Plates with corrugated walls are used in plate heat exchangers for heat transfer enhancement usually at the expense of the fluid friction. In this paper, the effects of varying channel lengths and corrugation angles on the pressure drop in corrugated rib channels are examined. Water was used as the working fluid and the Reynolds number varied over the range 400 ≤ ReDe ≤ 2,500. The test fixture is constructed from aluminum and the plates core were machined with the same corrugation depth, 1.14 mm, but with different lengths, 10.16 cm and 20.32 cm and different corrugation inclination angles, 30°, 45°, and 60°. The hydraulic diameter of the formed channel is about 2.0 mm. Experimental results show that the friction factor for the short ribbed plates is significantly higher than those of the longer ribbed plates. In addition, the pressure drop increases with an increase of the corrugation angle for all ribbed plates tested. Based on the experimental results, correlations for predicting friction factor are proposed.


Automatic speech recognition, which was considered to be a concept of science fiction and which has been hit by number of performance degrading factors, is now an important part of information and communication technology. Improvements in the fundamental approaches and development of new approaches by researchers have lead to the advancement of ASRs which were just responding to a set of sounds to sophisticated ASRs which responds to fluently spoken natural language. Using artificial neural networks (ANNs), mathematical models of the low-level circuits in the human brain, to improve speech-recognition performance, through a model known as the ANN-Hidden Markov Model (ANN-HMM) have shown promise for large-vocabulary speech recognition systems. Achieving higher Recognition accuracy, low Word error rate, developing speech corpus depending upon the nature of language and addressing the issues of sources of variability through approaches like Missing Data Techniques & Convolutive Non-Negative Matrix Factorization, are the major considerations for developing an efficient ASR. In this paper, an effort has been made to highlight the progress made so far for ASRs of different languages and the technological perspective of automatic speech recognition in countries like China, Russian, Portuguese, Spain, Saudi Arab, Vietnam, Japan, UK, Sri-Lanka, Philippines, Algeria and India.


Patients (pts) with early arthritis (EA) may present with more or less classical inflammatory disease phenotypes. It is difficult to discern at presentation those who will evolve to a well-defined phenotype (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis; RA) from those who will remain undifferentiated or even will have non-inflammatory disease. The 2010 RA classification criteria were developed to promote early identification of RA and were validated against the external standard of 'expert diagnosis', a well-known approach that -however- may lead to circularity.Obtain a more unbiased insight into the 'Gestalt' of EA, by circumventing expert opinion, and investigating the latent phenotypes underlying EA and whether there are differences in prognosis across these phenotypes over time.Three cohorts of pts with EA (Reade, ESPOIR and EAC) were analyzed separately. Clinical data were collected up to 12 (ESPOIR), 13 (Reade) or 24 (EAC) years. Hands and feet radiographs were scored, according to the Sharp van der Heijde method (SvdH) up to 10 (ESPOIR), 13 (Reade) and 14 (EAC) years. Latent class analysis was used to estimate the latent (i.e., unobserved) classes of EA. Each class was labelled by us, according to its most prominent features. Outcomes were functional disability, quantified by the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), quality of life (QoL) quantified by the short form 36 physical (SF36 PC) and mental (SF36 MC) components (in ESPOIR) and radiographic damage (SvdH score). The association between class-membership and each outcome over time was tested in multivariable GEE models.In total, 390 (Reade), 798 (ESPOIR) and 1878 (EAC) pts were included. In ESPOIR, 4 latent classes could be distinguished (Figure 1); Two classes had a high likelihood of symmetrical polyarthritis. One of these, labelled as autoimmune inflammatory polyarthritis (AIPA), had a high likelihood of acute phase reactants (APR)-elevation and autoantibody (AB)-positivity, while the other (mild inflammatory polyarthritis; MIPA) had not. The third class had fewer joints involved (oligoarthritis of upper limbs; OAUL) and the fourth included pts with oligoarthritis of the lower limbs (OALL). All classes, except the latter, were also identified in Reade. In the EAC, OAUL could further be divided into autoimmune OAUL (AIOAUL) and mild-inflammatory OAUL (MIOAUL). In all cohorts, SvdH-scores were consistently worse in classes with AB and APR present (AIPA) than in those without. An example from the EAC cohort shows pts in the MIPA-class had on average 18.5 SvdH-units less than patients in the AIPA-class (Table 1). However, the mean HAQ- and SF36-scores were remarkably similar over time across all classes. The few statistically significant effect-sizes were small and of no clinical relevance.EA pts presenting with elevated (APR and autoantibodies) markers, the phenotype most consistent with the 'classic RA-construct', develop more radiographic damage than those without these markers. However, pts with more damage do not necessarily have worse physical function or QoL (measured up to 24 years). These results may justify immediate DMARD-treatment for preventing damage for the proportion of EA-patients that present with an AIPA-phenotype, but not necessarily for all others.Table 1.Prognosis of EA phenotypesHAQ (0-3)β (95% CI)SF36 PC (0-100)β (95% CI)SF36 MC (0-100)β (95% CI)SvdH (0-448)β (95% CI)ReadeMIPA vs AIPA0.2 (0.1; 0.3)**-7.0 (-9.4; -4.5)OAUL vs AIPA0.0 (-0.2; 0.1)**-2.7 (-5.9; 0.5)ESPOIRMIPA vs AIPA0.0 (-0.1; 0.1)-0.2 (-1.5; 1.1)-0.2 (-1.8; 1.3)-4.3 (-6.5; -2.2)OAUL vs AIPA-0.1 (-0.1; 0.0)0.5 (-0.5; 1.4)-0.7 (-2.0; 0.5)-0.8 (-3.1; 1.5)OALL vs AIPA0.0 (-0.2; 0.1)-1.0 (-3.4; 1.4)-1.7 (-5.1; 1.7)-4.5 (-6.8; -2.2)EACMIPA vs AIPA-0.1 (-0.2; 0.0)**-18.5 (-25.2; -11.9)AIOAUL vs AIPA-0.1 (-0.2; 0.0)**-6.3 (-15.1; 2.6)MIOAUL vs AIPA0.0 (-0.1; 0.1)**0.7 (-5.3; 6.7)OALL vs AIPA-0.1 (-0.2; 0.1)**-6.8 (-19.2; 5.5)ESPOIR: models adjusted for age, gender, DAS28, NSAIDs, GCs, csDMARDs, bDMARDs. Reade and EAC: age, gender and DAS28. * Not available.AS and BvD contributed equally to this work.None Declared.


The Purkinje network plays a determinant role in the electrical activation sequence of the human heart. However, Purkinje properties cannot be clinically measured directly. Recent studies have successfully demonstrated cardiac digital twins without Purkinje networks, using inference methods integrating cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and electrocardiogram (ECG) data. A sophisticated strategy to recover a patient's plausible Purkinje structure would enable these cardiac digital twins to augment clinical data and inform Purkinje-based risk stratification. This study presents and evaluates new computational techniques to infer physiological Purkinje terminal locations, timings, and cardiac conduction properties from clinical CMR and ECG using Eikonal simulations. Our extended sequential Monte Carlo approximate Bayesian computation-based inference method shows an improved match in simulated QRS complexes to Q-wave morphologies in clinical 12-lead ECGs with Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.89.


The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was conducted in Bulgaria in 2002 as part of an international surveillance project initiated by the World Health Organization/Tobacco Free Initiative, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners. GYTS was designed to track the tobacco consumption among youth in countries across the world, using a common standardized methodology and protocol for data collection, which facilitates and permits evaluation, monitoring and data comparison across countries. OBJECTIVE To assess the active and passive smoking patterns of Bulgarian adolescents, as well as their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about tobacco use, within the framework of GYTSBulgaria. METHOD GYTS-Bulgaria is a cross-sectional self-administered, school-based survey of a nationally representative sample of students from 7th, 8th and 9th grades with 2,167 students, aged 13n16 years completing the survey (1,008 males and 1,136 females). The Bulgarian version of the GYTS multiple-choice questionnaire was used, which comprised 56 core questions and 4 supplemental questions. RESULTS Analysis of the questionnaires showed that 69.1% of the students have smoked cigarettes at some time and 37.4% are current active smokers. Twothirds of these (63.6%) manifest a desire to quit smoking and 71.0% had tried to stop smoking during the previous year but were unsuccessful. The greater part of the all studied population passively exposed to smoke in their homes and public places, with current smokers significantly more likely to report exposure than those that never smoked (P<0.05). Despite their knowledge about the detrimental effects of active and passive smoking on health, twice fewer current smokers than those who never smoked express negative attitudes to smoking of others and think that smoking should be banned in public places (P<0.05). The perception of smoking-attractiveness for both genders is significantly higher for current smokers than for those that never smoked (P<0.05). Inversely, for 80.8n81.7% of the studied population, smoking is not related to the perception of popularity. CONCLUSIONS These results show that the tobacco consumption among Bulgarian youth is among the highest in the world and suggest that youth smoking is an important target for public policy. The data imply also the imperative need for programs aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of tobacco use, as well as for programs to help school children to stop smoking. Prevention strategies should involve not only the students themselves but their families, schools and social environment as well.


