Problem statement: Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) is characterized by fastidious nutritional requirements leading to the need for complex and rich media to allow growth. Owing to their complex requirements which also varied significantly with species, the formulation of selective media for LAB is difficult. Approach: A culture medium for LAB was previously developed based on deproteinated whey supplemented with yeast autolysate and de-lipidated egg yolk. Based on this previously developed medium, some selective media were formulated and their potential for LAB selection and enumeration was examined. Results: In this study, it was considered as a basis to define a selective medium, by adding a pH indicator and some inhibitory compounds to select the LAB flora of various dairy products including milk, disinfected or not, fermented milk and yoghurt. The addition of sodium azide to inhibit the contamination flora, including Gram negative floraand purple bromocresol allowed a direct selection of the Gram + and lactose + flora. An acidic pH (5.0) can also be helpfully considered after protein hydrolysis to avoid protein denaturation. Conclusion: To complete this study, additional work is needed concerning the improvement of culture medium selectivity by considering other inhibitors, of the Gram negative flora (like lithium chloride for instance), of fungi (like actidione), of the Gram positive flora (excepting the LAB flora) and an association of these inhibitors.


The effect of La dopant on the scintillating properties of lead tungstate has been found to depend on the doping concentration. In this work the conductivities of a series of PWO:La single crystals were measured and explained by a change in doping mechanism. We propose that the oxygen vacancy is the main type of charge carrier at all doping levels from room temperature to 1000 °C. Offering high conductivity and low activation energy, heavily doped PWO:La may serve as a fast ion conductor of merit.


Thirty-five iliac and 25 femoropopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) were performed at the Cleveland Clinic between February 1979 and April 1983. Patients were considered for PTA if they had disabling claudication, ischemic rest pain, ischemic ulceration or gangrene, or an arterial stenosis or occlusion that met the necessary radiographic criteria. Overall, 87% of the PTAs were an early success, and 63% remained successful at an average follow-up of eight months. The success rate for iliac PTA was 89%, with a late success rate of 74% if both the femoral and profunda femoris arteries were patent. These success rates decreased to 50% early and 25% late if only one femoral artery was patent. The femoropopliteal PTA group had an incidence of 80% early success and 56% late success. If three tibial outflow vessels were patent, the late success rate was 75%. When one or two of the tibial vessels were patent, the late success rates were 45% and 63%, respectively. The follow-up period in both groups was 9 to 11 months. The success rate for PTA is generally lower than that for surgical revascularization in patients with similar clinical symptoms and arterial pathology. However, PTA poses several advantages over surgical revascularization and should be considered, especially in the poor-risk patient.


Background: Ethiopia is one of the most populous countries in Africa and has the highest number of new HIV infections. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to demonstrate the joint predictors and association between modern contraceptive use and knowledge of HIV prevention in women aged 15-49 across clusters in Ethiopia.Methods: This study considered a weighted sample of 10,223 married women aged 15-49 years, extracted from the 2016 EDHS data. The bivariate multilevel logistics regression model was used in this study.Results: In Ethiopia, 64.75%, 54.58% of the women didn't use the modern contraceptive method and didn't know about HIV prevention, respectively. A positive relationship between the use of modern contraceptives and knowledge of HIV prevention of women across the clusters was found, which implies that modern contraceptive use has positive implications on women's knowledge of HIV prevention techniques across the clusters.Conclusions: Predictor visiting a health facility, wealth index, media exposure, religion, place of residence, and the contextual region are statistically related with the use of modern contraceptive use and knowledge of HIV prevention of women across the clusters. Those women who use the modern contraceptive method have more likelihood of knowing about HIV prevention. The study result confirmed that modern contraceptive use has a spillover effect on women's knowledge of HIV prevention across the clusters. Therefore, the integration of the two programs with taking into account their joint predictors was an advantage in terms of clinical benefit, cost, and for seeking care individuals in the communities. The integration of two programs with due consideration of community-specific was recommended.


A negative branch and a positive branch hybrid resonator, suitable for a laser with large optical cross section and small output coupling are explored numerically. The basis of the theory is the Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral equation, the calculations describe a passive resonator. The fabrication of cylindrical mirrors is difficult and deviations in mirror radius of curvature are possible. While a large concave radius of curvature of the mirror is allowed in the stable direction, a convex curvature is not tolerable. Near the ideal mirror parameters, the resonator in unstable direction is insensitive to mirror curvature variations, if the resonator length is appropriately adapted to the actual mirror curvatures. With respect to mirror tilt, the calculations show that in unstable direction the off-axis negative branch confocal unstable resonator is less sensitive than the off-axis positive branch confocal unstable resonator. In stable direction, the sensitivity to mirror misalignment is larger and dependent on the mirror curvature but independent of the unstable resonator part.


One-dimensional (1D) assemblies of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) represent an important kind of 1D nanomaterial system due to their potential for exploring novel and enhanced electronic and photonic performances of devices. Herein, we present mass fabrication of a series of 1D arrays of CdSe and PbSe NCs on a large length scale with ultralong, aligned Se nanowires (NWs) as both the reactant and structure-directing template. The 1D self-assembly patterns are the anchored growth of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) on the surface of Se NWs (i.e., 1D Se NWs/CdSe QDs core-shell heterostructure) and 1D aggregates of unsupported PbSe NCs formed by substantially increased collective particle-particle interactions. The size of CdSe QDs and shape of PbSe NCs in the 1D arrays can be effectively controlled by varying the synthetic conditions. Room temperature electrical measurements on the 1D Se/CdSe heterostructure field effect transistors (FETs) exhibit a pronounced improvement in the on/off ratio, device carrier mobility, and transconductance compared to the Se NW FETs fabricated in parallel. Furthermore, upon visible light excitation, the photocurrent from the Se/CdSe heterostructure FETs responses sharply (small time constant) and increases linearly with increasing the light intensity, indicating excellent photoconductive properties.


At this stage the application server systems, such as e-commerce platform , instant messaging system , enterprise information system and so on, will be led to lose connections , the data latency phenomena because of too much concurrent requests, application server architecture, system architecture, etc. In serious cases, the server is running blocked. The new type of application server system contains four parts: a client program, transfer servers, application servers and databases. Application server is the core of the system. Its performance determines the system's performance. At the same time the application servers and transfer servers can be designed as the web service open to be used, and they can be achieved as distributed architecture by a number of hardware servers, which can effectively deal with high concurrent client application requests.


The Visible and near Infrared Hyperspectral Imager (VIHI) is the VIS-IR spectrometer with imaging capabilities aboard the ESA BepiColombo mission to Mercury. In this second paper, we report the instrument spectral characterization derived by the calibration campaign carried out before spacecraft integration. Complementary measurements concerning radiometric and linearity responses, as well as geometric performances, are described in Paper I [G. Filacchione et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 88, 094502 (2017)]. We have verified the VIHI spectral range, spectral dispersion, spectral response function, and spectral uniformity along the whole slit. Instrumental defects and optical aberrations due to smiling and keystone effects have been evaluated, and they are lower than the design requirement (<1/3 pixel). The instrumental response is uniform along the whole slit, while spectral dispersion is well represented by a second order curve, rather than to be constant along the spectral dimension.


