cancer vaccine delivered via skin. This particulate breast cancer vaccine was prepared by spray drying technique and utilized murine breast cancer whole cell lysate as a source of tumor-associated antigens. The average size of the particulate vaccine was 1.5 μm, which resembled the pathogenic species, thereby assisting in phagocytosis and antigen presentation leading to further activation of the immune response. The particulate vaccine was delivered via skin using commercially available metal microneedles. Methylene blue staining and confocal microscopy were used to visualize the microchannels. The results showed that microneedles created aqueous conduits of 50 ± 10 μm to deliver the microparticulate vaccine to the skin layers. Further, an in vivo comparison of immune response depicted significantly higher concentration of serum IgG, IgG2a, and B and T cell (CD4+ and CD8+) populations in the vaccinated animals than the control animals (p < 0.001). Upon challenge with live murine breast cancer cells, the vaccinated animals showed five times more tumor suppression than the control animals confirming the immune response activation and protection (p < 0.001). This research paves a way for individualized immunotherapy following surgical tumor removal to prolong relapse episodes.


Neurons have been neglected as cells with major immune regulatory function. Here, we present novel data demonstrating that neurons are highly immune competent and play crucial role in regulation of T cell response and CNS inflammation. Neurons induce proliferation of activated CD4+T cells via B7-CD28 and TGF-?1-TGF-?R signaling pathways with amplification of TCR signaling and increased phosphorylated ZAP-70, IL-2 and IL-9. Neuron-T cell interaction results in conversion of encephalitogenic T cells to CD25+TGF-?1+CTLA-4+ Tregulatory cells which suppress T cells proliferation and inhibit EAE. The suppression is dependent on CTLA-4 but not TGF-?1. However, autocrine action of TGF-?1 is important for proliferative arrest of Treg cells. Early enrichment of membrane-bound TGF-?1+CD4+ T cells in CNS of EAE mice proceeded by intracellular production of TGF-?1 and generation of CD25+TGF-?1+CTLA-4+ Treg cells, these cells in turn prevent EAE. This reveals the physiological importance of the generation of Treg cells in CNS upon interaction with neurons with a key role to down-regulate CNS inflammation. In addition, neurons upregulate PD-L1 upon interaction with encephalitogenic T cells, which in turns leads to generation of a CD4highPD-L1high T cell population. Mice deficient in IFN-? are defective in upregulation of this pathway. This defect is associated with absence of PD-L1 upregulation on motor neurons in the CNS, defective in situ generation of CD4highPD-L1high T cells as well as augmented EAE. Hence, motor neurons in addition to their capacity to generate Treg cells from committed encephalitogic T cells, are crucial in regulation of CNS inflammation through a secondary mechanism leading to induction of cell cycle arrested of encephalitogenic T cells. CNS is exceptionally sensitive to inflammation-caused damage since post mitotic neurons are incapable of regeneration and loss of neurons is associated with loss of vital functions imperative for survival of organism. Hence, neurons are equipped with delicate regulatory properties to limit inflammation of the CNS. (Less)


ABSTRACT In this paper, two questions are examined: Is India's definition of urbanization conservative? What would happen if India used a less restrictive definition? To answer the first question, a simple ordinary least squares model is estimated. For 50% of the comparable countries considered, including India, the actual level of urbanization is below the level predicted by the model, suggesting a conservative definition. To answer the second question, several scenarios are examined. Analysis of village-level results of the 2011 Census of India shows that a population density criterion yields a 69% urbanization rate and a population size criterion a 51% rate. These results are broadly consistent with recent findings from the Government of India's Economic Survey and other anecdotal evidence.


The awareness in architectural sustainability is increasing worldwide. This pilot study aims to map and evaluate the situation of sustainable development of architecture offices in the Philippines through an online survey. In spite of sampling difficulties, the mapping of sustainability was successfully done for the collected sample, and results showed that architects evaluate themselves as having less than intermediate level of knowledge/skill in sustainability issues. Furthermore, they have a general concept about natural (renewable), energy efficient and sustainable products and services. Difficulties with application of sustainability are due to a client's budget and will. It is widely accepted that the individual companies suffer from lack of resources and therefore perform weaker in sustainability than the profession would require. Introduction of the morphological analysis of sustainable development (morph-SD) tool indicated that architects are mainly familiar with environmental related principle-level sustainability-oriented terms, while the economic and social aspects of sustainable development are not significantly represented. Confirmation of findings and further development of the morph-SD tool would require a comprehensive geographic sampling.


Community settlements in a city have a very important role in providing services in the field of life. Increasing the population in a strategic land in urban areas will cause urban problems, especially population density, building irregularities and slums. This increase in population is due to economic, legal, social and cultural aspects, all centered in the city so that many rural communities flock to the city to improve their economy. Seberang Palinggam Sub-District, South Padang District, Padang City is one of a strategic location because it is close to the port, trade and service area. This strategic location caused many people who settled there. As a result, Seberang Palinggam Village is included in 23 slum areas in Padang City, based on Padang Mayor Decree No. 163 of 2014. This study aims to determine the right direction in the structuring of the slum environment with the Eco-Settlement approach that develops from the concept of sustainable development. The target being developed is to identify the characteristics of slums in villages across Palinggam using the Qualitative Descriptive Method, Analysis of the factors that led to the development of slums using Delphi. From this analysis, it is obtained an outline based on influential factors in the form of adding and improving the quality of sanitation infrastructure, clean water, drainage and healthy houses, increasing the carrying capacity of the environment and community resources, empowering the community's economy, and improving the quality of institutions and awareness of existing policies related to slum environment management.


With increasing industry emphasis on developing "unconventional" tight gas reservoirs and on enhancing recovery from existing fields, geologists are facing diverse challenges in the applications of structural geology. Identifying fracture characteristics within petroleum systems is essential. Understanding the timing of tectonics and the formation of structures is important, as these factors strongly influence hydrocarbon generation, migration, entrapment, and preservation. The purpose in publishing this collection of key papers is to aid future workers in addressing complex interrelationships between structural geology and hydrocarbon exploration and development. The first four chapters of this book focus on structural concepts and techniques. The second part of this book is a collection of Rocky Mountain fault and fracture studies. These well documented studies are valuable reference materials for all petroleum geologists.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Palestine, and thus to contribute to the existing knowledge on the critical success factors (CSFs) of SMEs in the Palestinian context, especially in the West Bank.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is comprised a survey of a convenience sample of 370 SMEs operating in the West Bank, Palestine. It uses a multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of a set of CSFs, namely, reputation of the brand, excellence of customer services, reliable delivery and product innovation on the success of SMEs.

Findings
The results show that brand reputation, excellence of customer of services and reliable delivery strongly influence SME success, while innovation is weakly associated with SME success. These results imply that success is tied to customers and competition more than to production, structures or finance. That is, reputable brands, excellent customer service and reliable delivery are means to success according to the results of this research.

Practical implications
The study emphasizes the need for Palestinian SMEs to maintain and develop their brand reputation, institutionalize customer service and develop its logistical systems and practices. Generally, the study suggests that there are specific investment areas for SMEs that can contribute to achieving success. Specifically, excellence in customer service was found to be the factor most linked to the success of SMEs, followed by reliable delivery and then by brand reputation and innovation.

Originality/value
While plenty of research has been done on what contributes to the failure or success of SMEs, research on CSFs for SMEs is limited. The study combines four CSFs not previously used in combination to model the successful performance of SMEs in general and in the Palestinian context in particular. Only some specific factors are critical to the success of SMEs and should be the focal point of SMEs' efforts as long as they are consistent with their nature as small economic entities competing with big companies in small markets. Thus, instead of using general factors of SME success, the study explains how success becomes more possible through specifying areas for decision-making or activities for the entrepreneurs to undertake, keeping in mind that there is a mechanism by which these factors work together toward the success of the SME.


The study was carried out to determine devastating impacts of flood disaster among rural households in Benue State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 145 respondents used for the study. Data collected for the study were analyzed using mean score. Findings indicated that the major causes of flood disaster were poor level of public awareness campaign on flood hazard (x –=2.00), increased impermeability due to urbanization (x –=2.00), overflowing dams (x –=2.00), building on water ways and drainage channels (x –=2.00), flood plain being occupied by human settlement and economic activities (x –=1.41), blockage of flood path with sediment deposit (x –=1.31) and increase in rainfall (x –=1.30). Rendering of rural dwellers homeless (x –=2.47), fills homes with dirty water and refuse (x –=2.43), blockage of road networks (x –=2.42), disruption of economic activities (x –=2.40), destruction of farmlands (x –=2.40), increase in household food insecurity (x –=2.35), destruction of crops and livestock (x –=2.30), damages stored farm produce (x –=2.24) and loss of lives and property (x –=2.12) were effects of flood disaster on rural households. Based on the findings of the study, there arises the need for government at all levels and non-governmental organizations to intensify efforts in creation of awareness for people living in flood prone areas to relocate to a safer place in order to avoid loss of life and disruption of economic activities.