Bundle includes: -LMS Integrated SAM 365 & 2016 Assessments, Trainings, and Projects with 2 MindTap Reader Printed Access Card, 1st Edition Printed Access Code -Enhanced Discovering Computers 2017, Essentials, 1st Edition Bound Book


Accident data analyses conducted at the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA) in Japan reported that over 60% of drivers who faced unavoidable crash situations made evasive maneuvers on braking and steering in 2007. In such emergency cases, drivers also might brace their body with their muscle activity to prepare the upcoming impacts. Their muscle activity would not only generate muscular forces but also change muscular stiffness and mechanical properties of their articulated joints. Therefore, occupant behaviors during impacts could be different from those observed in dummy tests and cadaver tests. In this study, we developed an active human finite element (FE) model with 3D geometry of muscles. The muscle was modeled as a hybrid model by combination of bar elements with active muscle properties and solid elements with passive muscle properties. The bar elements were modeled with a Hill type muscle model to generate muscular force according to inputted activation levels. The solid elements were modeled with a rubber-like material model to simulate 3D geometry of individual muscles and non-linear passive properties. This combined muscle model was validated against human volunteer test data and reproduced increase of muscular stiffness with increase of muscle activation level as observed in the tests. A volunteer test with one healthy male subject was conducted to obtain physiological information in a bracing situation with braking under his informed consent based on the Helsinki Declaration. In this test, the subject was asked to push his right foot on a brake pedal and his hands on a steering with his maximal voluntary force in the test apparatus fixed on the laboratory. Besides three reaction forces of a brake pedal, a steering, and rigid flat seats, the posture, pressure distribution on the seats, and 24 surface EMG (Electromyography) signals during his braking motion were measured in this test. His maximal braking force was reached to 750N and was well matched to previously reported values for emergency braking situation. We performed simulations using the active human model to reproduce the bracing condition. In the simulations, the activation levels of 24 muscles obtained from the EMG data were directly inputted to the corresponding muscles of the active human model and those of the other muscles were estimated to reproduce the reaction forces. After reconstructing the reaction forces for the braced volunteer, we performed frontal impact simulations to compare occupant behavior and injury outcome in an active human body with those in a cadaveric human body. The simulation results showed significant differences between both human bodies. Different from the cadaveric human body, the active human body could have less injury risks in the thorax and more in extremities. These injury outcomes correspond to those previously reported in comparison between real-world accidents and laboratory cadaver sled tests. Although the active human model has some limitations on accuracy of estimation of muscular activation levels due to lack of consideration for muscular reflex and posture stabilization, it could have possibility to evaluate injury outcome in real-world accidents.


Abstract On the basis of recent research on the pottery and comparisons between three important sites with Hellenistic occupation in Central Asia, new dates are proposed for each of them. The article presents both the former data and hypotheses and the recent discoveries, including coins for Afrasiab/Samarkand, which lead to the new proposals. Changes in pottery style do not follow immediately Alexander's conquest, and the first real Hellenistic shapes only appear under Antiochos I. After Antiochos III's reconquest of Bactria, an important wave of new fashions in pottery style is introduced which lasted until Eucratides' death and the end of the Greek domination, around the middle of the 2nd century BC. Sogdiana hardly shows any of these novelties because it had already gained its independence.


Placental site trophoblastic tumor is a rare disease. Most benign cases of this disease show a few mitotic figures of the tumor while recurrent cases usually have more than 5 mitoses per 10 high-power fields. The present case was primarily treated by hysterectomy and chemotherapy and had 2 mitoses in 10 high-power fields. After 1 years and 4 months of therapy the patients was diagnosed as ovarian metastasis because of gradually increasing serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level and abnormally high fluid levels of beta-hCG and human placental lactogen (hPL) punctured from her cystic ovarian tumor. This recurrent case was further treated with another regimen of chemotherapy for 7 courses, and the serum beta-hCG level had decreased at present. This report describes the recurrent case and discusses the histology of a few mitotic figures, electron microscopic findings, and results of the DNA fingerprint analysis of the primary tumor.


Background: The concomitant administration of opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is used to manage pain in clinical practice, given their synergistic analgesic effect. Among their possible combinations, tramadol and celecoxib are routinely used. The aim of this study was to explore the safety profile of tramadol and celecoxib administered individually compared to their concomitant administration in clinical practice.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of adverse-drug-reactions from the safety database Vigibase, The WHO global individual case safety report database system. A case was defined as an adverse-drug-reaction included in a report of Vigibase between January 2000 and March 2012. Three groups were studied: 'tramadol-no-celecoxib' (tramadol was only reported as suspected or interacting drug), 'celecoxib-no-tramadol' (celecoxib was only reported as suspected or interacting drug) and 'celecoxib+tramadol' (both drugs co-administered and reported as suspected or interacting drug). MedDRA dictionary was used to code adverse-drug-reactions. Reporting proportions were calculated as the number of adverse-drug reactions of a given type divided by the overall total number of reported adverse-drug-reaction in each drug-group.
Results: Reporting proportions for global profile, and for each studied group of adverse-drug-reaction, were lower for the concomitant administration than for each individual drug, specifically for the drug (either tramadol or celecoxib) primary involved in the particular adverse-drug-reaction. Therefore, no safety signals were found for 'gastrointestinal bleeding' and 'gastrointestinal signs and symptoms'; 'cardiovascular' and 'cerebrovascular events'
(related to 'ischemic and embolic-thrombotic events'); 'renal' and 'renovascular' events (including cardiac failure related events); neither for 'central nervous system' effects; neither for 'respiratory depression'; 'development of tolerance with repeated administration' (including abuse/dependence/withdrawal reported events); 'hepatic disorders (drug-related)'; 'skin events'; and neither for the most frequent preferred terms: 'nausea', 'vomiting', 'constipation', 'myocardial infarction' and 'hypertension'.
Conclusion: Based on reporting proportions, no trend was observed to an increased risk for any specific potential safety concern when both tramadol and celecoxib, are administered concomitantly.


Kangaroos (Macropus rufus, M. fuliginosus, and M. giganteus) declined by about 40% across more than a million square kilometers of inland eastern Australia during a drought between April 1982 and March 1983. Most of the deaths occurred within 4 summer months over which kangaroos declined at an instantaneous rate of r = -0.135 on a monthly basis. The rate of decline showed no correlation with the density of kangaroos. We suggest that such droughts and the consequent mortality and reduced fecundity are intrinsic to the ecology of kangaroos, that these occur locally almost every year and regionally about every 10 years, and that they counterbalance to some extent the rapid increase in numbers between the droughts.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate how the knowledge and perception towards colorectal cancer (CRC) screening had been changed in a large population, and identified factors associated with its participation based on factors pertinent to the Health Belief Model (HBM).

METHODS
Data from 3600 screening participants and 3600 non-participants were collected through a telephone survey via simple random sampling of telephone numbers in a territory-wide directory from December 2016 to November 2018. Sociodemographic factors; the enabling factors of screening as well as the barriers of screening were collected. The changes in these factors were evaluated by Pearson's chi-square trend test. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify the association between the above factors and CRC screening participation.

RESULTS
The knowledge level (67.9% to 85.4%, p < 0.001), perceived severity of having CRC (37.7%-42.8%, p < 0.01), perceived benefits of screening (54.9%-72.1%, p < 0.001), and reductions in barriers (14.1%-5.1%, p < 0.001) of CRC screening significantly improved among the non-users. Subjects with older age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.01, p < 0.001), higher knowledge level of screening methods (AOR: 6.68, p < 0.001), greater perceived severity (AOR: 2.04, p < 0.001) and coverage of insurance (AOR: 1.22, p < 0.01) were more likely to participate. In contrast, more affluent subjects (AOR: 0.69, p < 0.001), female individuals (AOR: 0.63, p < 0.001), higher level of perceived psychological (AOR: 0.54, p < 0.001) and access barriers (AOR: 0.55, p < 0.001) were associated with poorer participation.

CONCLUSION
These findings demonstrated a substantial increase in the enabling factors of CRC screening, including knowledge, perceived severity and perceived benefits. The study also identified the target groups such as younger individuals, females and more affluent people among whom more intensive educational initiatives are needed to enhance their participation.


The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of signaling ligands contributes significantly to lung development and maintenance in the adult. FGF9 is involved in control of epithelial branching and mesenchymal proliferation and expansion in developing lungs. However, its activity and expression in the normal adult lung and by epithelial and interstitial cells in fibroproliferative diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are unknown. Tissue samples from normal organ donor human lungs and those of a cohort of patients with mild to severe IPF were sectioned and stained for the immunolocalization of FGF9. In normal lungs, FGF9 was confined to smooth muscle surrounding airways, alveolar ducts and sacs, and blood vessels. In addition to these same sites, lungs of IPF patients expressed FGF9 in a population of myofibroblasts within fibroblastic foci, hypertrophic and hyperplastic epithelium of airways and alveoli, and smooth muscle cells surrounding vessels embedded in thickened interstitium. The results demonstrate that FGF9 protein increased in regions of active cellular hyperplasia, metaplasia, and fibrotic expansion of IPF lungs, and in isolated human lung fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1 and/or overexpressing Wnt7B. The cellular distribution and established biologic activity of FGF9 make it a potentially strong candidate for contributing to the progression of IPF.


Economics and ethics have been linked since the days of Adam Smith, but this connection became tenuous after the formalization of economic theory in the twentieth century, the success of which in academia, government, and business serves to insulate it from ethical critique. Nonetheless, a field of "economics and ethics" has developed to restore this connection, albeit in two directions with disparate methodological approaches: one applying mainstream economic theory, primarily based in utilitarian ethics, to topics of ethical concern, and the other incorporating alternate forms of ethics, such as deontology and virtue ethics, to enrich economic analysis.


Corporate Social Responsibility is a term that is present in every possible medium throughout the globe. While there are practitioners trying to implement Corporate Social Responsibility as part of the sustainability model, there are researchers across the globe trying to understand its meaning and impact. The objective of this paper is to understand the level of convergence between the theoretical understandings of Carroll's Corporate Social Responsibility model and its digital reporting by the corporate. The methodology adopted in this paper is simple content analysis using a deductive approach. The scope of this paper would take into account the website reporting of Automobile sector consisting of six automobile companies, Tata Motors, Bajaj, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai, Ford and Audi. The findings from this paper suggest a wide gap between theory and practice. Hence, eight themes are suggested to the corporate for effective Corporate Social Responsibility activities and its reporting.