Objectives: Pentraxin 3 plays an important role in the process of atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate the correlation between pentraxin 3 expression in the aorta of patients with coronary atherosclerosis and other risk factors for atherosclerosis. Patients and methods: Aortic wall tissues from 43 patients with atherosclerosis who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery were studied and compared with control renal arterial tissues obtained from 12 healthy kidney donors without atherosclerosis. We measured serum biochemical parameters and calculated Gensini scoring, and aortic pentraxin 3 expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in both groups. Results: Levels of aortic pentraxin 3 expression were significantly higher in the experimental group and were also elevated in diabetic patients and smokers. Aortic pentraxin 3 expression was positively correlated with serum pentraxin 3, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) levels (P<0.05) but negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P<0.05). We also found that aortic pentraxin 3 expression correlated significantly with Gensini coronary disease severity scores (P<0.01). Conclusions: Pentraxin 3 expression is elevated in the aorta of patients with coronary atherosclerosis, which correlates with the severity of coronary artery disease and other risk factors for atherosclerosis.


This paper has presented a comparative assessment of impact of major social safety nets (SSN) in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, by conducting a village based assessment. The study has used the database of selected components of panel household survey data compiled by ICRISAT. This was supplemented by focus group discussions and key informant survey in each of the six villages from AP and MP selected for the assessment: four villages in AP and two villages in MP. The results have suggested that institutionalized government SSN programs like Public Distribution System (PDS), National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAP), Mid-day Meal (school) programme and subsidies on rural infrastructure (inputs on house, toilets) are widespread across the study villages; and these programs have played a vital role in reducing the economic vulnerability and distress in farming specially of agricultural labour households. In comparison to MP, the rural households in AP have been found relying more on the governmental SSN. Contradictory to the objectives of SSN programs, the underprivileged labour class households were least benefited in the study villages. However, in Madhya Pradesh, labour class households were getting more benefits than the other three classes of farm households. According to the study, the MGNREGS has been able to address the needs of poor and vulnerable households in coping with the economic backwardness through achieving employment and food security, economic sustainability, and increased productivity of labour.The program has also led to enhancing the poor and vulnerable households' asset base and breaking their indept-cycle.


Abstract:During the eighteenth century, the East India Company and Princess Qutlugh Sultan Begam forged an alliance that publicly acknowledged her maternal authority over a large Mughal household in the city of Banaras and the Mughal princes residing there. In a period when the relationship between public authority and motherhood was subject to debate in Britain and India, Qutlugh Begam used this collaboration to reproduce Mughal power in Banaras. This article shows that the politics of motherhood that emerged between the Company and Qutlugh Begam was a site of possibilities. To Qutlugh Begam, it was the means to shaping Mughal patrilineal succession, and to the Company, it was a strategy to make the Mughal princes who posed a threat to its sovereignty into subjects. These competing aspirations determined the limits of the politics of motherhood at the onset of colonial rule in India and the fading of Mughal orders.


The thesis of the conflict between nobles and plebeians as the 'prime cause' of freedom of the ancient Roman republic is one of the most innovative changes made by Machiavelli in the tradition of republican political thought. However, according to Machiavelli, in the same way that social conflict can generate freedom, it can generate corruption and tyranny, exactly as it started to happen in Rome after a certain point in time. I will discuss relations between social conflict and political institutions in Machiavelli in order to show the conditions which explain the positive and negative effects of social conflicts. By means of an analysis of Machiavelli's discussion of the Gracchi brothers' Agrarian Law, the paper suggests that the end of the virtuous effects of social conflict coincides with the change in the nobility's attitude regarding the new plebeian's demands. The nobility gives up its institutional reaction and initiates an extraordinary and violent behavior after the dislocation of the subject of the conflicts from honors to property.


Acting as sentinels capable of quickly organizing a secondary immune response upon pathogen challenge, resident memory CD8 T (TRM) populations are initially primed by microenvironment cues and APC licensing following acute infection of peripheral tissues. Despite their capacity for heterologous protection against influenza virus (flu) challenge, scant knowledge exists as to factors necessary to establish and maintain airway and lung parenchymal (LP) CD8 TRM cells. In contrast to mechanisms described for other tissues, lung CD8 TRM cell establishment required cognate antigen recognition once cells were recruited to the lung by local inflammation. Furthermore, this combination of local antigen and inflammation formed long-lasting TRM populations in the LP and airways that highly express the chemokine receptor CXCR6 and adhesion molecule CD49a. During a primary intranasal (IN) flu infection, CXCR6 is preferentially expressed on virus-specific CD8 T cells in the airways and LP by day 7 post-infection. Selectively, LP CD8 TRM cells highly express CXCR6, while systemically circulating flu-specific cells achieve only an intermediate expression level. Finally, use of mixed bone marrow chimeras show that wild-type virus-specific memory CD8 T cells predominate over CXCR6-/- cells in the airway and LP after IN infection with Sendai or flu virus. Thus, our data show that local antigen and inflammation coupled with CXCR6 expression is key to establish CD8 TRM cells in the LP and airways.


High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies offer new promise to support surveillance programs targeting marine non-indigenous species (NIS). Metabarcoding might surpass traditional monitoring methods, for example through its ability to detect rare species, a key feature in early detection of NIS. Another interest of this approach is the identification of organisms difficult to identify based on morphology only (e.g., early developmental stages), making it relevant in the context of management programs. Because many marine benthic NIS have a biphasic bentho-pelagic life cycle, targeting their pelagic larval stages in zooplankton may allow early detection and assessment of their establishment and potential spread. We illustrate this approach with an analysis of bulk-DNA retrieved from a time-series of zooplankton samples collected over 22 months in one bay in Brittany (France). Using HTS of amplicons obtained with two markers (COI and 18S) and a metabarcoding approach, 12 NIS were identified and their temporal larval dynamics were monitored. Importantly, we chose to focus on a closed list of species, from four metazoan classes encompassing 52 NIS reported within the study area or nearby seas, with molecular references available or obtained locally for 42 of them. The use of a custom-designed database allowed the detection of three NIS otherwise not detected when using public databases. Interestingly, NIS known to have a short-lived larval stage were detected (e.g., the bryozoan Bugula neritina or the tunicate Corella eumyota ). For two molluscs Ruditapes philippinarum and Crepidula fornicata , metabarcoding results were compared to those obtained using traditional methods (i.e., barcoding of individual larvae and morphology, respectively) to show the reliability of the approach in detecting and assessing the extent of their reproductive periods. Our results also revealed that the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas , a notorious invasive species, failed to reproduce in the study bay, showing that metabarcoding on larval stages also provides information regarding the establishment success (or failure) of NIS. While metabarcoding has its limitations and biases, this study demonstrates its effectiveness for surveillance of targeted NIS, notably to support management strategies like the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).