Flabellaria paniculata Cav. (Malpighiaceae) is a climbing shrub, the preparations of which are used in the treatment of wounds and ulcers in Nigeria and Ghana. This study investigated the sub-chronic toxicity profile of the hydroethanolic leaf extract of F. paniculata (HLE-FP). HLE-FP was administered p.o. (20, 100, and 500 mg/kg) for 30 and 60 days to different groups of rats. Control animals received 10 ml/kg distilled water. In the group of animals for reversibility study, HLE-FP administration ceased on the 60th day and animals were monitored for a further 15 days. Results showed that oral treatment with HLE-FP for 30 days caused significant (p < 0.05) reductions in weight gain pattern compared to control. These changes were sustained with 60 days treatment. However, no significant (p > 0.05) differences in relative organ weights between control and treatment groups were observed. HLE-FP-treated rats showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in Hb, PCV and RBC on day 30 and significant (p < 0.05) increases in MCV and MCH indices on day 60 compared to control. There were significant (p < 0.05) elevations in serum K+, urea and creatinine compared to control. The liver function tests showed slight but non-significant alterations in relevant parameters when compared to control. Biochemical findings were supported by histopathological observations of vital organs including the kidney and liver. Toxicities observed in respect of kidney function were irreversible at 15 days of stoppage of treatment. In the acute toxicity study, HLE-FP given p.o. caused no lethality at 5000 mg/kg but behavioral manifestations like restlessness, generalized body tremor, feed, and water refusal were observed. The i.p. LD50 was estimated to be 2951.2 mg/kg. Findings in this study showed that HLE-FP is relatively non-toxic on acute exposure and generally safe on sub-chronic administration, but could be deleterious on the kidneys on prolonged oral exposure at a high dose. Thus, caution should be exercised with its long-term usage.


The hitherto unidentified Nemoptera alba Olivier, 1811, is interpreted as being the same species as Nemoptera (Croce) baudii Griffini, 1895, and Nina joppana Withycombe, 1923. — The genital structures of the male of Croce mira McKeown, 1939, are figured and a new genus, Austrocroce, is established for that species. — The male genital structures of Josandreva sazi Navas, 1906, are described.


ABSTRACT Helminths infections remain a major problem in medical and public health. In this report, atom-based 2D bilinear indices, a TOMOCOMD-CARDD (QuBiLs-MAS module) molecular descriptor family and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to find models that differentiate among anthelmintic and non-anthelmintic compounds. Two classification models obtained by using non-stochastic and stochastic 2D bilinear indices, classified correctly 86.64% and 84.66%, respectively, in the training set. Equation 1(2) correctly classified 141(135) out of 165 [85.45%(81.82%)] compounds in external validation set. Another LDA models were performed in order to get the most likely mechanism of action of anthelmintics. The model shows an accuracy of 86.84% in the training set and 94.44% in the external prediction set. Finally, we carry out an experiment to predict the biological profile of our 'in-house' collections of indole, indazole, quinoxaline and cinnoline derivatives (∼200 compounds). Subsequently, we selected a group of nine of the theoretically most active structures. Then, these chemicals were tested in an in vitro assay and one good candidate (VA5-5c) as fasciolicide compound (100% of reduction at concentrations of 50 and 10 mg/L) was discovered.


A quantitative study addressing student's perceptions of three higher education institutions CORE curriculum within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study utilized survey methodology to collect the perceptions of students across all four levels of freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior students. The data collected was analyzed using percentages for descriptive statistics and T-test for identifying relationships between the dependent and independent variables, the strength of the relationships was determined using (phi) since the variable were all categorical. The literature review of the following study will cover the Role of CORE curriculum in post-secondary education. The frame work of the current study is that the students' perception of their university curriculum affects the effectiveness of the learning process, and is to be considered in universities curriculum reviews. The major findings of the study show that students confidence levels with their CORE curriculum is greater than that of the overall curriculum, English courses ranked first in confidence level followed by Math courses and finally Natural science courses. The CORE curriculum model utilized affected students responses in relation to the level of agreement for the need to add new courses to the CORE curriculum, where students from universities apply the scholarly discourse model reported a higher agreement. Universities are recommended to provide additional resources to the Match course, and additional resources and knowledge base to the Natural Science courses. Limitations of study are the sampling strategies utilized in deciding the sample and the sample size. Recommendations of future research on students perceptions of universities curriculum and its importance in curriculum reviews, also a duplication of the following research is encouraged.


Taxes are the dues to the State (imposed) owed by the taxpayer with the provisions of the applicable legislation, with no accomplishment gets back and the point is to finance public expenditure-expenditure relating to the task of the State to the Government. Advertisement tax scrutiny already good or not, can be seen from the realization of tax revenue with advertising budgets or targets set earlier. Where the report based on data known to the realization of tax revenue on the Revenue Department of the city of Medan from the year 2013 to 2017 years occurred a considerable difference between the budget and its realization which demonstrates that the achievement of performance acceptance advertisement tax are still not adequate. In this study, researchers conducted a study using a descriptive approach. Descriptive research is research that aims to find out the application variables examined so that the conclusion that apply generally. Advertisement tax revenue on the Revenue Service Area Medan city as a whole is still less well, can be seen from Budget tax revenue advertising is always set at the beginning of the period by the head of the Agency upon consideration of the various parties, particularly from the planning section, the section of the budget and sexy analysis and Control.


Mechanism design deals with distributed algorithms that are executed with self-interested agents. The designer, whose objective is to optimize some function of the agents private types, needs to construct a computation that takes into account agent incentives which are not necessarily in alignment with the objective of the mechanism. Traditionally, mechanisms are designed for agents who only care about the utility they derive from the mechanism outcome, which often fully or partially discloses their (declared) types. Such mechanisms may become inadequate when agents are privacy-aware, i.e., when their loss of privacy adversely affects their utility. In such cases ignoring privacy-awareness in the design of a mechanism may render it not incentive compatible, and hence inefficient. Interestingly, and somewhat counter-intuitively, Xiao [eprint 2011] has recently showed that this can happen even when the mechanism preserves a strong notion of privacy.
 Towards constructing mechanisms for privacy-aware agents, we put forward and justify a model of privacy-aware mechanism design. We then show that privacy-aware mechanisms are feasible. The following is a summary of our contributions: Modeling privacy-aware agents: We propose a new model of privacy-aware agents where agents need only have a conservative upper bound on how loss of privacy adversely affects their utility. This is in deviation from prior modeling which required full characterization. Privacy of the privacy loss valuations: Agent privacy valuations are often sensitive on their own. Our model of privacy-aware mechanisms takes into account the loss of utility due to information leaked about these valuations. Guarantees for agents with high privacy valuations: As it is impossible to guarantee incentive compatibility for agents that have arbitrarily high privacy valuations, we require a privacy-aware mechanism to set a threshold such that the mechanism is incentive compatible w.r.t. agents whose privacy valuations are below the threshold, and differential privacy is guaranteed for all other agents. Constructing privacy-aware mechanisms: We first construct a privacy-aware mechanism for a simple polling problem, and then give a more general result, based on recent generic construction of approximately additive mechanisms by Nissim, Smorodinsky, and Tennenholtz [ITCS 2012]. We show that under a mild assumption on the distribution of privacy valuations (namely, that valuations are bounded for all but a vanishing fraction of the population) these constructions are incentive compatible w.r.t. almost all agents, and hence give an approximation of the optimum. Finally, we show how to apply our generic construction to get a mechanism for privacy-aware selling of digital goods.


In order to evaluate the effect of different amounts of nitrogen fertilizer on oil and porotein content and nitrogen use efficiency of five sesame varieties under weed competition condition, this study was carried out at Omidieh (Boshehr province) during summer of 2013. Treatments were arranged in split factorial based on RCBD with three replications. The main plot consist of nitrogen fertilizer application levels as control, non application and application of 50 and 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen from urea form and subplots were in a factorial combination of sesame varieties (Behbahan landrace, Yellow-white, tn-238 and tn-240) and weed competition (weed free and weed infest) . The results showed that the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on grain yield of different sesame varieties was significant. The highest grain yield (220 g.m-2) was obtained from Behbahan landrace with 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen application under weed frees condition and the lowest was achieved from tn-238 and tn-240 lines without nitrogen application under weed infests condition. The highest oil percent (44%) was belonged to tn-238 line whitout nitrogen application and the lowest (35%) was achieved from Yellow-white variety with 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen application. Also the highest oil yield (83 kg.ha-1) was belonged to Behbahan landrace with 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen application under weed free condition. Increasing the nitrogen fertilizer application decreased nitrogen utility efficiency. The highest nitrogen utilisation efficiency achieved from Behbahan landrace in no nitrogen fertilizer application.