Tilltal (Tillgängligt kulturarv för forskning i tal, 'Accessible cultural heritage for speech research') is a multidisciplinary and methodological project undertaken by the Institute of Language and Folklore, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and The Swedish National Archives in cooperation with the National Language Bank and SWE-CLARIN [1]. It aims to provide researchers better access to archival audio recordings using methods from language technology. The project comprises three case studies and one activity and usage study. In the case studies, actual research agendas from three different fields (ethnology, sociolinguistics and interaction analysis) serve as a basis for identifying procedures that may be simplified with the aid of digital tools. In the activity and usage study, we are applying an activity-theoretical approach with the aim of involving researchers and investigating how they use – and would like to be able to use – the archival resources at ISOF. Involving researchers in participatory design ensures that digital solutions are suggested and evaluated in relation to the requirements expressed by researchers engaged in specific research tasks [2]. In this paper we focus on one of the case studies, which investigates the process by which personal experience narratives are transformed into cultural heritage [3], and account for our results in exploring how different types of text material from the archives can be used to find relevant sections of the audio recordings. Finally, we discuss what lessons can be learned, and what conclusions can be drawn, from our experiences of interdisciplinary collaboration in the project.


This paper, as a second part of the study on the double flow control device (DFCD) which has been proven in Part I [1] to improve the flat plate film cooling considerably, describes an approach to optimize the device shape and arrangement using Taguchi method. The target cooling holes are conventional cylindrical ones of 3.0d pitch with 35 deg angle to the flat plate surface. The shape of the double flow control device to be optimized is based on the hemi-spheroid used in Part I.The optimization process in this study is categorized as "static problem", in which S/N ratios of "larger-the-better" characteristics are calculated for control parameters against their noise factor. The "larger-the-better" characteristics adopted in this study is the area averaged film effectiveness over the downstream region of the cooling hole. L18 orthogonal array is used to accommodate the experiment. Blowing ratios of the cooling air to the main flow used in this study are 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0, which are regarded as noise factor. Seven control parameters such as fillet radius, installation angle of the device are chosen and their effects on the film effectiveness are evaluated by the measurement as well as by RANS simulation. In this research, the optimization which used Taguchi method was at the same time carried out by an experiment and numerical simulation. From a comparison between the optimal parameter combinations attained from the measurement-based and CFD-based approaches, one can have an idea about the dependency of the optimal parameter combination on the characteristic evaluation approach. Additional investigation is also made on the effects of turbulence model upon the optimal parameter combination.The flow fields in the downstream region of the optimal DFCD are observed using 3D Laser Doppler Velocimeter in order to understand how the device works on the ejected cooling air. In addition, Large-Eddy-Simulation (LES) is also executed in order to grasp unsteady flow structures created by the device and their interaction with the cooling air. It is found from the measurement as well as the LES analysis that the optimal DFCD generates comparatively large-scale longitudinal vortices, causing the drastic increase in film effectiveness.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


Important species may be in critically central network positions in ecological interaction networks. Beyond quantifying which one is the most central species in a food web, a multinode approach can identify the key sets of the most central n species as well. However, for sets of different size n, these structural keystone species complexes may differ in their composition. If larger sets contain smaller sets, higher nestedness may be a proxy for predictive ecology and efficient management of ecosystems. On the contrary, lower nestedness makes the identification of keystones more complicated. Our question here is how the topology of a network can influence nestedness as an architectural constraint. Here, we study the role of keystone species complexes in 27 real food webs and quantify their nestedness. After quantifying their topology properties, we determine their keystone species complexes, calculate their nestedness, and statistically analyze the relationship between topological indices and nestedness. A better understanding of the cores of ecosystems is crucial for efficient conservation efforts, and to know which networks will have more nested keystone species complexes would be a great help for prioritizing species that could preserve the ecosystem's structural integrity.


Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, hypoxia-induced fish kills occurred throughout the Pascagoula River Basin in southeast Missis- sippi. We evaluated the effect of stocking adult Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus ; 200-356 mm total length) into Pas- cagoula River floodplain lakes to enhance fisheries recovery. We stocked 37 fish/ha into five randomly-chosen lakes in December 2006, whereas five additional lakes were left unstocked to serve as a control. Electrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE: fish/h) and length-frequency distribu- tions of largemouth bass and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) were not different between stocked and unstocked lakes one year after stocking. Regardless of stocking treatment, largemouth bass and bluegill mean total length increased significantly and length frequencies shifted towards larger size groups from 2006 to 2007, indicating natural recovery of these populations. Non-metric multidimensional scaling of species CPUE revealed that during 2006, planktivorous shads (Dorosoma spp.) and brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus) dominated fish assemblage structure in the impacted lakes, but during 2007 it shifted more towards predatory species such as largemouth bass and crappie (Pomoxis spp.). Floodplain lakes impacted by hurricane-related fish kills require at least two years of natural recovery to achieve fish population and community character- istics desirable for largemouth bass and bluegill fisheries.


The question of justice in Western philosophy finds its humble beginnings in the interplay of life and death. I am referring here to Plato's Apology. The Apology is not only a text tracing the fate of the great philosopher Socrates by recounting his final speech before the judges of Athens, but it is also a text that, on a more subtle level, announces the advent of a promising justice that is birthed from death, or, to be more precise, from a specific kind of death. Socrates, here, develops a justice that does not surge from the defence of one's determination as a singular accused, or from the reconciliation of the criminal singularity into the ethical social body through pardon or punishment, but which rather derives from a negation, a radical annihilation of the category of pure singularity. Socrates does not defend himself as an accused who is determinately and definitively singular, but rather affirms the fact that, in some sense, there is no such singular to be defended, that he is not even one (οὐδeίς), less than one, nothing. It is, precisely, in this affirmation of a negative, in this opening of a chasm, that a radically other conception of justice and its relation to the singular is subtly proposed. By pushing the singular to the margins of its possibility, by challenging, bending, pushing the question of the singular and its defence to its outmost limit, Socrates redeploys justice not as a remedying balance, but as the abysmal economy of the bottomless question, a fall into the void, in which life, death, the singular and justice co-incide to burst all definitive determination, substantial opposition and the possibility of establishing a firm ground for any such categories to hold as such. In gradually shedding off the substantial presuppositions of his singularity (knowledge, self-relation and relation to others), he unleashes a modality of the singular which deploys a kind of justice, a wholly other justice, which has shaken the tradition ever since, and, as this article will seek to show, reverberates again in what Jacques Derrida called deconstruction.


The priority activity of state law enforcement agencies in combating crime and, in particular, investigating and solving serious crimes is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the actions of each of the participants in this process. An important role in the implementation of such a complex task of the state belongs to forensic institutions and their staff. The article is devoted to information and technical and forensic problems of improving the activities of forensic institutions. The conditions for the improvement and development of forensic activities are determined.
It is concluded that the study of the issues of using the modern scientific and technical potential of expert activity creates conditions for its improvement and development. This is largely due to the fact that the use of modern scientific and technological achievements in forensic activities, and with its help in the detection, investigation and prevention of crimes, does not occur automatically, but requires proper study and support.
Ways to improve forensic activities are defined: increasing the level of technical and forensic support for the disclosure, investigation and prevention of crimes; increasing the level of efficiency of the participation of employees of expert units in the conduct of investigative actions and operational-search activities; improvement of research activities for the development, development and implementation in practice of new technical and forensic tools, forensic methods and techniques; improvement of expert research methods, forensic accounting, analytical and organizational work based on the introduction of modern automated systems and technologies; generalization and dissemination of best practices and analysis of expert practice on the effectiveness of methodologies for the study of physical evidence, the use of methods of technical and forensic support for the disclosure, investigation and prevention of crimes; improving the selection, training and placement of employees of expert units, strengthening service and performance discipline; intensification of interaction between the expert service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine with otherdivisions of the internal affairs bodies, as well as with other law enforcement agencies, including at the interstate level.

Key words: expert, expert research, handwriting examination, examination of
documents, photo-portrait examination, examination of phonograms.


The research develops and applies an integrated methodology for creating a Lean
Manufacturing Environment in a traditional industry: the Portuguese Textile and
Clothing Industry. This is achieved by developing a modelling tool using quality as a
basis of performance assessment.
In the context of the textile industry specific research objectives were: to evaluate
current and potential application of Lean Manufacturing; to determine current
business performance assessment criteria; to determine current practice in formulation
of quality policy and metrics, and their impact on the effectiveness of new production
technologies and techniques; to develop an integrated methodology to link the
variables identified as important for the creation of a Lean Manufacturing
environment; to apply the methodology in selected industrial test sites; and to derive
quality system specifications which allow the realisation of Lean Manufacturing.
The idea proposed in this thesis uses a quality approach to facilitate the application of
Lean Manufacturing to the Textile and Clothing Industry. The author proposes a
model for this evolution. Ile model developed includes objective variables (quality,
productivity, delivery, cost, innovation, and time related elements), as well as
subjective variables (flexibility, technological, and anthropocentric elements). It
assesses the company performance from a Lean perspective, and not only from
traditional Financial or Quality Assurance perspectives. The model development
derived from applied research in 324 companies. A technique based on Data
Envelopment Analysis was developed to analyse data from those companies. It assisted
quantification of Lean Manufacturing assessment.
The research revealed that a particular set of companies, which have implemented
quality assurance systems, are closer to achieving Lean Manufacturing objectives. This
research project concludes with a proposal for new quality system requirements
specifically designed to facilitate the adoption of Lean Manufacturing.