Abstract The locality of Langenboom (eastern Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands), also known as Mill, is famous for its Neogene molluscs, shark teeth, teleost remains, birds and marine mammals. The stratigraphic context of the fossils, which have been collected from sand suppletions, was hitherto poorly understood. Here we report on a section which has been sampled by divers in the adjacent flooded sandpit 'De Kuilen' from which the Langenboom sands have been extracted. The studied section covers part of the marine Miocene Breda Formation and Pliocene Oosterhout Formation, and is topped by fluvial Quaternary deposits of presumably the Beegden Formation. The Breda Formation (15 – 18 m below lake surface) in this section is, based on organic walled dinoflagellate cysts, of an early-middle Tortonian age. The Oosterhout Formation (7 – 15 m below lake surface) comprises two depositional sequences, the lower of which (12 – 15 m below lake surface) presumably is the source of most Langenboom fossils. Combined dinoflagellate cyst and benthic mollusc indicators point to an early Zanclean - early Piacenzian age for this lower cycle. Its basal transgressive lag and (to lesser extent) top comprise reworked Tortonian taxa as well, Dinoflagellate cysts and a single benthic mollusc point to a Piacenzian age for the upper Oosterhout Formation sequence (7 – 12 m below lake surface).


The work is devoted to the development of a maximum entropy estimation method with soft randomization for restoring the parameters of probabilistic mathematical models from the available observations. Soft randomization refers to the technique of adding regularization to the functional of information entropy in order to simplify the optimization problem and speed up the learning process compared to the classical maximum entropy method. Entropic estimation makes it possible to restore probability distribution functions for model parameters without introducing additional assumptions about the likelihood function; thus, this estimation method can be used in problems with an unspecified type of measurement noise, such as analysis and forecasting of time series.


This brief text covers the biologic and pathophysiological bases of a selected group of skin disorders. Primarily intended for students and physicians in training, the book evolved from a decade-old course on the pathophysiology of the skin given at Harvard Medical School. The book is not intended to be a treatise. The editors and other authors nevertheless have achieved their goal of providing the reader with an updated summary of the relevant subjects. It is written in a clear and concise style and edited well to give uniformity to the various chapters authored by 30 investigators. It covers a broad spectrum of subjects, including the normal structure and development of skin in various disease states, and concludes with a brief chapter on important psychiatric considerations in these disorders. The index is relatively comprehensive, and a random survey of it did not reveal any errors. In summary, I recommend this book


Objective Meningeal involvement is a rare complication of Wegener9s granulomatosis (WG). Here we present a case of pachymeningitis in WG and perform a literature review to describe the clinical features and strategies for diagnosis of meningeal disease in WG. Methods Medline search from 1960 to present was performed and articles in English describing meningeal involvement in WG were reviewed. For the case presentation, pertinent photographs of clinical findings and diagnostic studies were obtained with the patient9s permission. Results A 25-year-old male patient with known limited WG was admitted with new-onset right-sided ear pain, hearing loss, facial droop, diplopia, and difficulty swallowing. His WG had manifested in the past with scleritis, arthritis, sinusitis, and lung disease in the setting of high-titer c-ANCA and anti-proteinase-3 (PR3) reactivity. He was on prednisone and low-dose daily oral cyclophosphamide (75 mg daily). Physical examination revealed right eye proptosis, ptosis, and facial droop, lateral gaze palsy, and deviation of the tongue to the right. C-reactive protein was 22.3 mg/dL. Repeat c-ANCA titers were low titer positive. Spinal fluid was negative for inflammatory cells or infection. Magnetic resonance imaging showed opacification of the right middle ear, right mastoiditis, right-sided occipital-temporal meningeal enhancement, and enhancement of the right lateral extraocular muscles but no significant anterior sinus disease. Biopsy of the right dura overlying the temporal lobe revealed multifocal necrotizing granulomas with vessel destruction and no evidence of infection. He was placed on high-dose intravenous corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide with gradual clinical improvement. Conclusion Meningeal involvement in WG typically presents in patients with limited disease. Clinical features include headache, hearing loss, and cranial nerve dysfunction. Neuroimaging can reveal diffuse or focal meningeal inflammation. In up to one-third of WG patients with pachymeningitis, ANCA testing may be negative. As such, meningeal biopsy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis, especially if infection is a consideration.


BACKGROUND In Japan, non-pediatricians face many instances in which they must see children, partly due to the uneven distribution of pediatricians among urban and rural areas. We aimed to develop and examine the effect of a model simulation-based training program in pediatric primary care for non-pediatric medical and ancillary personnel who express misgivings about seeing pediatric patients in an emergency setting due to their perception of their lack of training in this area.METHODS We instituted a series of workshops on common pediatric emergency situations, first with physicians, and later also including ancillary personnel, as a form of interprofessional education. The entire program was constructed around Design-based Research.RESULTS Feedback from attendees and facilitators was mostly positive, leading us to open the workshops to ancillary personnel.CONCLUSIONS From a training point of view, this epistemological investigation was successful in mitigating anxieties in individuals about seeing pediatric emergency patients. The effects on patient care remain to be studied.


It has been recently suggested that ovarian serous carcinoma follows a dualistic pathway with low-grade carcinomas arising from borderline tumors and high-grade carcinomas originating de novo. Similarly, our group has shown that based on their molecular profile endometrioid borderline tumors could predate low-grade endometrioid ovarian carcinomas (EOC). It is not clearly understood if low-grade EOC is in turn related to high-grade EOC, or if high-grade EOC may also arise de novo. The aim of our study was to compare the molecular profile of grade 1, 2, and 3 EOCs. Twenty-nine EOCs were selected including 10 grade 1 (G1), 11 grade 2 (G2), and 8 grade 3 (G3). Selected blocks were immunostained with β-catenin and p53, and also microdissected, DNA extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction with primers for exon 3 of the β-catenin gene, codons 12 and 13 of KRAS and codons 1 to 9 of PTEN. The length of BAT-26 and BAT-25 was analyzed to determine microsatellite instability (MSI). Patients with G1 EOC ranged from 21 to 71 (mean 52) years, those with G2 tumors ranged from 43 to 66 (mean 56) years, and patients with G3 EOC ranged from 41 to 67 (mean 57) years. Immunohistochemical analysis for β-catenin showed nuclear staining in 14 cases (7 G1, 5 G2, and 2 G3 tumors), whereas the rest showed membranous staining. Beta-catenin mutations were found in only 3 G1 tumors. KRAS mutations were seen in 5 EOCs (2 G1 and 3 G2). MSI and mutations of PTEN were both detected in 1 G1 and 1 G2 tumor, respectively. There was no overlapping expression of MSI, β-catenin, PTEN, or KRAS mutations. Finally, p53 overexpression was present in 6 EOCs (5 G3 and 1 G2), all G3 p53 positive tumors being negative for all other markers, whereas the G2 tumor also showed a KRAS mutation. In conclusion, β-catenin and KRAS mutations, and MSI were strongly associated with low-grade EOC. In contrast, p53 overexpression characterized high-grade EOC, with no other molecular alterations present in the vast majority of these tumors. On the basis of these results, we suggest that there may also be a dual pathogenetic pathway for EOC.