This paper describes an IPTV solution provided by mobile operators. This approach is based on the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) which is used for controlling and charging the offered services. The architecture provided here is generic in the sense that various access technologies can be used to acquire the IPTV services. To validate our IPTV solution, a prototype using XDSL as an access technology is implemented. This prototype is a part of the ongoing development of the proposed architecture


The current studies were designed to assess the ability of mononuclear inflammatory cells to mediate glomerulonephritis (GN) by studying the effects of replacement of mononuclear inflammatory cells in rabbits depleted of all circulating leukocytes and in which an antibody-initiated, macrophage-dependent model of glomerular injury was induced. GN was initiated by the injection of passive autologous rabbit antisheep gamma-globulin serum following the injection of sheep antirabbit glomerular basement membrane antibody. A proliferative endocapillary GN regularly occurred in which macrophages were the predominant infiltrating cell (mean 48.4 +/- 16.1 SD macrophages/glomerulus) and heavy proteinuria developed (590 +/- 152 mg/24 hours). This lesion was shown to be dependent on the presence of circulating leukocytes as prior treatment with nitrogen mustard producing panleukopenia completely prevented macrophage accumulation (0.4 +/- 0.1 macrophages/glomerulus), abnormal proteinuria (5.1 +/- 1.6 mg/24 hours), and histologic evidence of injury. When peritoneal mononuclear inflammatory cells were given intravenously (10(8] to nitrogen mustard-treated rabbits that were given the GN-inducing antibodies, a proliferative GN developed with significant macrophage accumulation (14.2 +/- 4.8 macrophages/glomerulus), and some rabbits became proteinuric (38.8 +/- 15.3 mg/24 hours). Electron microscopy indicated that glomerular endothelial cells underwent swelling and separation from the basement membrane in relation to macrophage accumulation. Control nitrogen mustard-treated animals given 10(8) mononuclear inflammatory cells without the injection of disease-initiating antibodies did not have glomerular macrophage accumulation (0.8 +/- 0.3 macrophages/glomerulus), abnormal proteinuria (6.1 +/- 2.1 mg/24 hours), or any histologic abnormality. Thus, macrophages can accumulate in glomeruli in direct response to the deposition of antibody and produce a proliferative GN by both their own accumulation and their effects on intrinsic glomerular endothelial cells.


The use of microwave radiation for curing carbon-fiber reinforced polymer materials (CFRP) can solve the nonhomogeneous heating problems when using conventional techniques based on the use of catalysts and can reduce the processing times. Optical fiber sensors have well-known advantages for Fiber Reinforced Composites (FRC) monitoring. In this paper fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are used for online monitoring of the residual stress and distortions produced during the microwave curing process. The CFRP samples are composed by layers of unidirectional carbon fibers and epoxy resin. The results show a very different behavior between the direction of carbon fibers and the perpendicular direction. Results are compared with the conventional processing technique.


Background and Purpose: The hidden curriculum has great impact on students' learning. The present study was conducted on Nursing and Midwifery students to determine their experience with the hidden curriculum. Methods: It was a combined survey achieved in two stages on Nursing and Midwifery students. During the first stage, a free interview was carried out to determine their attitudes towards, experiences with, and references of the hidden curriculum. These interviews were analyzed using Streubert technique. During the second stage, a questionnaire was completed and finally analyzed Results: All students have experienced the hidden curriculum and usually found it to be more effective than their routine learning program. This learning modality was associated with more stable behaviors among them. Meanwhile, most of their learning objectives, including positive and negative or group and individual learning were achieved through the hidden curriculum. They have pointed out that faculty professor, nursing and midwifery staff, other students, patients and mass media were their main source of reference, however, nursing and midwifery staff augmented the training impact. Conclusion: Students believed that the hidden curriculum is an effective modality for learning. Key words: HIDDEN CURRICULUM, STUDENTS' EXPERIENCE, NURSING AND MIDWIFERY


Soil nutrient processes and functionalities play significant roles in affecting global changes. Herein, two key global change factors, warming and nitrogen deposition were used to examine the soil nutrient responses under simulated global change conditions on the Songnen meadow steppes of Northeastern China. Through onsite investigations and laboratory analysis, soil nutrient responses were evaluated under short-term simulated global changes as follows: (1) The soil net nitrogen mineralization rate (NMR) responded positively to warming with a statistical significance of about 24%, in the presence of about a 2degC increase in soil surface temperature on the Songnen meadow steppes. The NMR did not respond significantly to N deposition or N deposition in combination with warming. NMR remained at a relatively stable level during the growing season of the year; (2) warming had no significant effect upon either TN or AN, while N deposition in combination with warming had a significant effect upon AN but not upon TN. TN and AN both displayed seasonal variability during the year; (3) warming, N deposition and their combined action had no significant effect upon AP. However an increase in N deposition in our study had a positive effect upon TP with an increase of about 40%, TP responded with no significance to warming or warming and N deposition combined. AP did not display seasonal variability while TP levels decreased swiftly at the end of the experimental period; (4) Our data indicates that warming and N deposition may both add to future warming and aggravate local non-point sources of pollution.


In order to achieve high scalability during the network discovery process in software-defined networking (SDN), an extensive method for generating switch-based proxy is essential. This paper investigated the semi reactive solution for guiding the controller to build an OFPT_FLOW_MOD message that allowed SDN switch to reply an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request directly by deploying the semi-reactive switch-based proxy ARP application in northbound application programming interface (API). We conduct the experiment by using Open Networking Operating System (ONOS) an open-source SDN controller simulated in Mininet environment. As can be seen from the evaluation result, the installed application can reduce the ARP reaction time up to 95% calculated from the sender host. The final result also indicates that our approach can decrease the controller's loads significantly.


This paper proposes an automatic method to refine broadcast data collected every week for efficient acoustic model training. For training acoustic models, we use only audio signals, subtitle texts, and subtitle timestamps accompanied by recorded broadcast programs. However, the subtitle timestamps are often inaccurate due to inherent characteristics of closed captioning. In the proposed method, we remove subtitle texts with low subtitle quality index, concatenate adjacent subtitle texts into a merged subtitle text, and correct the timestamp of the merged subtitle text by adding a margin. Then, a speech recognizer is used to obtain a hypothesis text from the speech segment corresponding to the merged subtitle text. Finally, the refined speech segments to be used for acoustic model training, are generated by selecting the subparts of the merged subtitle text that matches the hypothesis text. It is shown that the acoustic models trained by using refined broadcast data give significantly higher speech recognition accuracy than those trained by using raw broadcast data. Consequently, the proposed method can efficiently refine a large amount of broadcast data with inaccurate timestamps taking about half of the time, compared with the previous approaches.


Abstract 1,3‐Oxathiolanes are smoothly deprotected to carbonyl compounds by IBX at room temperature with β‐cyclodextrin as a catalyst and water as solvent. IICT Communication No. 060424.


The lossless data compression algorithm based on Bayesian Attention Networks is derived from first principles. Bayesian Attention Networks are defined by introducing an attention factor per a training sample loss as a function of two sample inputs, from training sample and prediction sample. By using a sharpened Jensen's inequality we show that the attention factor is completely defined by a correlation function of the two samples w.r.t. the model weights. Due to the attention factor the solution for a prediction sample is mostly defined by a few training samples that are correlated with the prediction sample. Finding a specific solution per prediction sample couples together the training and the prediction. To make the approach practical we introduce a latent space to map each prediction sample to a latent space and learn all possible solutions as a function of the latent space along with learning attention as a function of the latent space and a training sample. The latent space plays a role of the context representation with a prediction sample defining a context and a learned context dependent solution used for the prediction.


The general theory of the linear instabilities created by density differences in a rotating magnetic system is considered, and is applied to a plane layer stably stratified but with a slight superimposed horizontal density gradient that can give rise to baroclinic waves, modified by the presence of a horizontal co-rotating magnetic field parallel to the thermal wind. It is shown that, unlike the conceptually similar models of Gilman, regeneration of this magnetic field by the waves in the face of a slight resistivity of the medium can only occur within the critical layer, i. e. the diffusive layer surrounding the level at which wave and wind speeds are equal. Conditions for such self-sustaining dynamo action are given.