This experiment aims to determine 1) The effect of shading and nitrogen fertilizer to production of Pennisetum purpureum ; and 2) The effect of shading and nitrogen fertilizer to quality of Pennisetum purpureum,experiment performed in January until May 2016at fieldSTIPER Dharma Wacana Metro.The experiment was investigated in random block design with three replication. The first factor is consisted of two treatment of shading level, i.e (0%) without shading and (50%) paranet shade. The second factor consisted of three treatment of nitrogen fertilizer dosage, i.e 50 kgha-1 nitrogen fertilizer, 100 kgha-1nitrogen fertillizer and 200 kgha-1 nitrogen fertilizer. The results showed that effect paranet shade 50% in fact evidently decrease the production of Pennisetum purpureum 60 %. Quality of Pennisetum purpuremlike nitrate content, crude protein content and crude fiber contenton 50%paranet shade 0,2%-0,11%;7,8%-10,8%; and 29,13%-30,00%. In shade condition, a dose of 50 kgha-1not significant production of elephant grass forage, elephant grass forage production response to increasing doses of N (50-200 kgha-1)is more significant than whitout shade.


To find out whether mast cells are derived from the neural crest or from mesoderm, explants of avian blastoderm, from which the neural crest was excluded, were grown on the chorio-allantoic membrane of chick hosts. The grafts were fixed in aldehyde fixatives and stained to demonstrate metachromatic connective tissue mast cells. In grafts of chick endoderm and mesoderm, mast cells were present despite the absence of neural crest derivatives. To ascertain whether these mast cells were perhaps of host origin, in a second experiment quail embryos were used as donors; explants included all three germ layers and were delimited so as to exclude neural crest cells. The proportion of the mast cells present that showed very large nucleoli such as are characteristic of quail cells was far in excess of that observed in mast cells of a young chick and much closer to that seen in these cells in a young quail. The same was true for grafts in which quail mesoderm had been combined with chick endoderm. Taken together, the results show that connective tissue mast cells are mesodermal rather than neural crest in origin.


The Law School's commitment to its Practice Greatness mission ensures that students graduate profession-ready as newly minted lawyers proficient in theory as well as doctrine, capable of communicating with and learning from other disciplines, and vested with the full range of practical lawyering skills and extra-legal competencies necessary to most effectively perform as legal professionals at the local, state, national, transnational, and international levels. You'll learn from our accomplished faculty—preeminent scholars who have spent years practicing law— and continue to engage nationally and around the world with the legal profession through pro bono litigation, scholarship and more.


The seed oil obtained from Celastrus paniculatus has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of several complaints including intestinal disorders. The muscle relaxing activity of C. paniculatus has been studied in vitro on isolated preparations of rat intestine. C. paniculatus seeds extract (0.001 - 100 microg/mL) produced a concentration-related relaxation of the rat ileum [IC (50) (95 % c. l.) 0.24 (0.13 - 0.45) microg/mL]. Among the four fractions ( n-hexane, CCl (4), CHCl (3), n-BuOH) obtained from the methanolic extract of C. paniculatus, only the carbon tetrachloride fraction (0.01 - 10 000 ng/mL) induced a significant relaxation of the intestinal muscle [IC (50) (95 % c. l.): 1.9 (1.38 - 2.87) ng/mL]. Three new sesquiterpene polyol esters have been isolated from the carbon tetrachloride fraction. These new metabolites, characterised as 1alpha,8beta,14-triacetoxy-9beta-furoyloxydihydro-beta-agarofuran ( 1), 1alpha, 6beta,8beta,14-tetraacetoxy-9beta-benzoyloxydihydro-beta-agarofuran ( 2) and 1alpha,8beta-diacetoxy-9beta-benzoyloxydihydro-beta-agarofuran ( 3), at the concentration of 1 microg/mL produced a relaxant effect of 30.6 +/- 12.2 %, 26.9 +/- 4.7 % and 7.27 +/- 1.7 %, respectively.


We present BIG-C (Bemba Image Grounded Conversations), a large multimodal dataset for Bemba. While Bemba is the most populous language of Zambia, it exhibits a dearth of resources which render the development of language technologies or language processing research almost impossible. The dataset is comprised of multi-turn dialogues between Bemba speakers based on images, transcribed and translated into English. There are more than 92,000 utterances/sentences, amounting to more than 180 hours of audio data with corresponding transcriptions and English translations. We also provide baselines on speech recognition (ASR), machine translation (MT) and speech translation (ST) tasks, and sketch out other potential future multimodal uses of our dataset. We hope that by making the dataset available to the research community, this work will foster research and encourage collaboration across the language, speech, and vision communities especially for languages outside the "traditionally" used high-resourced ones. All data and code are publicly available: [https://github.com/csikasote/bigc](https://github.com/csikasote/bigc).


We measure the orbital properties of halo stars using seven-dimensional information provided by Gaia and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. A metal-rich population of stars, present in both local main sequence stars and more distant blue horizontal branch stars, have very radial orbits (eccentricity ∼0.9) and apocenters that coincide with the stellar halo "break radius" at galactocentric distance r∼20 kpc. Previous work has shown that the stellar halo density falls off much more rapidly beyond this break radius. We argue that the correspondence between the apocenters of high metallicity, high-eccentricity stars, and the broken density profile is caused by the build-up of stars at the apocenter of a common dwarf progenitor. Although the radially biased stars are likely present down to metallicities of [Fe/H]∼−2, the increasing dominance at higher metallicities suggests a massive dwarf progenitor, which is at least as massive as the Fornax and Sagittarius dwarf galaxies, and is likely the dominant progenitor of the inner stellar halo.


The speech behavior of 14 depressed and 18 nondepressed mothers during conversations with their 3-year-old children was examined in this study. Given the general motor retardation, reduced energy level, and social withdrawal of depressed individuals, the speech patterns of depressed mothers were predicted to differ from the speech patterns of well mothers. Depressed mothers vocalized less often and responded less quickly to the cessation of their children's speech than healthy mothers. However, in a mildly stressful situation (awaiting a doctor's visit) the depressed mothers, but not the healthy mothers, significantly increased their level of speech productivity. Children of the depressed mothers spoke less than children of healthy women, particularly while sitting and eating lunch with their mothers. The observed difference in the mothers' behaviors was interpreted as an indication that the 2 groups of children are exposed to very different patterns of socialization. The offspring of depressed women are being taught both to keep social interaction to a minimum and to be overreactive to even mild stresses. The differences in the children's behavior may indicate that already these 3-year-old children have learned to keep their interactions with their mother to a minimum. This manner of adaptation may have negative effects on the child's continued social, emotional, and cognitive development.


Nowadays, the distributed generation (DG) is taking more relevance and it is anticipated that in the future it will have an important role in electric power systems. But, an inappropriate selection of location and size of DG sources can lead to power losses greater than the losses without DG. The objective of the paper is to find the optimal number and placement of DG sources using clustering techniques, so the effects on the operation and control of the distribution system to be minimal. The validity of the proposed method is observed through tests on the different electric distribution networks.


ABSTRACT This paper contributes to debates on the relationship between peacebuilding and statebuilding with its analysis of post-independence Sierra Leone. It considers the extent to which peacebuilding has returned Sierra Leonean society to post-independence statebuilding conversations and how the issues that have emanated from such conversations have interacted with settlement and post-settlement arrangements. This paper analyses original data from focus group discussions and interviews in fieldwork from January 2016. It finds that the situation in Sierra Leone heralded opportunities for peacebuilding processes to engage concerns that have been linked with historical statebuilding conversations. Yet formal statebuilding processes, which were particularly focused on liberal institution building in the post-conflict context, were not sufficiently attentive to their antecedents. Nonetheless there are suggestions of some engagement with extant statebuilding conversations particularly in relation to how ethnicity continues to colour the statebuilding project, the significance of intergroup dynamics across intergenerational exchanges and gender and the challenges of socio-economic exclusion.


The Partial Discharge Inception Voltage (PDIV) and PD characteristic of mineral oil were described and compared with palm oil. The test was performed by needle-plane electrode configurations. Both mineral- and palm oil were investigated under AC voltage. A comparison study between PDIV and PD activities of the mineral oil Hyrax and palm oil were investigated with the total volume of the oil in the test cell was approximately 2 L. The 50-μm tip radius of tungsten needle electrodes were utilized as high voltage electrode. On the other hand, the grounded electrode with 30-, 40-, and 50 mm gap distances was represented by a 50-mm and 75-mm diameter copper plane electrode. Consideration on the oil conditions' effect on both PDIV and PD characteristics was also carried out. It was clearly shown that PDIV is dependent on the electric field stress of the electrode system and the test method based on the experimental results. In comparison to differences of gap distance, the 50-μm needle tip radius and 75-mm plane with gap distance of 30-mm electrode revealed the highest electric field stress and inversely exhibited the lowest PDIV value tested. Furthermore, simulation using ANSYS Maxwell on the electric field distributions of the electrode systems was also performed. In order to quantify electric field based on the finite element methods the ANSYS Maxwell was being utilized. In the simulation, the palm oil and mineral oil properties of its 2D modelling test cell was used. From the results, the PD characteristics of mineral oil and palm oil tested by needle-plane electrode system are known. To confirm the suitability of palm oil as a high voltage insulating medium, it is vital to analyse in-depth on its partial discharge activity and characteristics.