Objectives To assess the labour market entry and the labour market performance of a cohort of patients followed in the transition program of a Pediatric Rheumatology Unit. Methods A survey of patients followed in the transition program of a Pediatric Rheumatology Unit was conducted from September to December 2013. Data regarding demographic, clinical and labour status were collected: age, gender, diagnosis, disease onset, current treatment, family situation, educational attainment, occupational status and the patient's degree of difficulty to get a job and/or to perform it due to their illness. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data. Labour data from our cohort were compared with those published in the 2012 Government Survey of Youth of Catalonia (GenCat). Results The survey included 131 patients, 94 women (72%) and 37 men (28%). The mean age was 22 years (range 16-35). Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) represented the 52% (n=67) of the patients, Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) 19% (n=24), Autoinflammatory syndromes 8 (n=10) and other diseases 22% (n=28). The mean follow-up was 14±7.3 years. The percentage of patients on biological treatment was 32% (n=41). Regarding the family situation, 39% (n=38) were living alone, with classmates or in couple. Concerning the educational attainment, 18% had reached compulsory level, 38% post-compulsory secondary level and 43% higher education. The distribution of the major activity was 38% working and 50% studying. Unemployment was present in 11.5% of the sample. Regarding the difficulty to find a job due to their illness 70% answered that it didn't affect them at all. About the difficulty in performing their job 75% responded that they were unaffected. We could not establish a statistically significant relationship between the disease onset and the difficulty in achieving and/or performing a job, even though a trend of greater difficulty was observed in the group of longer disease onset (>15 years). Comparative data between our cohort and the general population of Catalonia is shown in Table 1. It was observed that the rate of employment was comparable only among those individuals over 25 years of age, whereas in younger people there was an overrepresentation of students. The rate of unemployment of our cohort was similar to that found in the survey of Catalonia in all age groups (11.5% vs 10.4%). The number of individuals of our cohort who attainted post-compulsory secondary education and higher education was higher compared to the general population in Catalonia, 38.1% vs 29.2% and 43.3% vs 34.6% respectively. Table 1. Major activity by age groups Students Working Unemployed Total Cohort (%) GenCat (%) Cohort (%) GenCat (%) Cohort (%) GenCat (%) (%) 16–19 years 95 69 0 28,2 5 2,7 100 20–24 years 56,5 25,3 30,4 64,1 13 10,6 100 25–29 years 17,6 10,4 70,6 75,8 11,8 13,9 100 30–35 years 0 8 84,6 79,2 15,4 12,9 100 Total 50 26 38,5 63,6 11,5 10,4 100 GenCat = 2012 Government Survey of Youth of Catalonia. Conclusions Our results show that among patients with childhood onset rheumatologic diseases there was no significant difficulty in finding and/or performing a job due to their illness. The percentage of individuals who attainted post-compulsory secondary and higher education studies was higher in our cohort compared to data obtained from the general population of the same age,while labour market entry occurs at a later age. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4751


The central Wasatch Front, the major population center in Utah, is underlain by as much as 300 m of sediments of Great Salt Lake and its predecessor, Lake Bonneville. Much of this sediment, which is the foundation for major construction in the valley, consists of silicate clays that were deposited in saline water. Fresh ground water from the adjacent Wasatch Mountains has leached the saline clay, producing sensitive and extra sensitive clays in sediments of the central Wasatch Front. These clays contain montmorillonite and vermiculite and low-salinity pore water. Their extensive distribution in an area of known seismicity indicates that earthquake hazards are extreme.


We calculate the mean and almost-sure leading order behaviour of the high frequency asymptotics of the eigenvalue counting function associated with the natural Dirichlet form on $\alpha$-stable trees, which lead in turn to short-time heat kernel asymptotics for these random structures. In particular, the conclusions we obtain demonstrate that the spectral dimension of an $\alpha$-stable tree is almost-surely equal to $2\alpha/(2\alpha-1)$, matching that of certain related discrete models. We also show that the exponent for the second term in the asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalue counting function is no greater than $1/(2\alpha-1)$. To prove our results, we adapt a self-similar fractal argument previously applied to the continuum random tree, replacing the decomposition of the continuum tree at the branch point of three suitably chosen vertices with a recently developed spinal decomposition for $\alpha$-stable trees


Abstract Background: Here we assess the ability of patients with cerebellar disease to execute a simple visually-guided movement task involving tracking of a target with the index finger. Methods: Spontaneous microdisplacements in index finger position are compared in patients with cerebellar deficits (ischemia [n = 3], multiple sclerosis [n = 3], degenerative cerebellar disease [n = 3]) and age-matched healthy subjects. Subjects were required to maintain a constant finger position relative to a stationary baseline displayed on an oscilloscope. Results: Unusual transient abrupt movements (saccadic or myoclonic-like) directed with or against gravity were seen in patients whose neurological deficits were the most severe (7/9 patients). These abrupt myoclonic-like movements occurred independently of visual input, were not associated with clinically observable myoclonus, and were not detected previously in patients with Parkinson's disease. These abrupt myoclonic-like movements were not associated with abnormalities in either physiological tremor, or oscillations in finger microdisplacements induced by insertion of a delay (300–1400 ms) into the visual feedback of this finger "holding" experiment. An unexpected finding is that the results obtained for patients with cerebellar deficits by insertion of an experimental delay are not significantly different from those obtained with their age-matched controls. Conclusions: These observations suggest that abrupt myoclonic-like movements are a characteristic abnormality of patients with a variety of cerebellar deficits and emphasize the value of this simple motor tracking task for characterizing movement disorders.


An unexpected observation in the current–voltage curves of Schottky diodes, containing barrier inhomogeneities generated using the analytical results based on a Gaussian distribution model of barrier heights is reported. Calculations based on these results show that, at very low temperatures, Schottky diodes exhibit higher currents than at higher temperatures. This is an unusual observation, indicating a high current through the Schottky diodes at lower temperatures, which is inconsistent with the thermionic emission diffusion theory. The effects causing this unusual behaviour are explored by analysing a conventional model. A more accurate approach is presented which explains this unusual behaviour and yields results consistent with the theoretical behaviour of the Schottky diodes.


In this MSc thesis we study the key elements that determine the composition of a portfolio and highlight the advantages of diversification. Employing analytical methods and models that offer closed-form solutions we determine the optimal composition of an investment portfolio, either by minimizing a specific portfolio risk or by maximizing its expected utility. In a modern approach of the problem, Sharpe indicators combine both of these approaches. We also present some classical optimization methods such as quadratic programming, and we extensively analyze a new class of metaheuristic algorithms, which can deliver very good solutions in relatively fast computational time, offering excellent performance.
In the first section we discuss in detail the most popular models of contemporary portfolio theory such as the Markowitz Model, the Black Model and the Tobin Model. Our review stems from the perspective of constrained optimization, and with the assistance of methods such as Lagrange multipliers and the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions, we are able to derive closed-form solutions for the determination of the optimal composition of a financial portfolio. However, in cases where either the number or the type of constraints makes it impossible to find an analytical solution, we present in the next section appropriate numerical methods for approximating the optimal solution.
In the second section we review the mechanisms of well known optimization algorithms, as well as some recently proposed metaheuristic algorithms and more specifically, Particle Swarm Optimization, Ant Colony Optimization and Random Search (Simulated annealing, Tabu search).
In the third section, which consists of the main subject of our thesis, we present in detail an important class of metaheuristic algorithms, the so-called Genetic Algorithms. By employing the R programming language environment, their mechanisms and performance with respect to their parameters are numerically studied through specific examples, by presenting illustrating tables and graphs.
Finally, in the fourth section, the genetic algorithms are applied to a specific case study related to the determination of the optimal composition of an investment portfolio based on historical values of returns on various investment securities.