The mechanisms controlling plant resistance to necrotrophic fungal pathogens are poorly understood. We previously reported on Ep5C, a gene shown to be induced by the H2O2 generated during a plant–pathogen interaction. To identify novel plant components operating in pathogen-induced signaling cascades, we initiated a large-scale screen using Arabidopsis thaliana plants carrying the β-glucuronidase reporter gene under control of the H2O2-responsive Ep5C promoter. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a mutant, ocp3 (for overexpressor of cationic peroxidase 3), in which the reporter construct is constitutively expressed. Healthy ocp3 plants show increased accumulation of H2O2 and express constitutively the Glutathione S-transferase1 and Plant Defensine 1.2 marker genes, but not the salicylic acid (SA)–dependent pathogenesis-related PR-1 gene. Strikingly, the ocp3 mutant shows enhanced resistance to the necrotrophic pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Plectosphaerella cucumerina. Conversely, resistance to virulent forms of the biotrophic oomycete Hyaloperonospora parasitica and the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 remains unaffected in ocp3 plants when compared with wild-type plants. Consistently with this, ocp3 plants are not affected in SA perception and express normal levels of PR genes after pathogen attack. To analyze signal transduction pathways where ocp3 operates, epistasis analyses between ocp3 and pad4, nahG, npr1, ein2, jin1, or coi1 were performed. These studies revealed that the resistance signaling to necrotrophic infection in ocp3 is fully dependent on appropriate perception of jasmonic acid through COI1 and does not require SA or ethylene perception through NPR1 or EIN2, respectively. The OCP3 gene encodes a homeodomain transcription factor that is constitutively expressed in healthy plants but repressed in response to infection by necrotrophic fungi. Together, these results suggest that OCP3 is an important factor for the COI1-dependent resistance of plants to infection by necrotrophic pathogens.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inbreeding on the birth weight (BW) and the weights at the 8 (W8), 12 (W12), 18 (W18) and 24 (W24) month of age, from a Guzera breed herd. The data collected from 1978 to 1992 were obtained from the animal record control of the Fazenda de Ensino e Pesquisa do Campus de Ilha Solteira, UNESP, and referred to the weights, in the above sequence of 2435, 1882, 1770, 1424 and 1294 animals. The statistical analyses were elaborated by the least square method, using the procedure "GLM" (General Linear Models) of the SAS statistical software. The inbreeding coefficient in the herd ranged from 0 to 25% and 0 to 31%, respectively, for males and females, with average F of 1.08 and 1.36%, respectively. The least squares fitted means of the inbreeding and non inbreeding animals, for males and females as a set, were 27.1 and 27.2 kg, 147.7 and 148.7 kg, 183.4 and 185.4 kg, 234.5 and 238.9 kg and 292.9 and 294.7 kg for BW, W8, W12, W18 and W24, respectively. The linear regression of W8, W12 and W24 coefficients of females and W18 of males on the inbreeding coefficients were negative and significant. For males and females as a set, the differences in the weights per inbreeding class were not significant, except for W18. The effect of inbreeding on the birth weights at 24 months of age in the studied herd, in general, was of small economical or biological significance.


The prevalence of autism in children in the world is estimated as one per 62 children, higher levels reported in some countries. These children experience significant problems with the development of social, behavioural and verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The skills impairment levels varies from an individual to another and that made teaching autistics a challenge for caregivers such as teachers and relatives. Hence, there are quite a number of frameworks of a software learning systems which focus on gaining the children's attention using representational visual illustration as a learning method instead of the textual form. However, majority of these tools are lacking the personalisation ability to suite everyone in the spectrum. Assistive technology offers an alternative way to attract children with autism to use. Therefore, this research is proposing Autism Content Management Learning System (ACMLS) Framework to assist caregivers to produce, design and fine-tune or customise the learning materials appropriately so that the system interface and the materials are suitable for every individual in the spectrum according to each child personal profile aiming to make learning attractive and to contribute in improving their social, communication and behavioural skills and nonetheless, their attention level to the delivered educational topics. The ACMLS framework design adopts four main components which are: (1) Design component: which covers the visual design, design principles and the mental model of the children with autism. (2) Technology component: which covers the assistive technology tools and the architecture of the ACMLS system. (3) Education component: Which covers the learning objectives, styles, strategies, methods and the cognitive model. (4) Participants component: which covers the main participants who're playing a role in the ACMLS framework such as: caregivers and children with autism.


BACKGROUND
Cataract is the most common age-related disorder amenable to surgical correction in persons 65 years or older in the United States. Persons who are eligible for benefits through both the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Medicare have a choice in which system to receive medical care.

METHODS
We examined factors that might influence the choice of having cataract surgery through the VHA and fee-for-service Medicare using a national database from the VHA Information Resource Center.

RESULTS
In 2007, 159,094 dually eligible veterans had cataract surgery, with 137,726 (86.6%) having surgery in the private sector. Strong associations with the use of VHA for surgery were living within 20 miles of a facility, severity of service-connected disability, and low income or Medicaid eligibility.

CONCLUSION
The VHA remains an important safety net for many veterans who are dually enrolled in Medicare. Dependency on the VHA for quality of life surgery needs to be kept in mind if budgetary pressures lead to restrictions of VHA services for veterans with Medicare.


ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Lizbeth de la Cruz is first author on 'Plasma membrane processes are differentially regulated by type I phosphatidylinositol phosphate 5-kinases and RASSF4', published in JCS. Lizbeth is a Postdoc in the lab of Bertil Hille at the University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, where they investigate signaling by membrane phosphoinositide lipids.


ABSTRACT: This study investigates whether extensive disclosure reduces managerial expropriation of corporate resources by examining the potential effects of enhanced reporting on the values of cash assets and investment ventures, respectively. We uncover evidence that liquid asset holdings are valued at a discount by firms with fewer disclosure practices than their more transparent counterparts. Moreover, disclosure activity substantially improves the value of cash assets in excess of requirements for operations and investment. These findings suggest that detailed reporting facilitates the scrutiny and discipline of capital markets, thus preventing the diversion of cash reserves. In further support of the disciplinary power of greater disclosure, we find that value-destroying projects, through internal capital investment and external acquisitions, are concentrated in firms adopting opaque disclosure policies. Collectively, our results support the premise that extensive disclosure impairs insiders' abiliti...


The aim of this research was to study the frequency of polymorphic variants Val158Met (rs4680) of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in patients with uterine leiomyoma. A polymerase chain reaction was performed to figure out the frequency of polymorphic alleles of COMT gene in 54 patients with uterine leiomyoma and 103 women from the general population. It is shown that the presence of the genotype G/G of the COMT gene is associated with 2.5 times-increased risk of uterine leiomyoma (RR 2,44, Cl95: 1,168-5,103) , whereas the genotype A/A is not associated with the development of leiomyoma. At the same time, a comparative analysis of the genotypes frequencies of the COMT gene polymorphism between groups with different combinations of hyperplastic processes of reproductive system (uterine leiomyoma, adenomyosis, hyperplastic processes of endometrium), showed no statistically significant differences. Refs 26. Tables 3.


A power-balance model, with radiation losses from impurities and neutrals, gives a unified description of the density limit (DL) of the stellarator, the L-mode tokamak, and the reversed field pinch (RFP). The model predicts a Sudo-like scaling for the stellarator, a Greenwald-like scaling, , for the RFP and the ohmic tokamak, a mixed scaling, , for the additionally heated L-mode tokamak. In a previous paper (Zanca et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 056010) the model was compared with ohmic tokamak, RFP and stellarator experiments. Here, we address the issue of the DL dependence on heating power in the L-mode tokamak. Experimental data from high-density disrupted L-mode discharges performed at JET, as well as in other machines, are taken as a term of comparison. The model fits the observed maximum densities better than the pure Greenwald limit.


The morphology of the digestive tract of Whitespotted conger, Conger myriaster (Elopomorpha: Anguilliformes) was examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. The digestive tracts consist of esophagus, stomach, and intestine; no pyloric caeca were observed. The stomach was divided into cardiac, body, terminal and pyloric region. The esophagus was composed of two layers of striated muscularis; inner longitudinal layer and outer circular layer. The former was extended to the body region of the stomach. In contrast, the latter was terminated to the esophagus, and became coincident to the boundary of the outer longitudinal layer consisting of smooth muscle in the cardiac region of the stomach. The terminal region of the stomach was characterized by the thick longitudinal muscularis and subserosa, and the gastric glands were absent. Ciliated cells were distributed in the intestinal wall. The digestive tract secreted both acidic and neutral mucus throughout all regions. We found that the terminal region of the stomach is characteristic of Anguilliformes. On the other hand, the striated muscle within the body region of the stomach was unique among the Anguilliformes. These differences in stomach suggested the possible existence of morphological differences that originate from phylogenetic position among the orders in Elopomorpha.