This article is based on a study of patients treated for hyperthyroidism with propylthiouracil and is concerned chiefly with the ability of such treatment to produce remissions. It also deals with certain advantages and disadvantages related to the over-all clinical handling of the disease by this method. The final decision as to the permanency of remissions would imply following each patient throughout his life. The patients discussed here have almost all been followed for 24 months or less. The patients studied started treatment between January, 1946, and April, 1947. A total of 179 such hyperthyroid patients were followed. During the same interval of time, 71 additional patients were treated with propylthiouracil, but they could not be included in this survey for various reasons; they were patients who were undergoing trial therapy of arterial hypertension; patients with angina pectoris or congestive failure without hyperthyroidism, and patients who were observed only once


The degradation of tributyltin (TBT) in contaminated freshwater and estuarine sediments was investigated for a 330 day period under controlled laboratory conditions. Rates of TBT degradation at different depths were established using regression modelling and revealed TBT half lives ranging from 360-775 d in surficial sediments. There appeared to be little difference in degradation rates between freshwater and estuarine sediments, although a notable increase in TBT half life was evident in TBT spiked sediments. Degradation values suggest that TBT either debutylates to DBT and MBT in aerobic sediments or degrades to DBT which is subsequently desorbed to the overlying water. In anaerobic sediment the half life of TBT was not discernible and appeared to be in the order of tens of years. Biotic processes would seem to be the most important mechanisms for the decomposition of TBT in freshwater and estuarine sediments.


It has been recognized for several years that power ultrasound can effectively inactivate algae cells at a laboratory scale. However, although ultrasonic inactivation shows great potential, there are few reports of its use when applied on a large scale. In this study, we have investigated the uses of two types of ultrasonic equipment at a small and medium laboratory scale for the control of algae blooms which are commercially available in similar configurations for industrial scale operation. The following equipment was tested using cultured algae suspension: (a) Dual Frequency Reactor (DFR) operating on 1 L in batch mode and 3.5 L in recirculating mode with two resonating plates at different frequencies of 16 and 20 kHz (Advanced Sonic Processing Systems, USA); (b) Sonolator operating in a flow mode treating 5 L using hydrodynamic cavitation (Sonic Corporation, Stanford, CA, USA). The most effective inactivation was obtained using the DFR in batch mode at 60% power setting for 10 min which resulted in a reduction of 60% of the original concentration (measured using optical density OD). In a recirculating loop mode, the treatment of 3.5 L algae suspension with a DFR for 15 min resulted in a reduction of 46% (OD). Ultrasonic treatment of 5 L suspension in a recirculating loop using the Sonolator over 5 h resulted in a reduction of 30% (OD). This study is the first to explore the use of two commercially available ultrasonic systems (DFR and Sonolator) both capable of direct scale-up to industrial levels for the control of algae. It demonstrates that sonication in a recirculating process has the potential to be effective in the treatment of algal cells on a large scale.


This study examines the factors influencing customers' online purchasing intentions. A questionnaire was administered to a group of 584 respondents through the purposive sampling method. Data were analyzed via the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach to examine the posited research hypotheses. The PLS-SEM approach revealed that impulse purchase orientation was the strongest predictor of customers' online purchase intention in Malaysia. This was followed by an online purchase experience, and then online trust and quality orientation. It is also discovered that brand orientation does not significantly influence customers' online purchase intention in Malaysia. This research is helpful to online retailers in the development of business strategies and also the academicians to conduct further research by adding a new variable in the mix for generation and evolution of the concept. The originality of the paper is its investigation of the determinants as the predictors in the proposed theoretical framework and the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) as the underpinning theory for this study, something that has been overlooked in prior studies. The results underpin new and extensive inputs into marketing theory and enlarge the emergent literature related to customers' purchase intention in online shopping in Malaysia. Directions for future research are offered.


A field experiment was conducted at the Postgraduate AgriculturalResearch Station (PARS), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad to evaluate the effect of an auxin, indole-3acetamide (lAM) and its precursor L-tryptophan (L-TRP), on the growth and yield of rice (cv. Basmati-385). Rice seedlings were treated with different levels of L-TRP (10-2 to 10-6 M) and lAM (10-:Jto 10M) by dipping the roots in respective solution for one hour just before transplanting them into the field. In case of control, roots were dipped in tap water for the same period of time. Both the pure auxin and its precursor significantly enhanced the yield and NPK contents of rice compared to untreated control. L-tryptophan application @ 10-5 M significantly increased the plant height (4.3c.kI), paddy yield (42.9%), number of tillers (29.7%), and c. number of panicles (28.5%), compared to control. The same level of L-TRP also significantly improved NPK


From the emergence, development and demand situation of the strength and conditioning coaches at home and abroad, the necessity of professional access to strength and conditioning coaches is analyzed from five aspects as below: it can solve the specialized and professional training of the strength and conditioning coaches; mobilize social forces to participate in the work of strength and conditioning coaches, broaden the ways of cultivating the strength and conditioning coaches; improve the severe shortage of the strength and conditioning coaches, and enhance the scientific level of the physical training; fully improve the professional qualification and comprehensive quality of the strength and conditioning coaches, so as to enhance the training quality of the talents for competitive sports; and play an important role in establishing and perfecting the new career development and promotion system in sports industry, enriching the occupational categories of sports industry and promoting the employment.


Abstract Translations from Lambda calculi into combinatory logics can be used to avoid some implementational problems of the former systems. However, this scheme can only be efficient if the translation produces short output with a small number of combinators, in order to reduce the time and transient storage space spent during reduction of combinatory terms. In this paper we present a combinatory system and an abstraction algorithm, based on the original bracket abstraction operator of Schönfinkel [9]. The algorithm introduces at most one combinator for each abstraction in the initial Lambda term. This avoids explosive term growth during successive abstractions and makes the system suitable for practical applications. We prove the correctness of the algorithm and establish some relations between the combinatory system and the Lambda calculus.


Due to anticipated energy shortages and the need to achieve climate goals, there is an urgent requirement for transition towards a green, resilient system of energy provision. This transition is hampered because important players in energy markets (governments and oligopolies), while supporting large-scale solutions, avoid or block systemic changes. This rejection of systemic change is strengthened by the dominant social paradigm, which ignores systemic vulnerabilities, treating resources as solutions and the environment as a sink. In its turn, the dominant social paradigm is contested by the new ecological paradigm and by attitudes towards sustainable business practices. Understanding this framework may be relevant for identifying decision-makers' perception of system risk, and thus for supporting a transition towards a more decentralized and resilient energy supply. In this context, this paper presents an empirical study among Polish students of a business university (N = 393), trying to discover the relationship between the social paradigms, perceptions of environmental resources and sinks, and systemic risk in large-scale energy production (i.e., nuclear power plants). Although the explained variance is limited, results show that various elements of the dominant social paradigm are related to problem denial. Technological optimism and belief in markets are predictors of optimism about resource shortages and neglect of system risk. This optimism is counteracted by political liberalism, and respondent attitudes towards sustainable business practices. Belief in market forces has an ambivalent effect, tempering technological optimism regarding nuclear energy but also political acknowledgement of the limited resources and sink capacities of the environment. Although the influence of the dominant social paradigm on energy transition can be identified, the results may indicate a decline in belief in market forces and liberal democracy, implying a rethinking of the dominant social paradigm may be needed. The existing relationship between these aspects warrants a critical review and discussion of the central role of the dominant paradigm in current management training. The results indicate that a lack of political liberalism and a negative attitude towards sustainable business practices amplify system risks in, e.g., large-scale nuclear energy projects.


Biodiesel is one the most popular bio-derived fuel among the alternative fuels. The biodegradable, environmental
friendly and easy resources are causing biodiesel received extra attentions by industries and researchers in addition to solve
the future energy crises. Despite years of improvement, the crucial issue in using bio-derived fuels is the oxidation
stability, stoichiometric, chemical composition, antioxidants on the degradation and much oxygen compared to diesel.
Thus, the improvement of emissions quality from engines fuelled by biodiesel is immediately required to meet the future
stringent emission regulations. Instead of using biodiesel itself, the used of biodiesel blended with additive has been
experimented extensively aiming the emissions reductions and improving the engine performance. Therefore, this study
was executed to analyse the effects of biodiesel mixed with bio-additives on performance, emissions and combustions
characteristics of diesel engine. The division of experimental investigation comprises of 1) performance of diesel engine
specifically on brake power, brake mean effective pressure and fuel consumption; 2) exhaust gas emissions focussing on
CO2, NOx, HC and CO formations; and 3) combustion characteristics of fuel inside the combustion chamber. Biofuels
tested in the study was derived from three different feed stocks i.e. crude palm oil (CPO), jatropha curcas oil (JCO) and
waste cooking oil (WCO) at 5, 10, 15 and 20% concentration were blended with selected bio-additive namely Di Methyl
Poly Siloxane (DMPS) and D20 palm oil methyl bio-additive formula. Additionally, petroleum diesel namely standard
diesel (STD) was examined as well for comparison purpose. A 4-cycle YANMAR TF120ML diesel engine integrated with
a 20 HP Eddy-Current dynamometer and mounted with Airrex HG-540 gas analysers are used. Outcomes of the study
implied that blended fuels particularly C10+DMPS and J15+DMPS promotes the optimum performance associated with
reduction of exhaust emission specially CO gas. Yet, the best alternative fuels were recommended.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effects of adjunctive pregabalin 300 mg/day versus placebo on polysomnographic (PSG) variables in patients with well controlled partial seizures and subjectively reported sleep disturbance.

METHODS
An exploratory, 4-week, double-blind, randomized study in patients with well controlled partial seizures on AED monotherapy and subjective sleep disturbance over the previous 6 months. Mean changes from baseline to endpoint in PSG and subjective sleep variables (MOS Sleep Scale, Groningen Sleep Questionnaire) in patients on adjunctive pregabalin 300 mg/day (n=8) were compared with patients on placebo (n=7).