Mapping of groundwater level observations often makes very little use of auxiliary data and is often undertaken simply by manual interpolation or ordinary kriging of the heads. Recently, a number of geostatistical methods have emerged that significantly improve estimates by incorporating the land surface elevation and groundwater flow or drawdown equations. However, at the regional scale heads are influenced by numerous other factors that cannot be considered by these methods. Such factors include the land cover type, aquifer basement elevation and upper limits to the heads (such as the land surface). Furthermore, all existing methods fail to include observation uncertainty; produce poor measures of prediction uncertainty; and assume the random field to be multi-Gaussian; that is, the spatial correlation in heads are independent of the head magnitude. To overcome these limitations and to make better use of the observation data, this paper presents a novel indicator geostatistical simulation method for mapping unconfined heads. The simulation method produces many equally probable maps and by post-processing produces quantitative uncertainty maps. Other post-processing could produce new products such as the probability of a stream having a gaining or losing hydraulic gradient and, if multiple time points are mapped, probabilistic changes in storage. To demonstrate the methodology, this paper presents an application for the Broken catchment, Victoria. The method combines a multi-variate version of kriging with external drift (KED) and a modified MarkovBayes indicator simulation algorithm to facilitate inclusion of physical constrains to groundwater head and soft data such as landuse. The KED facilitates inclusion of continuous variables that are linearly correlated with head and is used to produce a surface that results from these variables alone. As the difference between this surface and the observations were found to be spatially correlated, and approximately first and second order stationary, the head estimate was able to be refined using indicator kriging (IK) simulations. While IK was essential for inclusion of the land class data and the groundwater head constraints, it also allowed the spatial correlation to vary with the magnitude of the heads. In effect this means it relaxes an assumption required for multi-Gaussian methods such as sequential Gaussian simulations. The entire methodology was implemented within the R statistics package using the Gstat library and modified GSLib algorithms. The source code will be made publicly available with a forthcoming journal paper. The study area comprised of both the Broken River and Broken Creek catchments with a 20 kilometre buffer to minimise boundary artefacts. Groundwater observations comprised of data from The Department of Primary Industries, Victoria; The Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria; and Department of Water and Energy, NSW. Importantly, the land class was found to be statistically important in estimating heads and the spatial correlation was not multi-Gaussian, thus challenging the use of standard kriging methods. All simulation head maps honoured all of the constraints. However, because of large nugget values and observations not located at the centre of grid cells, grid cells estimates can differ from observed water levels. Despite this implementation issue, overall the methodology produced highly plausible water table maps that increase the information extracted from observation bores by use of a very wide range of quantitative and qualitative spatial data.


There are many fields of research into adult benthic polychaetes where the study of their planktonic larvae is beneficial. These include the reproductive activity of adults from the larval period, the identification of hydrological and climatic conditions for benthic life, the interannual fluctuations of benthic populations, the transfer of energy between plankton and benthos, settlement conditions at the benthic stage, variations in reproductive patterns with latitude, biogeographic implications of larval dispersion, larvae and evolutionary processes. It is clear from this non-exhaustive list that, in dealing with planktonic larvae, the benthic part of the life cycle associated with development in the sediment or on hard substrates of the benthos is also involved. Consequently, results can be obtained over the whole life cycle by studying larvae. Examples of such integration are provided which also reflect a change in hitherto accepted thinking. Three points are developed for polychaetes: (1) latitudinal variations in the pattern of reproduction; (2) contribution of planktonic larvae to the question of the existence of cosmopolitan species; (3) reproduction at great depth. A new picture of the larval stage is evolving: the new' larva is not a passive object, and it covers an area that is probably more limited than previously thought; its characteristic features are connected with the other parts of the life cycle. Finally, it is suggested that planktonic larvae, even those with a strong potential for dispersion, are not destined for widespread dissemination; they occupy a limited area, which results either from a reduction in their dispersion potential, or from control by the physical structures of the surrounding water masses.


An error in the rationale presented in the paper "Contradiction within wave optics and its solution within a particle picture" by Altmann [Opt. Express 23, 3731 (2015)10.1364/OE.23.003731] is discussed.


Market efficiency will be achieved if investors can think rationally. Therefore, knowledge management is needed to create rational investor behaviour in the Indonesian Capital Market. This study aims to analyze the role of knowledge management on investor behaviour. This type of research is quantitative research. The population of this study is 211 investors who are registered at the Investment Gallery Universal University. The sample in this study amounted to 55 investors with the random sampling technique. The data analysis technique used is the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with SmartPLS version 3.0. The results showed that Knowledge Management has a significant influence on Investor Behaviour.


Pediatric age group has been noted to be particularly vulnerable to burn injuries. Burn is the fifth most common cause of childhood injuries. Nigerian has a very young population with a median age of 18.1 years. Scald is the most common form of burn injuries in this age group globally, however, previous reports from our institution found flame to be the most common form of burn in pediatric age. The most recent report thirteen years ago still maintained flame as the most common cause of pediatric burn injury. This study was carried out to determine the changes in epidemiology and outcome of pediatric thermal burn injury. This was a retrospective study carried out between January 2013 and December 2022. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences software version 23. Significance was set at p-value of 0.05. 265 children presented with thermal burn with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. 63.4% occurred in children 0-5years. Scald (59.6%) was the most common cause of injury. Most flame injuries in females were due to LPG cookstove explosion, while petrol explosion was the most common cause in males (p=<0.001). There is a yearly increase in burn depth (p=0.009). most inhalation injuries occurred in those aged 11-16years (p=0.006). Mortality rate was 10.2%, with total body surface area burned (p=<0.001), burn depth (p=<0.001), and inhalation injury (p=<0.001) associated with increasing mortality. Conclusion: Scald is now the most common cause of thermal burn in our institution, with a remarkable reduction in mortality rate.


Sleep deficiency is highly comorbid in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), affecting approximately 40% of children. In this study, we examined children's and parents' beliefs and attitudes about sleep, their self-efficacy, and self-regulation in sleep-related behaviors and managing JIA, and if these factors were associated with their self-report and actigraphic sleep patterns.

 The sample included 44 children with JIA (22 girls; mean age 10.5±1.8) and their parents. Dyads completed the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale and Self-Efficacy Scale. Children completed the Index of self-regulation. Parents completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and PROMIS sleep-disturbance. Children wore an actiwatch and completed electronic sleep diaries for ten days. Scored actigraphy variables included children's total sleep time (TST), wake time after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE, %); sleep diaries included the variables of children's time in bed (TIB). Parents' self-reported variables included sleep-disturbances and sleep quality (SQ).