We describe a technique by which ultrasonic measurements can be made in the picosecond time domain. A light pulse (duration of the order of 0.1 psec) is absorbed at a surface, thereby setting up an elastic stress. This stress launches an elastic pulse into the interior. The propagation of this strain, including its reflection at interfaces within a microstructure, is monitored through measurements of the time-dependent changes of the optical reflectivity. These measurements are made using a time-delayed probe pulse. In these experiments the spatial length of the elastic pulses can be as short as 50 A. We can therefore use this technique to perform a nondestructive ultrasonic evaluation of thin-film microstructures. We describe here results we have obtained which demonstrate the application of the method to the study of the mechanical properties of thin films, the geometry of microstructures, and the quality of bonding at interfaces.


Altered functional neuroanatomy of high-order cognitive processing has been described in very preterm individuals (born before 33 weeks of gestation; VPT) compared to controls in childhood and adolescence. However, VPT birth may be accompanied by different types of adverse neonatal events and associated brain injury, the severity of which may have differential effects on brain development and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to investigate how differing degrees of neonatal brain injury, detected by neonatal ultrasounds, affect the functional neuroanatomy of memory processing in VPT young adults. We used a verbal paired associates learning task, consisting of four encoding, four cued-recall and four baseline condition blocks. To further investigate whether differences in neural activation between the groups were modulated by structural brain changes, structural MRI data were also collected. We studied 12 VPT young adults with a history of periventricular haemorrhage with associated ventricular dilatation, 17 VPT individuals with a history of uncomplicated periventricular haemorrhage, 12 individuals with normal ultrasonographic findings, and 17 controls. Results of a linear trend analysis demonstrated that during completion of the paired associates learning task right frontal and right parietal brain activation decreased as the severity of neonatal brain injury increased. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in on-line task performance and participants' intelligence quotient (IQ) at assessment. This pattern of differential activation across the groups was observed particularly in the right middle frontal gyrus during encoding and in the right posterior cingulate gyrus during recall. Structural MRI data analysis revealed that grey matter volume in the right superior temporal gyrus, right cerebellum, left middle temporal gyrus, right globus pallidus and right medial frontal gyrus decreased with increasing severity of neonatal brain injury. However, the significant between-group functional neuroanatomical differences were not directly attributable to the detected structural regional differences.


The multipole moments and the tidal Love numbers of neutron stars and quark stars satisfy certain relations which are almost insensitive to the star's internal structure. A natural question is whether the same relations hold for different compact objects and how they possibly approach the black-hole limit. Here we consider "gravastars", which are hypothetical compact objects sustained by their internal vacuum energy. Such solutions have been proposed as exotic alternatives to the black-hole paradigm because they can be as compact as black holes and exist in any mass range. By constructing slowly-rotating, thin-shell gravastars to quadratic order in the spin, we compute the moment of inertia I , the mass quadrupole moment Q, and the tidal Love number λ in exact form. The I-λ-Q relations of a gravastar are dramatically different from those of an ordinary compact star, but the black-hole limit is continuous, i.e. these quantities approach their Kerr counterparts when the compactness is maximum. Therefore, such relations can be used to discern a gravastar from an ordinary compact star, but not to break the degeneracy with the black-hole case. Based on these results, we conjecture that the full multipolar structure and the tidal deformability of a spinning, ultracompact gravastar are identical to those of a Kerr black hole. The approach to the black-hole limit is nonpolynomial, thus differing from the critical behavior recently found for strongly anisotropic neutron stars.


The family is one of the smallest social units in society, the formation of a family is the existence of a strict bond between a woman and a man that is carried out in marriage. "Article 1 of Law Number 1 of 1974 concerning marriage is an inner and physical bond between a man and a woman as husband and wife with the aim of forming a happy and eternal family based on the Godhead of the Almighty. Marriage not only unites two human couples, namely male and female, but ties the sacred covenant in the name of God. Marriage does not only rely on the teachings of God in the Koran and As-Asunnah, but the marriage is declared valid if according to the law of God and state law has fulfilled the pillars and conditions. The result of the research is that marriage is submitted due to the absence of authentic evidence of a marriage, while the intended evidence is a marriage certificate, due to the loss or marriage outside the control of the marriage registrar, so the marriage is not registered and does not have authentic evidence or at the time of now known as marriage under the hand. The obstacle faced in the implementation of itsbat marriage in the Padang Religious Court is that the petitioners had difficulty in presenting witnesses and transportation costs, the court found it difficult to prove whether the marriage was valid or not. The solution is that the marriage must be in accordance with the rules of the Islamic religion and take place before the marriage registration employee according to article 2 paragraph 2 Law No. 1 of 1974: marriage is legal if it is carried out according to the laws of each religion and belief, each marriage is recorded according to applicable laws and regulations.


Osteoarthritis is a chronic, degenerative disease with unknown etiology. Sodium can induce the secretion of IL-17 which causes cartilage destruction, decreases the secretion of chondrocytes and proteoglycans and induces the secretion of inflammatory mediators. No one knows that sodium is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sodium intake and biopsychosocial factors on knee joint pain in Osteoarthritis patients. This study was an observational study conducted at the Orthopedic Outpatient Poly with a quantitative descriptive method with cross sectional sampling. Data were taken through interviews using the Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and Visual Analog Score. The data obtained were analyzed using Partial Least Square (p≤0.05). This research has obtained permission No. B/404/V/2021 and ethical approval No. 44/LE/2021. There were 52 subject in the inclusion criteria. The analysis of biopsychosocial factors (age, gender, body mass index, education, occupation) that affect knee joint pain was body mass index (p < 0.044). Sodium levels also affect gender (p< 0.046). The results of the correlation test between sodium levels and knee joint pain were 0.024. The higher the level of sodium intake caused an increase in knee joint pain in osteoarthritis patients. The study shows that there is a correlation between sodium intake, knee joint pain, gender and body mass index. It is necessary to reduce sodium intake in the diet of osteoarthritis patients


BACKGROUND
Wild boar were studied in the Gryfino-Mysliborz region of Poland where high-density populations inflict great damage to farmlands. The reproductive tracts from carcasses bagged during the 2008/2009 hunting season were analysed for numbers of corpora lutea and embryos. The objective was to determine the reproduction rate in a wild boar population having access to high-protein food in cereal monocultures.

RESULTS
Among the wild boar harvested (n = 165), 35.8% were piglets, 53.9% were yearlings and 10.3% were older boar. Among the 105 females examined, 60.9% did not reproduce. The presence of corpora lutea was found in 22.9% of females, whereas 16.2% of females had embryos. In piglets, 11.5% of females had corpora lutea and embryos. These proportions were higher in yearlings (41.1%) and in older females (45.4%). The average number was 6.3 of corpora lutea per ovulating female, with an average litter size of 5.9 embryos. The farrowing period was found to last from December to August.

CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of piglets in the harvest quota must be increased to prevent these animals from boosting reproduction. Offering high-protein fodder in baiting stations and feeding sites should be banned.


We report the first example of iron-catalyzed cross-coupling of α-halo-β,β-difluoroethylene-containing compounds with arylzinc reagents using TMEDA and dppp as coligands. The reaction affords a wide range of functional group tolerant gem-difluoromethylenated compounds in moderate to good yields. The facile dehalodefluorination of α-halo-β,β-difluoroethylene-containing compounds upon treatment of reductive metal reagents was mostly inhibited. Mechanistic studies indicated that the cross-coupling reaction could involve a single-electron-transfer process.


All politiking is done by "interested" persons and the term "interest group" involves a truism, not a pathologi cal condition. Interest groups are essential political aggre gates whose form, functions, and power depend upon stated socio-political conditions. Interest groups have intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions. Group leaders usually possess the intensive perspectives of their group, whereas the rank and file usually have significantly varied and split involvements in their groups. The "individual" interest can be conceived in group theory terms, so can the "national interest." A strong antigroup ideology is found in nineteenth-century democratic and socialist movements, which tended to fluctuate between semi-anarchism and executive dictatorship. Group theory pic tures the developing society more accurately in many ways than such other theories, while simultaneously interest groups are still treated as pests or threats to democracy. Political phi losophy should seek to reconcile fact and value i...


Comments on the original article "Life is pretty meaningful," by S. J. Heintzelman and L. A. King (see record 2014-03265-001). Heintzelman and King argue that, contrary to popular perception, our lives hold a great deal of meaning. The study of perceived meaning is an interesting and fruitful avenue. The current authors are concerned, however, that Heintzelman and King may have misrepresented and exploited the philosophical debate surrounding meaning to generate interest in their topic. Unless Heintzelman and King wish to argue that life truly is meaningful and that the perception of meaning is evidence enough, the current authors recommend that for the sake of clarity they make the explicit distinction between the widespread perception of meaning and its intrinsic existence. Unfortunately, once this distinction is made clear, these findings are less compelling to individuals who seek confirmation that intrinsic meaning exists.