RESULTS
Baseline PSGs showed sleep fragmentation. Mean sleep efficiency improved significantly in both treatment groups in the mean baseline to endpoint change; there was no significant between-group difference. Pregabalin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in number of awakenings (p = 0.02), and improvement in wake time after sleep onset approached significance (p = 0.055), suggesting improvement in sleep continuity that was not observed in the placebo group. Pregabalin was also associated with significant improvements in the MOS sleep disturbance and sleep quantity subscales compared with placebo (p < or =0.03). There were no changes in self-reported seizure control.

CONCLUSIONS
This exploratory pilot study suggests that pregabalin may improve sleep continuity in patients with clinically relevant sleep disturbance. The effect on disturbed sleep appears independent of seizure control. The effects of pregabalin on disturbed sleep and seizures and their interrelationships warrant further study.


Took place in Persahabatan Hospital, Department of Radiotherapy, a research has been held using Linac Elekta Precise equipped by EPID (Electronic Portal Imaging Device). The research is focused on daily measurement on Linac using EPID and Ionization Chamber which the results were compared in effort to use EPID as alternative detector for daily measurement on Linac. The Linac Elekta Precise used in this research was equipped with EPID iViewGT a-Si flat panel with energy consist of 6 MV and 10 MV, 160 cm SDD (Source to Detector Distance), MU variations between 95-105 MU with 1 MU interval, and measured on 10 cm x 10 cm for the field size. Linac's daily consistent measurement was held with 100 MU exposure and similar Linac's parameter every day. EPID's image beam profile evaluation was held along inplane and crossplane axis. The result is EPID's calibration show a linear relation between pixel value and MU for both of energy beam (6 MV and 10 MV). Specifically, for Linac's daily consistent measurement with 100 MU, the result show 3% deviation rate in general for both of energy beam which similar with Ionization Chamber measurement result. Flatness and symmetry that acquired from EPID's image profile show no more than 2% deviation rate which still in tolerance limit. In conclusion, EPID's daily image profile evaluation which covered output consistency, flatness, and symmetry beam profile show that EPID could be used for alternative detector for daily beam profile monitoring.


Cervical cancer is a significant problem among American Indian women. Studies report very high mortality and poor 5‐year survival rates compared with other ethnic groups. This paper reports on the impact of a culturally framed cervical cancer educational project on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward cervical cancer screening among American Indian women in California. Eight Indian clinic centers, four urban and four rural, were assigned randomly to intervention and control sites (n = 414). A culturally sensitive educational approach was used as a vehicle to provide cancer education to improve adherence to cancer screening recommendations. Pre‐ and posttest questionnaires were administered, and the data were analyzed. Clinic charts were abstracted. Study results indicated significant statistical differences in postintervention knowledge levels between women from the intervention and control centers. The analysis of changes in attitude statements resulted in only modest changes. Behavioral changes require additional analysis, because the self‐administered questionnaire results conflict with the participant's chart review. This study has shown the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate approach and methodology for teaching about recommended preventive health techniques for cancer control. Cancer 1998;83:1799‐1804. © 1998 American Cancer Society.


This letter presents an improved error-correction decoder for Bluetooth systems, employing the limiter-discriminator detector with integrate and dump filter (LDI detector) and the expurgated (15,10) binary Hamming code, which is used to protect the payload of data medium-rate packets. The proposed decoder exploits the error statistic of the LDI detector output and makes use of the single-error-correcting double-adjacent-error-correcting (SEC-DAEC) capability of the expurgated (15,10) code. As a result, notable improvements in data throughput and/or transmission range are achieved. Since the performance gains come at no additional cost in implementation, the proposed decoder is highly attractive for application in low-cost Bluetooth devices.


We examine upper mantle anisotropy across the Hawaiian Swell by analyzing shear wave splitting of teleseismic SKSwaves recorded by the PLUME broadband land and ocean bottom seismometer deployments. Mantle anisotropy beneath the oceans is often attributed to flow‐induced lattice‐preferred orientation of olivine. Splitting observations may reflect a combination of both fossil lithospheric anisotropy and anisotropy due to present‐day asthenospheric flow, and here we address the question whether splitting provides diagnostic information on possible asthenospheric plume flow at Hawaii. We find that the splitting fast directions are coherent and predominantly parallel to the fossil spreading direction, suggesting that shear wave splitting dominantly reflects fossil lithospheric anisotropy. The signature of anisotropy from asthenospheric flow is more subtle, although it could add some perturbation to lithospheric splitting. The measured delay times are typically 1 s or less, although a few stations display larger splitting delays of 1–2 s. The variability in the delay times across the different stations indicates differences in the degree of anisotropy or in the thickness of the anisotropic layer or in the effect of multilayer anisotropy. Regions with smaller splitting times may have experienced processes that modified the lithosphere and partially erased the fossil anisotropy; alternatively, asthenospheric splitting may either constructively add to or destructively subtract from lithospheric splitting to produce the observed variability in delay times.


The new instructional design model (Isman - 2011) aims at planing, developing, implementing, evaluating, and organizing full learning activities effectively to ensure competent performance by students. The theoretical foundation of this model comes from behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism views. And it's based on active learning. During teaching and learning activities, learner is active and uses cognitive learning to construct new knowledge. To construct new knowledge, educational technology materials are used. These materials are connected with goals and objectives. This study examines the effectiveness of the instructional design model (Isman - 2011) in developing the students teaching skills (Planning Teaching Domain) by redesign "General teaching methods course – curr 233-", which taught to the sixth level students at teachers' college, King Saud University. The sample of the study consisted of 80 students that enrolled in the second semester 2010/2011, they were divided into two groups of 40 students each, (an experimental group and a control group). The result comes by administered pre- post teaching skills test to find out the model has strong effectiveness in achieving the research aims especially in developing the student teaching skills.


INTRODUCTION More than 95% of circulating clotting factor VIII (FVIII) exists in a non-covalent complex with von Willebrand Factor (VWF). While VWF stabilizes and protects FVIII from its clearance pathways, it also subjects FVIII to VWF-mediated clearance. Thus, interaction with VWF imposes a limitation on the extent of FVIII half-life extension achieved by current technologies (Fc fusion, PEGylation etc.). Recombinant FVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN (rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN) is a novel fusion protein, consisting of the FVIII binding D9D3 domains of VWF fused to a single chain rFVIIIFc (scFVIIIFc). Appending the domains of VWF to FVIII provides the protection and stability of endogenous VWF, while avoiding the limitation imposed by VWF clearance. Besides D9D3 domains, it also contains two XTEN linkers. XTEN is an unstructured polypeptide consisting of six amino acids repeats (Gly, Ala, Pro, Glu, Ser, Thr). Fusion of XTEN to a protein reduces the rate of clearance and degradation of the fusion protein. In rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN, one XTEN linker replaces the B-domain of FVIII and other is attached to the D9D3 domains. In preclinical studies, this protein has shown >4-fold prolonged half-life and similar in vivo acute efficacy compared to rFVIII. In the current study, we examined the impact of various modifications on the in vitro plasma stability of rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN protein. MATERIALS AND METHODS rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN is a fusion protein which is expressed as a dual chain molecule. One chain expresses the D9D3 domains linked to a Fc monomer through an XTEN linker. This polypeptide is co-expressed with a single chain rFVIIIFc monomer to generate a dimer, via the disulfide-bond between the Fc domains. To assess the in vitro plasma stability, fusion proteins were expressed in HEK293 cells, purified and incubated with plasma from FVIII KO (Hem A) or FVIII/VWF DKO mice, for various time periods at 37 degree centigrade. After the desired incubation time, plasma stability of the recombinant proteins was determined by FVIII chromogenic activity assay. Results and Conclusions rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein showed significantly enhanced in vitro plasma stability compared to rFVIII. In FVIII KO plasma, rFVIII started losing activity by 4 hours, and by 24 hours it lost more than 80% of its activity. The decline in activity was more pronounced and rapid when rFVIII was incubated with FVIII/VWF DKO plasma, mainly due to the absence of protection provided by VWF. Conversely, in the case of rFVIIIFc-VWF-XTEN, there was no significant drop in activity even after 6 hours (in both FVIII KO and DKO plasma). By 24 hours, only 10-15% activity reduction was observed in FVIII KO plasma and about a 35% decrease in DKO plasma. Further studies were conducted to evaluate various parameters which contributed to the improved stability of this fusion protein. Our results suggest that there are multiple factors which contribute to the overall stability of rFVIII-VWF-XTEN protein. These include: presence of covalently attached D9D3 domains, enhanced stability of single chain FVIII isoform used in the fusion protein and presence of the XTEN linker in the B-domain of FVIII. These data suggest that superior plasma stability of this novel fusion protein might be a contributing factor to its prolonged in vivo half-life and efficacy. Disclosures Seth Chhabra:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Moore:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Furcht:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Holthaus:Biogen: Employment. Liu:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Liu:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Schellenberger:Amunix Operating Inc: Employment. Kulman:Biogen: Employment. Salas:Biogen: Employment, Equity Ownership. Peters:Biogen: Employment.


Abstract This study investigates whether serum prolactin (PRL) is a key factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. A total of 691 obese childred participated in this study and were divided into a NAFLD group (n=366) and simple obesity (SOB) group (n=325) according to the hepatic ultrasound results. The two groups were matched for gender, age, pubertal development, and body mass index (BMI). All patients underwent an OGTT test, and fasting blood samples were collected to measure prolactin. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify significant predictors of NAFLD. Serum prolactin levels were significantly lower in NAFLD subjects than in the SOB subjects [82.4 (56.36, 118.70) vs. 99.78 (63.89, 153.82), p<0.001] (mIU/l). NAFLD was strongly associated with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and prolactin, with lower levels of prolactin increasing the risk of NAFLD (adjusted ORs=1.741; 95% CI: 1.059–2.860) across the prolactin concentration tertiles after adjustment for confounders. Low serum prolactin levels are associated with the presence of NAFLD; thus, increased circulating prolactin might be a compensatory response for obesity in children.