 Children's mean TST was 7.7 hours (±0.7), mean SE of 77%, and mean WASO of 1.1 hours (±0.4). After adjusting for child sex and age, children's beliefs and attitudes towards sleep (BAS) were positively correlated with their self-efficacy in carrying out sleep-related behaviors (r=.6, p<.0001). Parents' BAS were positively correlated with child self-efficacy in sleep (r=.4, p<.05) and TIB (r=.4, p<.001). Children's self-regulation was positively correlated with parents' SQ (r=.4, p<.05). In the first regression model, parents' self-efficacy in managing their child's JIA and parents' sleep disturbances explained 25% of the variance of children's TST, (F(4,35)=2.8, p=.039). Both parents' self-efficacy and sleep disturbances were significant predictors of children's TST. In the second regression model, children's self-regulation, self-efficacy, and parents' sleep disturbances explained 32% of the variance of parents' self-reported SQ, (F (3,39)= 6.12, p=.002).

 The findings suggest that self-efficacy, self-regulation, BAS in both children and parents were associated with better sleep health. Interventions that incorporate parent-child shared decision making about sleep-related knowledge, motivation, skills for setting/achieving goals, and problem-solving strategies are needed for families with children with JIA and sleep deficiency.

 This work was supported by the NIH/ /NINR (P30NR016585, R21NR01747).


We present a new delta-sigma modulator architecture based on variable-structure control theory. Our approach augments the conventional modulator design with switchable feedback gains and complementary logic. Stability is proved for arbitrary-order continuous-time loop filters in the idealized case of infinite sampling rate, under moderate assumptions. The proposed design achieves the peak performance of comparable traditional modulators and is also more robust, as shown in simulations. Our approach accommodates multi-level quantization, a dither signal channel and suggests a low-cost hardware implementation.


PURPOSE
The number of endothelial grafts precut by eye banks increases. Their shelf life is limited to a few days. We previously demonstrated the superiority of an active storage machine (ASM) over organ culture (passive) for whole corneas.

AIMS
To measure the endothelial viability of pre-dissected DMEK after 3 and 10 days of storage in our ASM in a preclinical study.

METHODS
Pairs of human corneas were included. The endothelial cell density (ECD in cells/mm2), thickness and transparency of corneas were measured before graft preparation. Descemet's membrane (DM) was peeled using the no-touch technique leaving the graft attached to the center of the cornea (on approx. 1mm2). After randomization, one cornea was kept in organ culture (OC) and the other in the ASM (21 mmHg, 2.6 µL/min) in the same medium (CorneaMax, Eurobio). The final viable ECD was determined using the triple staining with Hoechst-Ethidium-Calcein-AM. In addition, the expression of CD166 and NCAM (lateral membranes), ZO-1 (apical junctions), Na+/K+ ATPase (endothelial pump function) and COX-IV (mitochondrial content) was studied by immunostaining to characterize endothelial cells after the storage.

RESULTS
Initial ECDs were comparable: 2185±232 cells/mm2 in the ASM versus 2276±328 in OC for the 3-day period and 2680±416 cells/mm2 in the ASM versus 2644±420 in OC for the 10-day period. The DMs did not fold back in either BR or OC. The viable ECD did not differ significantly between the ASM and OC for either storage period: 2378±501 (ASM) versus 2342±503 (OC) for the 3-day period (n=8 pairs and p=0.624) and 2482±288 (ASM) versus 2579±315 (OC) for the 10-day period (n=5 pairs and p=0.176). Corneas were more transparent and thinner in the ASM than in OC after 3 days (916±86 versus 1193±136µm, p=0.0001) and 10 days (957±128 versus 1220±105µm, p=0.0625). The functional and structural markers studied were expressed in both groups after 3 and 10 days, some better preserved in the ASM.

CONCLUSION
The storage of precut DMEKs is possible in ASM and OC for at least 10 days. Interestingly, a pre-dissected endothelium continues to partially exert its pump function into the ASM. In practice, this could allow the stroma to be used for DALK without further deswelling. In addition to improving the storage of whole grafts, the ASM allows the storage of precut DMEKs for up to 10 days with excellent endothelial survival.


Open hypermedia systems hold significant potential to facilitate the development of collaborative design applications. In particular, it is the flexible approach utilized by these systems to provide infrastructure services, their ability to accommodate alternative hypermedia domains, and their facilities for information integration across application boundaries that give open hypermedia systems this potential. Current open hypermedia systems, however, have not realized their full potential to support collaborative design. They lack capabilities in one or more of these important areas. Improvements are especially needed in the collaborative infrastructure services provided by open hypermedia systems and in their support for alternative hypermedia domains. A prototype open hypermedia system is currently being extended to address these shortcomings of existing systems.


Laser-induced exciplex fluorescence is a well-established technique for liquid-vapor imaging in evaporating sprays that offers phase-dependent spectrally separated emission. However, the accuracy of this approach is limited by substantial crosstalk from the liquid to vapor phase signals. This Letter shows the use of a combination of spectral and temporal filtering to reduce this crosstalk by three orders of magnitude and eliminate the need for temperature-dependent crosstalk corrections in the N,N-diethylmethylamine/fluorobenzene system. The relative decay rates of the liquid and vapor signals are quantified and show crosstalk-free imaging for monodisperse evaporating droplets over a wide range of exciplex tracer concentrations.


Objective: to clarify and systematize the causes that can induce focal artefacts in skeletal scintigraphy with 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PyP), their semiotics, principles and methods of differentiation from bone pathology. Material and methods. Results of skeletal scintigraphy from 1568 patients were analyzed. Scanning in "whole body" mode started in 3 hours after 740 MBq of radiotracer activity intravenous administration, and performed in anterior and posterior projections in continuous table motion mode at rate of 12 cm per minute. Single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography was additionally performed when necessary. Results. Focal artifacts were detected in 40 patients (2.55%) and were divided into "cold" and "hot" according to the nature of the bone system changes they simulated. "Cold" spots (n = 29) were the result of the shielding effect of metal accessories (n = 10), implants, endoprostheses (n = 18), and barium suspension residues in the large intestine (n = 1). "Hot" spots (n = 11) mimicking metastatic lesion of bone structures were the results of the projection effect of extraosseous uptake of 99mTc-PyP (n = 9) or urinary contamination (n = 2). "Hot" spots in the projection of the upper pole of the kidney (n = 5) could be the result of both calicostasis (n = 3) and injury of the adjacent rib (n = 2). The high uptake of 99mTc-PyP in thyroid nodule (n = 3) simulated a "hot" spot in the lateral part of the cervical vertebra. Abnormal accumulation of 99mTc-PyP in the nipple-areola areas of the breast was projected onto the posterior segments of the ribs. Urinary contamination imitated focal pathology of the pelvic bones. To differentiate the focal pathology of the ribs and calicostases, the patients were examined in the standing position. The "mask in" program was used to clarify the localization and projection correspondence of "hot" foci. Conclusion. Analysis of focal artefacts formation causes in skeletal scintigraphy contributes to an adequate assessment of the data obtained, allows to choose the necessary method for their diagnosis and to avoid false results of osteoscintigraphy.