Abstract We describe a patient in whom two non-symptomatic internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery pseudo-aneurysms were diagnosed 1 year following the surgical removal of a clinoidal meningioma. The unusual number, location, form and evolution (actual follow up of 6 years) of these pseudo-aneurysms differentiate them from other vascular lesions associated with surgery. It is important to understand the mechanism of vascular injury in order to understand imaging features and the possible methods of treatment.


The conversion losses of a Schottky-barrier diode have been calculated for a set of realistic diode parameters. It is found that previous work overestimated the substrate losses by 30 percent. It is also shown that a lightly doped epitaxial layer will decrease the barrier capacitance and with properly designed thickness will avoid any resistance losses due to this layer. Parasitic losses can thus be reduced substantially.


OBJECTIVE
Although exposure to thin-ideal females in the media has been shown to increase women's body dissatisfaction, only a few studies have examined the effects of comparisons with peers, and no prior work has studied the effects of peer comparisons in a naturalistic setting or on objective behavior.

METHOD
Female undergraduates (n = 45) in a campus gym who exercised on a target apparatus were assigned to have a fit-peer, unfit-peer, or no-peer (control) exercise within their view on a nearby apparatus. Objective time spent exercising and body satisfaction reports were collected.

RESULTS
Exposure to a fit peer had undermining effects on women's body satisfaction and exercise duration, whereas an unfit peer produced no compensating greater body satisfaction but did elicit longer exercise duration relative to controls.

CONCLUSION
Incidental comparisons with fit versus unfit peers can affect women's body satisfaction and fitness-related behavior in a naturalistic setting.


Propylthiouracil(PUT) is a drug which used at Grave's disease. But PTU has recently been observed to associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)-positive vasculitis resulting in, infrequently, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. We report the case of a patient who developed diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage after she had been taking PTU for two years. She had received a diagnosis of Grave's disease at two years ago. The serologic study was positive for ANCA with myeloperoxidase(MPO) specificity. Bronchoalveloar lavage(BAL) fluid analysis revealed hemosiderinladen macrophages. Such findings suggested propylthiouracil-induced dffuse pulmonary hemorrhage associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody. To our knowledge, this represents the first documentation in a case of PTU-induced diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage in Korea.


George P McNicol married his wife, Susan Ritchie, in 1959, after meeting her at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he was a registrar and she was a medical student.

While his work in pathology was based in universities and hospitals in Scotland, he took overseas posts as lecturer, consultant, and visiting professor at universities and hospitals in Kenya, Egypt, New Zealand, and the US. These included a …


We developed an experimental model of anterior uveitis by injecting ovalbumin or bovine serum albumin into the anterior chamber of sensitized rabbits. All the eyes showed leakage of serum proteins into the aqueous humor within 30 min. and developed uveitis within 24 hrs. which lasted at least a week. On histological examination, large numbers of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leucocytes and only occasional mononuclear cells were seen in the iris, the ciliary body and the irido-corneal angle. Immunohistological examination revealed 7s gamma globulin in the walls of blood vessels, in the interstitium and inside the PMN leucocytes. Contact radiographs of eyes challenged repeatedly showed extensive neovascularization of the iris and ciliary body.


A large variety of pathogenic organisms capable of transmission by the faecal-oral route may be found in wastewaters. Among the bacteria Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia and Campylobacter are the important agents of concern. Also the human enteric viruses (Poliovirus, Coxsackievirus, Echovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Rotavirus) have been shown to be present in domestic waste and may not be completely removed by conventional sewage treatment processes, including chlorination. Discharge of sludge and raw wastewaters in coastal waters is, therefore, potentially hazardous to human health. Enteric viruses generally survive longer than faecal indicator bacteria in water receiving waste and they are detected in seawater which meets current standards for shellfish harvesting. The survival of viruses in seawater depends on a large variety of physico-chemical and biological factors. Viral inactivation process is very complex in nature but it can be interesting to study this phenomenon for better evaluating the true extent of health risk of viruses present in the coastal waters.


The problem of construction the neuronetworking systems for non-stationary information adaptive processing at various practical applications is formulated. The developed methods and algorithms of neural network training subset formation allow to take into account the conditions of information transfer, variation of statistical parameters and dynamic properties of data. The controlling algorithms which process the data with continuous nature are developed by criteria of minimal mean-squared error. The models and algorithms are offered for optimization and neurosystem learning.


IN AN EARLIER paper published in theArchives, 1 data were presented relating to the rate of advance of the Hoffmann-Tinel sign in regenerating nerves. From an examination of these data it was concluded that regenerating sensory dendrites grow distally at a progressively diminishing rate. At the same time, attention was directed to the difficulty of obtaining suitable clinical material on which repeated observations could be made at frequent intervals during the critical period of recovery, a difficulty which probably explained why this feature of regeneration was generally neglected. This defect can be remedied only by collecting additional data whenever and wherever the opportunity occurs for conducting successive examinations of suitable clinical material. Nathan and Rennie 2 devoted attention to an evaluation of the Hoffmann-Tinel sign, but in their paper they did not refer to the rate of descent of the sign. In a later paper, Napier 3 illustrated a


Aims: Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer management. However, response to immunotherapy is heterogeneous. Thus, strategies to improve antitumor immune responses in resistant tumors, such as breast cancer, are urgently needed. Methods: Established murine tumors were treated with anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD-1 alone or combined with metronomic gemcitabine (met-GEM). Tumor vascular function, immune cell tumor infiltration and gene transcription were determined. Results: Low-dose met-GEM (2 mg/kg) treatments improved tumor vessel perfusion and increased tumor-infiltrating T cells. Notably, low-dose met-GEM pretreatments converted resistant tumors to respond to immunotherapy. Moreover, combined therapy reduced tumor vessel density, improved tumor vessel perfusion, increased T-cell tumor infiltration and upregulated the expression of some anticancer genes. Conclusion: Low-dose met-GEM pretreatment reconditioned the tumor immune microenvironment and improved immunotherapy efficacy in murine breast cancer.


The constrained convex minimization problem is to find a point with the property that , and , , where is a nonempty, closed, and convex subset of a real Hilbert space , is a real-valued convex function, and is not Frechet differentiable, but lower semicontinuous. In this paper, we discuss an iterative algorithm which is different from traditional gradient-projection algorithms. We firstly construct a bifunction defined as . And we ensure the equilibrium problem for equivalent to the above optimization problem. Then we use iterative methods for equilibrium problems to study the above optimization problem. Based on Jung's method (2011), we propose a general approximation method and prove the strong convergence of our algorithm to a solution of the above optimization problem. In addition, we apply the proposed iterative algorithm for finding a solution of the split feasibility problem and establish the strong convergence theorem. The results of this paper extend and improve some existing results.


Abstract Analysis described in the paper were made in the frame of the PROZA (Operational decisionmaking based on atmospheric conditions, http://projekt-proza.pl/) project co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. One of its tasks was to develop an operational forecast system, which is going to support different economies branches like forestry or fruit farming by reducing the risk of economic decisions with taking into consideration weather conditions. The main purpose of the paper is to describe the method of the MCSs (Mesoscale Convective Systems) tracking on the basis of the MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) data. Until now several tests were performed. The Meteosat satellite images in selected spectral channels collected for Central Europe Region for May 2010 were used to detect and track cloud systems recognized as MCSs in Poland. The ISIS tracking method was applied here. First the cloud objects are defined using the temperature threshold and next the selected cells are tracked using principle of overlapping position on consecutive images. The main benefit of using a temperature threshold to define cells is its efficiency. During the tracking process the algorithm links the cells of the image at time t to the one of the following image at time t+dt that correspond to the same cloud system. Selected cases present phenomena, which appeared at the territory of Poland. They were compared to the weather radar data and UKMO UM (United Kingdom MetOffice Unified Model) forecasts. The paper presents analysis of exemplary MCSs in the context of near realtime prediction system development and proves that developed tool can be helpful in MCSs monitoring.


Recent population studies have shown that the variability Doppler factors can adequately describe blazars as a population. We use the flux density variations found within the extensive radio multi-wavelength datasets of the F-GAMMA program, a total of 10 frequencies from 2.64 up to 142.33 GHz, in order to estimate the variability Doppler factors for 58 $\gamma$-ray bright sources, for 20 of which no variability Doppler factor has been estimated before. We employ specifically designed algorithms in order to obtain a model for each flare at each frequency. We then identify each event and track its evolution through all the available frequencies for each source. This approach allows us to distinguish significant events producing flares from stochastic variability in blazar jets. It also allows us to effectively constrain the variability brightness temperature and hence the variability Doppler factor as well as provide error estimates. Our method can produce the most accurate (16\% error on average) estimates in the literature to date.