This paper is going to discuss about control the speed of induction motor in three steps by using cycloconverter through IGBT. Induction motors used in many domestic appliances such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, water pumps, and others. The difficulty of varying the speed of induction motor is one of the main disadvantages, because the AC supply frequency cannot be changed. The induction motor speed control in two ways, one is by changing the number of poles and second one is by changing the supply frequency. In first method, the number of poles cannot be change in running condition because the machine size also becomes bulky. This problem can conquer by control the supply frequency. Cycloconverter is power electronics device used for renovate constant AC frequency into variable AC frequency. Induction motors drawback is overcome by using cycloconverter. The status of the Switches enables the microcontroller to deliver the pulses to trigger the IGBT in a bridge. Thus, the speed of the induction motor can be achieved in three steps i.e. (f, f/2 and f/3).


The flow of oil-water in pipes commonly occurs in oil and petroleum industries and is a challenging issue. Clear understanding of the frictional pressure drop (FPD) of oil-water flows in pipes is important for determining size of pumps and pipelines in transportation of oils. An experimental investigation has been conducted for measurement of pressure drop of oil Exxsol (D130)-water two-phase flow in 6 inch diameter horizontal and vertical stainless steel annulus pipe at different flow conditions. Two-phase large scale horizontal & vertical flow loop was used to acquire data for different water cuts and fluid mixture (oil-water) flow rates. Experiments were carried out for different water cuts (WC) ranging from 0-100% and for different inclination angles (0° and 90°). The oil-water flow rates were varied from 2,000 to 12,000 barrels-per-day (BPD). Exxsol mineral oil (D130) and potable water have been used as working fluids. In order to simulate field conditions, the range of liquid flow rates used matches the range of actual flow rates in oil wells. The frictional pressure drop (FPD) has been found to decrease initially (for all flow rates) from WC=0% to WC=20%. Further increase in WC, causes FPD to increase from WC=20% to WC=40%. This is due to phase inversion. For a given WC=40%, for increase in BPD from 6,000 to 8,000, increase in FPD is about 34%. The effect of angle has found to be appreciable. For a given flow rate 8,000 BPD & WC=40%, for increase in angle from 0 to 90°, percentage increase in frictional pressure drop is about 26%. The outcomes of the study will be helpful in mitigating multi-phase flow problems in oil and petroleum industries.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive loss of cognition and a gradual decrease in memory. Though AD is considered the most persistent form of dementia and a global concern, no complete cure or agents that can completely halt the progression of AD have been found. In the past years, considerable advancements in the understanding of cellular and molecular changes associated with AD has been investigated and numerous pharmacological targets have been recognized to enable drug development for the condition. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are the major attributes of AD. Symptomatic relief is the only possible treatment available at present and a disease modifying drug is of utmost importance. Development of drugs that can inhibit different targets responsible for the formation of plaques is a potential area in AD research. This review is not a complete list of all possible targets for AD but serves to highlight the targets related to amyloid pathology and pathway concerned with the formation of amyloid fragments. This shall serve as a prospect in identification of amyloid plaque inhibitors and pave the strategies for newer drug treatments. Nevertheless, substantial research is done in this area but to bridle, the clinical difficulty remains a concern.


Data security is in Demand in everyday life of Digital World, since Digital data's can be reproduced much easily. To achieve the maximum security required a Parallel Processing, User Reconfigurable Cryptographic RISC Microprocessor is proposed in our paper. Rather than protecting the data using tools and external codes, a microprocessor is specially designed in our project to offer maximum digital security. Cryptographic processor can be classified either as asymmetric cryptography or a symmetric cryptography processor. Asymmetric cryptography has the advantage of Reception security but has the limitation of High resource Utilization. And a symmetric cryptography processor has the limitation of single key security but comparatively has the advantages of low area, resource and power consumption. Thus in this project we are proposing Hybrid architecture in which both the advantage of asymmetric and symmetric cryptographies are combined. For implementation, Asymmetric RSA cryptography and a symmetric lightweight SEA encryption is combined to mutate a reconfigurable Cryptographic processor.


Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a relatively common progressive noninflammatory entheses disease. Patients are often asymptomatic or are undiagnosed due to minor chronic symptoms. We herein report a rare case in which the primary symptom was sudden-onset upper airway obstruction due to exuberant osteophytosis in the cervical spine. Treatment was successful with careful airway management and surgical osteophyectomy. Most DISH cases in the literature with airway obstruction have been managed with tracheotomy. However, the safety and necessity of this approach remain questionable. We herein discuss the possibility of conservative management as a choice of airway control. Airway obstruction due to DISH may be underrecognized. This highlights the importance of including DISH in the differential diagnosis of airway obstruction. In addition, a detailed evaluation and personalized care for each individual case is essential.


The importance of Modelling Method Engineering is equally rising with the importance of domain specific modelling methods and individual modelling approaches. In order to capture the most relevant semantic primitives that address domain specifics needs, it is necessary to involve both, method engineers as well as domain experts. Due to complexity of conceptualization of a modelling method and development of regarding modelling tool, there is a need of a guideline-, corresponding toolsand services-bundle supporting actors with different background along this complex process. Based on practical experience in business, more than twenty EU projects and other research initiatives, this paper introduces a product-service system to support the conceptualization of a modelling method on demand. The proposed product-service system is introduced and evaluated by three EU-funded research projects in the domain of multi-stage manufacturing, e-learning and cloud computing as well as additionally by an in-house development project in the area of decision modelling extensions. The paper discusses the evaluation results and derived outlooks.


A class of dynamic control policies is defined for scheduling customers from a Poisson source on a set of exponential servers with dissimilar service rates. A fastest-to-slowest ordering is imposed on the servers, and they are invoked in response to instantaneous system loading as measured by the length of the queue of waiting customers. Markov chain analysis is employed to analyze the performance of the control policies and to develop optimality criteria. It is shown for the two-server case, and believed to be true in general, that probabilistic control policies are suboptimal to minimize the mean number of customers in the system, and that the optimal policy is in a restricted class of policies referred to as "threshold queueing" policies. In a threshold queueing policy, specific queue lengths are identified as "thresholds" beyond which an additional (fastest idle) server is invoked. A new server remains busy until it completes service on a customer and the queue length is less than its invocation threshold. Optimality conditions are derived, and an approximation to the optimum policy is analyzed. For most operational applications, a very simple approximation of the optimal threshold value suffices.
Extensions to the basic policy involving different objectives are considered, including a treatment of the n-server case, the finite queue situation, and inverse ordering (slowest-to-fastest) of servers. Several applications of threshold queueing policies in computer and communications systems are presented. It is concluded that threshold queueing policies with easily approximated thresholds provide near-optimal control of multiple exponential servers with dissimilar service rates, and that these policies can be readily applied to improve the performance of contemporary computer and communications systems.


ABSTRACT Two researchers conducted independent searches on five different electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, LiLACS and Web of Science. Studies were selected that covered cross-cultural adaptation methodology and validation in Brazil with type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients of any age. After reading the full-text articles, data related to psychometric characteristics were extracted from each study selected. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α (Cα). The initial searches identified 2,211 studies. After exclusions, 26 were included, covering a total of 31 questionnaires. Questionnaires were grouped into 11 domains based on their main focus of interest: adherence (n = 8), quality of life (n = 7), diabetes knowledge (n = 3), hypoglycemia (n = 3), self-efficacy (n = 3), satisfaction with pharmaceutical services (n = 1), emotional stress (n = 2), hope (n = 1), attitude towards diabetes (n = 1), perception of disease severity (n=1), and risk of developing diabetes (n = 1). This study identified and reviewed all of the diabetes-specific questionnaires that have been validated for Brazilian Portuguese, which should facilitate selection of the most appropriate instrument for each domain of interest in future research and clinical settings.


The reasons for the existence of any system of surgical treatment, and particularly, one applied to the correction of a special class of affections, must be: First, a demand for such service. Second, its necessity by reason of the large number of failures and extreme difficulty of accomplishing good results by other methods. Third, that it makes possible an enlargement of the field of surgical accomplishment in at least one direction. The blind, the deaf and dumb, the tuberculous and the crippled almost everywhere have institutions established for their care. States and communities have recognized the duty of ministering to the comforts and necessities of the afflicted in these directions. Large sums are annually contributed for the maintenance of such work, and the encouragement of scientific investigation to increase the efficiency of its usefulness, but no such responsibility has been assumed by municipalities, nor has any notable portion of endowments of charitably inclined wealthy citizens been devoted to the relief of these unfortunate individuals


This review focuses on three key noninvasive cardiac imaging modalities-cardiac CT angiography (CTA), MRI, and PET/CT-and summarizes key publications in 2021 relevant to radiologists in clinical practice. Although this review focuses primarily on articles published in Radiology, important studies from other major journals are included to highlight "must-know" articles in the field of cardiovascular imaging. Cardiac CTA has been established as the first-line test for patients with stable chest pain and no known coronary artery disease, and its value remains central to the assessment of surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Artificial intelligence continues to evolve in a number of applications in cardiovascular disease. In cardiac MRI studies, 2021 has seen an emphasis on nonischemic cardiomyopathies, valvular heart disease, and COVID-19 disease cardiac manifestations and the authors highlight the key articles on these topics. A section featuring the increasing role of cardiac PET/CT in the assessment of cardiac sarcoidosis and prosthetic valves is also provided.