The fabrication of a temperature sensor based on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) is reported. A preheat process was carried out and the micrographs of both original and preheat-treated GNPs are observed and compared. Nonlinear temperature variation of resistance is observed and humidity interference is found to be negligible. Region of 10–60 °C (the linear region) is selected as the sensor range and further studied. High sensitivity of GNPs can be seen and the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of 0.0371 is calculated, higher than that of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and many other materials reported in references. Great repeatability and small hysteresis are obtained. The time constant of the GNPs film is about 5 s, much shorter than that of MWCNTs film. The result suggests that GNPs have potential applications for use in highly sensitive and fast-response temperature sensors.


The active promotion of carbon abatement to mitigate global climate change and protect the environment and public health has become the international consensus. The carbon capability is a key index for measuring the potential reduction of the carbon emissions by urban residents, and thus encouraging residents to exhibit normal and autonomous low-carbon behavior has become an important issue. In this study, based on grounded theory, data from in-depth interviews were encoded at three levels to identify the multi-layer factors that drive the carbon capability of urban residents, and we constructed a theoretical model for policy intervention. The results showed that individual factors, organizational factors, social factors, and social demographic variables were the main variables that affected the carbon capability, and utility experience perception was the main intermediary variable that affected the carbon capability. There was an obvious gap between utility experience perception and carbon capability. Low carbon selection cost was an internal situational variable that regulated the relationship between these factors, and the policy situation and technical situation were external situational variables. There were two-way effects on the carbon capability and utility experience perception. Thus, we explored these driving factors and the role of the carbon capability model. The results of this study may facilitate targeted policy thinking and the development of an implementation path for government in order to formulate effective guiding policies to enhance the carbon capability of urban residents.


A formative evaluation was undertaken in Ukerewe District to elicit the benefits of ox-plough over hand-hoe tillage. One hundred twenty two respondents who were selected purposively from their involvement in the project that introduced ox-plough technology in Ukerewe were interviewed. The interview employed a questionnaire designed to capture data on availability of agricultural labour, labour expenditures for tillage and weeding, crop growing cycles, crop yields and income expenditure on food as they were at the beginning and at the end of the project. It was found that adoption of ox-plough technology reduced tillage labour from 7.14 man-days to 1.58 man-days per acre, whereas weeding labour in farms ploughed using ox-ploughs decreased from 6.78 man-days to 4.58 man-days per acre. Further, adoption of ox-plough technology lead to increase in crop growing cycles, acreage and crop yields from 1.03, 0.9 and 13.3 to 1.9, 3.11 and 37.2, respectively. Concurrently, the ratio of annually produced cereal bags to household size improved from 1.73 to 4.83, while the ratio of income generated to income expended on food increased from 1.63 to 3.10. In abridgement the intervention reduced farming drudgery to create a room for increasing cropping cycles, a factor which interacted with improvement in soil characteristics and enhanced weed control due to increased tillage depth and hence tremendously increase in crop yield. It was concluded that ox-plough technology harnesses potentials for addressing hunger poverty. Keywords: acreage, agricultural productivity, cropping cycles, labour, tillage


Ketamine is an anaesthetic drug discovered in the 1960s, it is known to produce a dissociative state with sedation, amnesia, and analgesia. Currently, ketamine is being actively studied for potential use in acute and chronic pain conditions. The principle pharmacological action of ketamine is NMDA receptor antagonism. Given the role of NMDA receptor in nociceptive signaling, it is reasonable to postulate that ketamine possesses analgesic properties. Acute pain procedures Most studies evaluating ketamine in an acute pain setting have focused on the perioperative environment and a few other specific painful disease states, such as sickle cell pain crises. For patients outside the perioperative setting, evidence is limited to mostly case reports. the evidence suggests that most patients who benefit from ketamine in the acute pain setting fall into several categories. the first group of patients is those who are undergoing painful surgery, after which the expected postoperative pain rating is considered to be in the severe range. Examples of surgical procedures in which the benefits seem to be the greatest include upper abdominal surgery and thoracic surgery; orthopedic limb, spine, intra-abdominal, and lower abdominal procedures also appear to be painful enough to warrant consideration of ketamine. Opioid-tolerant and opioid-dependent patients are frequently cited as groups that should receive ketamine, primarily because it makes conceptual sense given the role of the NMDA receptor in hyperalgesia and opioid tolerance. Evidence for ketamine in acute painful exacerbations of chronic diseases such as sickle cell disease and nonoperative trauma (eg, rib fractures) is limited to mostly case reports and small case series. Studies have shown that perioperative ketamine use for more than 24 h has a modest but statistically significant reduction in the incidence of persistent post-surgical pain at 3 months after operation. Such beneficial effects were observed at 6 months but not 12 months after surgery. Nonparenteral ketamine, especially intranasal ketamine (IN) that got the FDA approval very recently, is likely to continue to increase in use for acute exacerbations of chronic pain conditions. Chronic pain procedures For spinal cord injury pain, there is weak evidence supporting ketamine infusions (0.42 mg/kg per hour to 0.4 mg/kg ranging from 17 minutes to 5 hours for 7 consecutive days) for short-term improvements in pain. For CRPS, there is moderate evidence supporting ketamine infusions (22 mg/h for 4 days or 0.35 mg/kg per hour over 4 hours daily for 10 days) to provide improvements in pain for up to 12 weeks. For mixed neuropathic pain, PLP, PHN, fibromyalgia, cancer pain, ischemic pain, migraine headache, and low-back pain, there was weak or no evidence supporting ketamine infusions for immediate improvements in pain. Excluding CRPS, there was no evidence supporting ketamine infusions for intermediate or long-term improvements in pain. Ketamine is often considered in management of these refractory cancer pain, although current evidence is insufficient to allow any conclusion on its effectiveness.S mall randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were able to show that addition of ketamine improves the effectiveness of morphine. There are also case reports showing effective analgesia in refractory cancer-related neuropathic pain using intrathecal ketamine infusions, even though the safety profile and potential neurotoxicity is not clear. Adverse effects and pathophysiology Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Effects: Reviews have noted that ketamine has both a negative inotropic effect and simultaneous indirect sympathetic nervous system stimulation, which is due to systemic release of catecholamines, vagal nerve inhibition, inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake at peripheral nerves, and other mechanisms. In the pulmonary system, ketamine causes bronchodilation that appears to be due to circulating catecholamines. Pharyngeal and laryngeal reflexes are mostly preserved, as is respiratory function, and there are increased secretions. Spinal Cord Effects: Several studies in animals suggest that ketamine may cause pathological changes when given intrathecally. Currently, the use of intrathecal ketamine is listed as a sixth-line adjuvant to be used in conjunction with other neuraxial analgesics in individuals with refractory cancer or other terminal chronic pain conditions. Psychomimetic Adverse Effects: Reviews and meta-analyses of perioperative ketamine have come to different conclusions regarding ketamine's adverse psychomimetic effects including hallucinations, visual disturbances, unpleasant dreams, and dysphoria, when it is used in subanesthetic doses. Hepatic, Genitourinary, and Gastrointestinal Effects: There are few studies that directly address the issues of hepatotoxicity and cystitis with subanesthetic ketamine use. Data must be extrapolated from animal studies and studies in ketamine abusers. In humans, the incidence of hepatotoxicity and cystitis may be increased with higher doses and repeated exposure, although liver enzyme levels return to normal after discontinuation of the drug. Ketamine-induced cystitis has been documented primarily in abusers of ketamine. It typically presents as painful hematuria, dysuria, frequency, and postmicturition pain. Treatment begins with cessation of ketamine use and may also consist of mucosal protective agents such as hyaluronic acid or anticholinergic drugs. More severe disease may require surgical intervention. From a clinical practice perspective, oral ketamine has significant abuse potential and a high street value. For these reasons, in patients with a history of abuse or who are at high risk of abuse, the risks of prescribing it chronically in a community-based setting should be weighed against the potential benefits, and proper surveillance, similar to what is done for patients on chronic opioid therapy, should be used. More research should also be conducted regarding the long-term effects of ketamine. The use of ketamine has skyrocketed for chronic pain and depression, but many questions remain unanswered. In conclusion, despite its drawbacks, ketamine remains a powerful and inexpensive tool for practitioners who manage acute pain. We believe its use will continue to expand as more institutions treat increasingly challenging patients in the perioperative period as well as those with painful disease exacerbations while trying to combat the opioid epidemic. More research is needed to refine selection criteria for the treatment of acute pain and possible prevention of chronic pain, to determine the ideal dosing and treatment regimen to include coadministration of ketamine with opioids and adjuvants, and to better understand the long-term risks of ketamine in patients who receive serial treatments for frequent acute pain exacerbations. References Cohen SP, Bhatia A, Buvanendran A, et al. Consensus guidelines on the use of intravenous ketamine infusions for chronic pain from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2018;43:521–546. Schwenk ES, Viscusi ER, Buvanendran A, et al. Consensus Guidelines on the Use of Intravenous Ketamine Infusions for Acute Pain Management From the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2018 Jul;43(5):456–466.