Using in-vehicle infotainment systems degrades driving performance and increases crash risk. To address this, we developed air gesture interfaces using various auditory displays. Thirty-two participants drove a simulator with air-gesture menu navigation tasks. A 4x2 mixed-model design was used to explore the effects of auditory displays as a within-subjects variable (earcons, auditory icons, spearcons, and no-sound) and menu-generation interfaces as a between-subjects variable (fixed and adaptive) on driving performance, secondary task performance, eye glance, and user experience. The adaptive condition centered the menu around the user's hand position at the moment of activation, whereas the fixed condition located the menu always at the same position. Results demonstrated that spearcons provided the least visual distraction, least workload, best system usability and was favored by participants; and that fixed menu generation outperformed adaptive menu generation in driving safety and secondary task performance. Findings will inform design guidelines for in-vehicle air-gesture interaction systems.


A periodic oxidative regeneration of a sulfur-poisoned methanation catalyst is an alternative to the expensive state-of-the-art process of syngas cleaning using wet scrubbers. Here we have employed operando X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) to study sulfur speciation on Ru/SiO2 and Ru/Al2O3 during methanation in the presence of H2S and subsequent regeneration in dilute O2 at 360 °C. XES allowed us to obtain semi-quantitative sulfur speciation and to monitor changes in the absolute sulfur concentration. It was established that Al2O3, in contrast to SiO2, forms sulfite/sulfate species by reacting with SO2, which is released from the poisoned Ru surface upon oxidative treatment. The concentration of sulfite/sulfate species is reduced upon switching the feed to H2/CO while no simultaneous increase in sulfide concentration is observed. For both catalysts, the regenerative treatment removes adsorbed sulfur as SO2 only partially, which we propose is the main reason for the incomplete activity recovery of the poisoned catalyst after regeneration.


This article highlights three key areas of Western adaptation to Russia's war against Ukraine with advice for how to optimize them going forward. First is the immediate strengthening of NATO's conventional defense against Russia, whose sustainability will depend on European contributions, as the US increasingly will focus on Asia. Second is the preservation of joint resilience against both Russia and China, in which NATO should stick to the narrow military areas and the EU to the broader civilian areas. Third is the question of Ukraine as part of the West, where the former's poor reform record and the latter's unwillingness to intervene militarily on its behalf draw the realistic scenario of the country's continued association.


Purpose Speech-in-noise tests and suprathreshold auditory evoked potentials are promising biomarkers to diagnose cochlear synaptopathy (CS) in humans. This study investigated whether these biomarkers changed after recreational noise exposure. Method The baseline auditory status of 19 normal hearing young adults was analyzed using questionnaires, pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry and auditory evoked potentials. Nineteen subjects attended a music festival and completed the same tests again at day one, day three and day five after the music festival. Results No significant relations were found between lifetime noise-exposure history and the hearing tests. Changes in biomarkers from the first session to the follow-up sessions were non-significant, except for speech audiometry, that showed a significant learning effect (performance improvement). Conclusions Despite the individual variability in pre-festival biomarkers, we did not observe changes related to the noise-exposure dose caused by the attended event. This can indicate the absence of noise-exposure-driven cochlear synaptopathy in the study cohort, or reflect that biomarkers were not sensitive enough to detect mild CS. Future research should include a more diverse study cohort, dosimetry and results from test-retest reliability studies to provide more insight into the relationship between recreational noise-exposure and cochlear synaptopathy.


On-site determination of nitroaromatic and nitramine residues in soils was performed using a field-portable gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a thermionic ionization detector selective for compounds with nitro functional groups. Soil samples were extracted with acetone. A 1-μl volume of the filtered extract was manually injected into the GC, allowing for the rapid determination of the suite of explosives that often coexist in explosives-contaminated soils at military training facilities and other defense-related sites. Good agreement was established for the concentrations of several explosives when results obtained using this method of analysis were compared with those from either high-performance liquid chromatography (Method 8330) or GC electron capture (Method 8095) analysis. Comparisons were performed for sample extracts and for soil subsample replicates distributed for on-site analysis during a field verification test performed under the auspices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Technology Verification Program. This on-site GC method for the determination of explosives residues in soils is well suited for dynamic site characterization activities. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 5: 228–238, 2001


The purpose of the course reserves collection is to provide students access to supplementary course materials assigned by faculty. Reserves materials include:

Regular Reserves -- the portion of the course reserves available for physical check-out.


Sanan village is an area in Malang city that is strong in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and its economy is growing because of the Tempe chips business. In the world of marketing, competition is normal and natural. In this regard, various efforts have been made on the part of Sanan village to get ahead of the competition. One of these has been to make an interesting product packaging design to attract potential consumers. With a large industrial scale, packaging is one of the important factors that must be considered to grab consumers' attention. Packaging can be an effective strategy in product marketing to attract consumer buying interest. Packaging can also give an overview of the product, both in terms of quality and value offered by the manufacturer. However, in the Tempe industry in the Sanan area, the researchers found that much of the packaging lacks any unique characteristics. Unattractive packaging will make this product less well-known, especially in terms of souvenir packaging. Based on these findings, the implementation team of the Sanan souvenir packaging design program carried out an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach, which consisted of the steps of discovery, brainstorm, design, define, and implement, to provide effective packaging for the regional industry.
Keywords: Sanan, packaging, design, featured products


Two decades after Iran's Islamic revolution, science in this politically isolated but oil-rich nation may be on the verge of resurgence. The nation's reform-minded president, Mohammad Khatami, and his allies are promising more money for R&D, reorganizing universities to beef up graduate education and research, and cracking open the door to closer cooperation with scientists abroad, including those in the United States. But Iran's government is walking a tightrope between hard-liners on the right who oppose reforms and liberal university students eager for change.


Seventeen years after the introduction of x-ray digital subtraction angiography (DSA), gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography techniques have become available for the performance of MR-DSA. For the purposes of this article, we will consider this to include two-dimensional and three-dimensional approaches using time-resolved and non-time-resolved applications. Magnetic resonance-DSA is one in a historical progression of techniques which have aimed to produce less invasive forms of angiography. After outlining some historical milestones, several current issues regarding current methods for MR-DSA are discussed.


Ternary length contrast is a rare phonological feature, investigated here both in terms of its realization and possible undergoing changes. In North Sámi, a phonetically under-documented and endangered Fenno-Ugric language spoken by indigenous people in Northern Europe, the ternary quantity contrast is assumed to be signalled by a progressive lengthening of a consonant and a compensatory shortening of the previous vowel. This study evaluates this assumption and compares the realization of the length contrasts in two dialects, the Western and Eastern Finnmark North Sámi. The results show that while the contrast between the short and the two longer quantities is robustly signaled regardless of the dialect, the durational differences between the two longer quantities are maintained only in the Eastern dialect. On the other hand, a vowel quantity contrast independent of the quantity of the following consonant is present in the Western but not in the Eastern dialect. Further, comparing the phonetic realization of the ternary quantity contrast for speakers of different ages presents evidence of a language change: the results indicate an ongoing neutralization of the ternary contrast in younger speakers, which points to a possible disappearance of this rare typological feature in Finnmark North Sámi.


We report here the first evidence of planetesimal infall onto the very young Herbig Be star LkHα 234. These results are based on observations acquired over 31 days using spectroscopy of the sodium D lines, the He I 5876 Å line, and hydrogen Hα lines. We find redshifted absorption components (RACs) with velocities up to 200 km s-1 and very mild blueshifted emission components (BECs) up to 100 km s-1 in the Na I lines. No correlation is observed between the appearance of the Na I RACs and BECs and the Hα and He I line variability, which suggests that these (Na I RACs and BECs) are formed in a process unrelated to the circumstellar gas accretion. We interpret the Na I RACs as evidence for an infalling evaporating body, greater than 100 km in diameter, which is able to survive at distances between 2.0 and 0.1 AU from the star. The dramatic appearance of the sodium RACs and mild BECs is readily explained by the dynamics of this infalling body, making LkHα 234 the youngest (age ~ 0.1 Myr) system with evidence for the presence of planetesimals.