This article is devoted to the study of a flame ball model, derived by G. Joulin, which satisfies a singular integro-differential equation. We prove that, when radiative heat losses are too important, the flame always quenches; when heat losses are smaller, it stabilizes or quenches, depending on an energy input parameter. We also examine the asymptotics of the radius for these different regimes.


OBJECTIVES
(1) Characterize serum (S) and urinary (U) steroid metabolites in complete CYP17 deficiency (cCYP17D); (2) analyze the relative 17α-hydroxylase (17OH) and 17,20-lyase (17,20L) activities in vivo; and (3) comparedata from the two most prevalent mutations in Brazil.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
20 genotyped cCYP17D patients from a previously reported cohort were homozygous for W406R or R362C; 11 controls were CYP17 wild types (WT). WT and cCYP17D patients had S and U samples drawn to measure: cortisol (F), corticosterone (B), deoxycorticosterone (DOC), 18OH-B, 18OH-DOC, and 17OHP; and tetrahydro (TH)-B, THA, THDOC, THF+5α-THF, TH-cortisone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5-pregnenediol, 17OH-pregnenolone and pregnanetriol.

RESULTS
Compared to WT, cCYP17D patients had marked elevations of B, DOC, 18OH-B and 18OH-DOC, whereas 17OHP, F and adrenal androgens (AA) were reduced; U steroids parallel S findings. Metabolite ratios revealed that both 17OH and 17,20L activities were impaired in cCYP17D. There were nodifferences between W406R andR362C mutations.

CONCLUSIONS
cCYP17D patients show parallel overproduction/overexcretion of 17-deoxysteroids, and marked reduction of F and AA. In addition to 17OH, 17,20-L activity was also impaired in cCYP17D. W406 and R362C mutations disclose similar Sand U patterns.


Dimerization of HIV-I protease (HIV PR) monomers is an essential prerequisite for viral proteolytic activity and the subsequent generation of infectious virus particles. Disrupting dimerization of the enzyme can inhibit its activity. We have calculated the relative binding free energies between different dimers of the HIV protease using molecular dynamics and a continuum model, which we call MM/PBSA. We examined the dominant negative inhibition of the HIV PR by a mutated form of the protease and found relative dimerization free energies of homo- and hetero-dimerization consistent with experimental data. We also developed a rapid screening method, which was called the virtual mutagenesis method to consider other mutations which might stabilize non-wild-type heterodimers. Using this approach, we considered the mutations near the dimer interface which might cause dominant negative inhibition of the HIV PR. The rapid method we developed can be used in studying any ligand-protein and protein-protein interaction, in order to identify mutations that can enhance the binding affinities of the complex.


Molnár János Cave (MJC) is the only underwater cave and the only active one in the Buda Thermal Karst system (BTK). At MJC, there is a large amount of water that can be considered as a possible source of drinking water. We evaluated the physical and chemical parameters of the cave water to understand natural and possible anthropogenic interference in water quality. Therefore, measurements of temperature and chemical compositions were performed for dripwaters and water from the cave conduits over a four-year period and compared to historical data. Statistical analysis of the produced data revealed yearly changes as well seasonal periodicity in the component ion concentrations. In the case of dripwaters, we observed a periodicity that revealed information about the origin of the dripwater. For the first time, we had identified seasonal variations in conduit waters. Previous studies only analyzed water at the entrance of the cave. Then, this research focuses on the water from the newly discovered inner passages.


It has been revealed that cruising for parking is one of the main sources of road congestion and pollution, as well as daily discomfort and stress experienced by drivers while on road to attend their everyday businesses. Therefore, there is a substantial need to design efficient car parking mechanisms that can be easily deployed into future intelligent transportation systems. In this paper, we tackle this important issue and we propose a new Reservation-based multi-Objective SmArt Parking approach denoted as ROSAP. Our approach uses a simulated annealing based meta-heuristic to optimize the parking slot assignment problem formulated as a multi-objective Integer Linear Program (ILP). ROSAP helps drivers to find the most suitable parking slot within their areas of interest and with respect to their specified constraints. In order to gauge the effectiveness of our proposal, we conducted extensive simulation experiments considering a real-like environment. Results show significant gains in both request satisfaction ratio and parking occupancy while keeping a minimal walking distance between the parking and the user's destination, in comparison with greedy approaches where each vehicle is assigned a free parking slot, which is closer to the destination.


The story of age discrimination as interpreted by civil justice is told by analyzing the current structure of laws highlighting specific Supreme Court cases along with our U.S. Congress chiming in and attempting to further address the fairness in the rule of law governing the specifics of the EEOC procedural steps and how appellate courts may consider factors relating to the analogous terminology. Further study is warranted and justified by statistical data points and analysis in the way ageism is defining our labor force and our economic system with a focus on age discrimination, giving particular attention to time, age, and experience.


An exact solution of a generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation is presented. The equation is characterized by a new nonlinear dispersion term, and its limiting cases cover a large number of physical problems.


The objectives of this study were to characterize the floristic and to
calculate the phytosociological parameters of species present in the
areas of 'campo sujo' and 'cerrado' sensu stricto in the Ecological
Station of Pirapitinga, Minas Gerais state (ESEC). For the floristic
and phytosociologic survey, a total of 190 plots of 100 m2 each were
allocated, where all the individuals with circumference at soil level
(CSL) ≥ 16 cm in areas of 'campo sujo' and 'cerrado' sensu
stricto were sampled. The parameters of frequency, density, dominance,
and importance values and Shannon and Pielou indexes were calculated.
The floristic similarity between areas was determinated by Sorensen
index. In the study areas, a total of 3,224 individuals distributed in
81 species, 70 genera and 40 families were sampled. The richest
families were Vochysiaceae and Fabaceae. The cerrado sensu stricto was
the vegetal formation with the highest richness of species (81) and
highest density (2.257 ind ha-1). Both areas have studied with high
diversity and ecological dominance and have low diameter distribution
in the form of inverted-J, indicating the predominance of young
individuals.


Bearing in mind the very limited scope of the acquis which is supposed to be implemented within the Stabilization and Association Agreement framework, the second part of this article is dedicated to analysing the impact of the accession negotiations on direct taxation in the Southeast European countries. Although the closing of the tax chapter during the accession negotiations with a particular acceding country should imply the required full alignment of its direct tax legislation with the acquis, the reality in numerous cases in the previous enlargement processes is far from the expected. In the area of European Union (EU) secondary tax legislation analysis has shown that the accession procedure will, in most cases, ensure the timely and full compliance of an acceding country with its requirements. However, the alignment of acceding countries legislation with the part of EU direct tax law stemming from the negative integration processes is much more demanding. In essence, there can be no absolute certainty that every provision of an acceding country's direct tax legislation has been placed under sufficient scrutiny during the tax chapter negotiations process and that its required full alignment with the case law of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has been ensured. The authors conclude with an observation that the various approaches applied to different countries which have attempted or are attempting to become EU Member States within the accession process, beg the question of the objectivity of the process and how important is the role of political influences and interests on the success of a particular country in joining the EU.


Observations reveal that mass-transferring binary systems may have non-zero orbital eccentricities. The time evolution of the orbital semimajor axis and eccentricity of mass-transferring eccentric binary systems is an important part of binary evolution theory and has been widely studied. However, various different approaches to and assumptions on the subject have made the literature difficult to comprehend and comparisons between different orbital element time evolution equations not easy to make. Consequently, no self-consistent treatment of this phase has ever been included in binary population synthesis codes. In this paper, we present a general formalism to derive the time evolution equations of the binary orbital elements, treating mass loss and mass transfer as perturbations of the general two-body problem. We present the self-consistent form of the perturbing acceleration and phase-dependent time evolution equations for the orbital elements under different mass loss/transfer processes. First, we study the cases of isotropic and anisotropic wind mass loss. Then, we proceed with non-isotropic ejection and accretion in a conservative as well as a non-conservative manner for both point masses and extended bodies. We compare the derived equations with similar work in the literature and explain the existing discrepancies.


Abstract Objective Tympanostomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in otolaryngology, and its complexity is challenging for trainee surgeons. Investing in medical education is a cornerstone of good patient safety practices. For trainees, use of simulators before operating on actual patients helps mitigate risks. This study aimed to develop a three-dimensional printed model simulator for myringotomy, tympanostomy and ventilation tube placement. Methods An articulated model with a detachable portion, base and plastic bag to simulate the external auditory canal, middle ear and tympanic membrane, respectively, was modelled and printed. Results The final simulator was made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer and measured 4 × 4 × 12 cm. It was designed to mimic the angulation of patient anatomy in the myringotomy position and simulate the texture and colour of the tissues of interest. The cost was low, and testing with an operating microscope and endoscope yielded satisfactory results. The advent of three-dimensional printing technology has made surgical simulation more accessible and less expensive, providing several advantages for medical education. Conclusion The proposed model fulfilled expectations as a safe, inexpensive, reproducible, user-friendly and accessible surgical education tool that can be improved and reassessed for further research.


This work presents a configurable time-interleaved pipeline architecture as an efficient solution for the ADC design in high data rate multi-standard radios. The ADC is implemented in a 0.25-/spl mu/m BiCMOS process as part of an integrated dual mode 802.11b/Bluetooth direct conversion receiver. Its structure can be configured to accommodate the different sampling rate and dynamic range requirements of both standards. The different techniques employed at the system and circuit levels to optimize the power consumption are described. An on-line digital calibration scheme is also incorporated to assure the conversion linearity and reduce mismatch among the parallel branches. The proposed ADC is a switched-capacitor implementation occupying an area of 2.1 mm/sup 2/. It achieves 60 dB/64 dB dynamic range at 44 MHz/11 MHz sampling frequency with a power consumption of 20.2 mW/14.8 mW for the 802.11b/Bluetooth baseband signals.