A mirrorless optical parametric oscillator (MOPO) is a very special class of optical parametric oscillators, where the feedback for oscillation is realized by counter-propagating second-order nonlinear interaction without a need for external mirrors. This arrangement makes the MOPO a very simple, self-aligned and robust oscillator. The MOPO was first proposed theoretically in 1966 [1] however its realization was only possible using the quasiphase matching (QPM) approach due to requirement for compensation of large momentum mismatch in such interactions [2]. Realization of first-order counter-propagating parametric oscillation requires structures with periodicity in the sub-pm range, which poses substantial fabrication challenges. In addition to its self-aligned nature, MOPO offers unique spectral properties [3], whereby the spectral contents of the pump are transferred to the forward wave, while the backward wave remains narrowband. So far, only nondegenerate MOPO oscillation has been demonstrated. However, it has been theoretically proposed that a degenerate MOPO could be used to realize a high-brightness biphoton source for quantum optics applications [4].


In immersive display environments, such as virtual or augmented reality, we can make explicit the connections between data points in visualisations and their context in the world, or in other visualisations. This paper considers the requirements and design space for drawing such links in order to minimise occlusion and clutter. A novel possibility in immersive environments is to optimise the link layout with respect to a particular point of view. In collaborative scenarios there is the need to do this for multiple points of view. We present an algorithm to achieve such link layouts and demonstrate its applicability in a variety of practical use cases.


Objectives—Current evidence suggests the CD40–CD40L pathway as a key process in the development, progression, and outcome of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim was to investigate the prognostic importance of soluble (s) CD40L levels, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the CD40LG gene, and the relation between sCD40L and SNPs in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods and Results—Samples were obtained on admission from 2359 patients with non-ST elevation ACS randomized to an early invasive versus a conservative and to placebo controlled long-term dalteparin treatment in the FRISC-II study. The −3459 A>G SNP was identified as a novel regulator of sCD40L levels (P=0.001). In the placebo-treated group, sCD40L levels above median were associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (P≤0.001) but not with raised mortality. In the dalteparin treated group, sCD40L showed no association with MI (P=0.75). Consequently, dalteparin treatment was effective in reducing the risk of MI only in patients with sCD40L levels above median. A combined assessment of troponin-T and sCD40L complemented the prognostic information on risk of MI. Conclusions—We identified a SNP in the CD40LG gene as a novel regulator of sCD40L plasma concentrations. Soluble CD40L levels above median reflect a prothrombotic state, which can be managed with the use of intense anti-thrombotic treatments.


Airports are required to manage noise impact owing to their requirement to obtain a social license to operate, and to comply with legislation such as the ICAO Balanced Approach and Environmental Noise Directive. Research has however shown that noise management actions and interventions
 often take a techno-centric approach, are implemented in silos, and that their success beyond noise metrics is rarely evaluated. Moreover, the success of Noise Action Plans in driving long-term noise management outcomes has also been critiqued at a number of levels. In the context of this
 background, this paper outlines the case for more strategic approaches to noise management and, drawing on the academic strategic literature, outlines approaches to developing such strategies that can be followed by airports. The aim of such approaches is to complement existing noise management
 guidance by providing step-processes that can aid airports in developing robust, repeatable, evaluable, and successful noise management strategies that are consistent with wider airport strategy and that are sympathetic to the needs of airport residents.


The syntheses of two anthraquinone-derived tetraaza macrocyclic ligands (L1 via 1-amino-9,10-anthraquinone and L2 via 1-amino-4-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) together with their corresponding LnIII complexes, Ln-L1/2 (Ln = NdIII, GdIII, ErIII, YbIII), are described. Both Ln-L1 (lambda(max) approximately 380 nm) and Ln-L2 (lambda(max) approximately 450 nm) complexes absorb in the visible region with good extinction coefficients (epsilon(vis) > 2 x 10(3) M-1 cm-1). Phosphorescence measurements on Gd-L1/2 at 77 K allowed the ligand-centred triplet states to be estimated at ca. 22000 cm-1 and 19800 cm-1 for Gd-L1 and Gd-L2 respectively. Steady state and time-resolved measurements showed that both chromophores sensitised NdIII, ErIII and YbIII ions, resulting in observable near-IR emission. Preliminary studies on the pH-dependent behaviour of the L2 derivatives demonstrated that deprotonation of the 4-hydroxyl group at pH 12 resulted in a significant bathochromic shift in the absorption profile, thus allowing sensitised near-IR emission utilising lambda(ex) = 575 nm.


The associations between cigarette smoking, plasma leucocyte elastase concentration, peripheral leucocyte count and FEV1 were examined in 148 men, 72 of whom were current cigarette smokers, 40 of whom were ex-smokers, and 36 who had never smoked. All men were part of a long-term survey. Smokers had significantly higher plasma leucocyte elastase concentrations than ex-smokers or those who had never smoked. Mean current FEV1 was lower, and the annual decline in FEV1 in the preceding 10 years was faster in smokers than the other two groups. A few smokers had slight increases in serum C-reactive protein concentrations. Although peripheral blood leucocyte counts were higher in smokers than in non-smokers or ex-smokers, no association was found in any of the three groups of men between plasma elastase concentration and peripheral leucocyte count, nor between either of these two variables and annual decline in FEV1 or current level of FEV1. There was also no relation between plasma elastase concentration and reported daily cigarette consumption or mixed expired carbon monoxide in smokers. The results indicate that some male smokers have increased in vivo release of elastase from peripheral blood neutrophils at a time when there is no evidence of acute infection. Because leucocyte elastase is a strong candidate for pulmonary tissue damage, further studies of the mechanisms that increase plasma concentrations are indicated.


Abstract. Few ecological studies have been conducted on Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri), and published studies have focused on relatively small stream sections of 125 m to 1.75 km. In 2015, we sampled 25 sites along a 13.4-km stretch of Bayou Lacombe (Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA) to better understand factors that may influence the distribution of Gulf Coast Waterdogs within streams. We checked 250 unbaited traps once per week for 3 weeks, capturing 170 Gulf Coast Waterdogs at 18 of 25 sites. We used hierarchical models of abundance to estimate abundance at each site, as a function of site covariates including pH, turbidity, and distance from headwaters. The abundance of Gulf Coast Waterdogs within Bayou Lacombe was highest toward the center of the sampled stream segment, but we found no evidence that pH or turbidity affected abundance within our study area. Site-level abundance estimates of Gulf Coast Waterdogs ranged from 0 to 82, and we estimated there were 767 (95% Bayesian credible interval [CRI]: 266–983) Gulf Coast Waterdogs summed across all 25 sampling sites. We derived an estimate of 6,321 (95% CRI: 2,139–15,922) Gulf Coast Waterdogs for the entire 13.4-km stream section, which includes our 25 sites and the adjoining stream reaches between sites. Our results suggest that Gulf Coast Waterdogs may be uncommon or absent in the headwaters, possibly because of shallow water and swift currents with limited preferred habitats. Gulf Coast Waterdogs favor the middle stream reaches with adequate depth and abundant preferred microhabitats.


Increased bone resorption following the menopause leads to accelerated bone loss and is a major contributory factor to subsequent osteoporosis. It is well recognised that an early menopause or prolonged amenorrhoea from whatever cause are also major risk factors for osteoporosis. The alterations in skeletal metabolism following oestrogen deficiency are inhibited by oestrogen replacement, and bone loss can be prevented. However, oestrogen therapy may often not be appropriate because of clinical contraindications, side effects or patient concerns regarding the risk of breast cancer. There is increasing evidence that bisphosphonates are effective in inhibiting bone resorption and these compounds are generally well tolerated. At the present time, for the prevention of bone loss related to hypo-oestrogenism, the main options for therapy are likely to be oestrogen replacement or treatment with bisphosphonates.


ABSTRACT The remote sensing information on the extraction method is of great importance to improve the accuracy and efficiency of soil salinization information. The objective of this study is to develop remote sensing extraction techniques to improve soil salinization maps. The following procedures were used in this study: (1) developed a fractional-order algorithm-based methodology of filter from high-resolution remote sensing imagery (Sentinel-2 MSI); (2) investigated the changing trend of image under different order filters; and (3) used a grid-search algorithm-support vector machines (GS-SVM) classification to employ extraction information of soil salinization. The results showed that the Fractional-order filter method outperformed the integer derivative in extracted information of soil salinization. In comparison of the classification accuracy between fractional-order processing algorithm and integer-order image processing algorithm, the fractional order has improved remarkably. The optimal classification model was 0.6 order, 0.8 order, 1.4 order, 1.6 order, and 1.8 order models. The overall accuracy and kappa coefficient (κ) of these models are 91.90% and 0.90, respectively. Analysing and comparing between soil salt index and filtering algorithm (1.2 order), the researchers found that the classification results of the two methods are similar. In general, this method can successfully extract soil salinization information in dry regions.


The school covers several topics in the field of structural NMR. In the first part, following an introduction on general principles, the basic knowledge in isotropic and anisotropic media is given. The second part deals with the structural studies of biological systems and materials while the third gives an overview of a some advanced concepts including Hyper-polarization, Fast NMR and Diffusion process.