Test facility is essential for most engineering research activities, from modelling and identification to verification of algorithms/methods and final demonstration. It is well known that flight tests for aerospace vehicles are expensive and quite risky. To overcome this, this paper describes a rapid prototyping platform for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) developed at Loughborough University, where a number of unmanned aerial and ground vehicles can perform various flight and other missions under computer control. Flexibility, maintainability and low expenses are assured by a proper choice of vehicles, sensors and system architecture. Among many other technical challenges, precision navigation of the unmanned vehicles and system integrations of commercial-off-the-shelf components from different vendors with different operational environments are discussed in detail. Matlab/Simulink based software development environment provides a seamless rapid prototyping platform from concept and theoretic developments to numerical simulation and finally flight tests. Finally, two scenarios performed by this test facility are presented to illustrate its capability.


The literature on agglomeration economies suggests that, in addition to firm-specific attributes, the local geographic context conditions the expected profitability of technology adoption. All rheories of technology diffusion assumc that inter-firm learning is the outcome of contact with prior adopters. Yet, with few exceptions, thc attributes of location that maximize the opportunities for learning (and hence, reduce thc costs of technology adoption for all firms in the same locale) have been given only cursory treatment. In this paper, we develop and test a model in which both firm-specific capabilities and placc-specific cxtcrnal economies affect the firm's decision to adopt a new technology. Our data colile from two national surveys conducted in 1987 and 1991. Because we have information on two different time periods, we are able to specify firm and place-specific conditions that precede the technology adoption decision. We find that localization (as measured by regional clustering of enterprises in related industries) and urbanizalion (as mcasured by the diversity of industries, and by the concentration of degree granting engineering institutions) provide knowledge spillovers that facilitate the adoption of new tcchnology by local establishments. Moreover, the impact of urbanization econonlies is size-related: The impact of a diverse region on adoption is evcn greater for small enterprises than for large ones.


A character survey compiling the morphological information of the subfamily Stygnicranainae was carried out. Two new species of Stygnicranaus Roewer, 1913 are described from Colombia and the new genus Agathocranaus is described from Ecuador. All known species of the subfamily are included in a matrix of 46 morphological characters. Parsimony analysis under implied weights recovered a monophyletic Stygnicranainae including Tryferos Roewer, 1931 plus Stygnicranaus and Agathocranaus. However, the usage of the four subfamilies of Cranaidae as currently defined is abandoned because the two largest subfamilies of Cranaidae – Cranainae and Prostygninae – represent paraphyletic groups (grades), whereas Heterocranainae is a superfluous subfamily, including only the genus Heterocranaus Roewer, 1913.

© 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 157, 470–494.


Forming nano-/micro-scale surface patterns on metal surfaces by direct compression molding is an important means for achieving small scale surface features with potential usage in wide ranging technological applications. Geometric fidelity of molded features and the corresponding molding response are of critical importance in determining the usefulness of the molding replication technique. In this paper, two series of microscale punches made of tool steels were fabricated using Ga+ focused ion beam (FIB). In one series, the punch consists of a single protruding rectangular strip of different width, w (dubbed the "single punch"). In the other series, the punch consists of two rectangular strips of identical dimensions separated by a spacing in between, s (dubbed the "double punch"). These so-fabricated punches were used to mold elemental single crystal Al. The mechanical response during compression molding was measured and analyzed. For the double-punch experiments, measured characteristic molding pressure exhibited a significant dependence on the spacing to punch width ratio, λ = s/w, as well as a significant dependence on s when λ was fixed. The molded features were examined and the phenomenon of incomplete filling was observed to occur at λ < 0.5.


Airborne or satellite hyperspectral sensing has proven valuable in many target detection applications, thanks to the dense spectral sampling of the sensed data, which provides a high material discriminability. Within this framework, this paper focuses on detection algorithms that rely upon subspace-based characterization of background. Whereas background subspace estimation has been typically accomplished through a global approach, which employs the whole image, a local methodology is here adopted. In fact, most of the interference affecting targets derives from the background materials in which they are inserted. Such a background interference lies in a subspace that is more likely spanned by the spectra of the pixels in the target neighborhood, rather than by endmembers/eigenvectors extracted from the whole image. Real hyperspectral imagery from the HyMap sensor is used to experimentally compare both global and local approaches to background subspace estimation. On this data, which exemplifies a mixed-pixel cluttered detection problem, detection results were strongly in favor of the local approach.


This paper presents a workshop organized in conjunction with DIMEA2008 with focus on ludic and aesthetic aspects of Pervasive Awareness Systems. The workshop aims at bringing together different perspectives on the topic and challenge mainstream assumptions underlying the design of these systems. The workshop combines presentations and hands-on activities with the aim to promote interactivity and creativity.


The abuse of over watching Television by our alumnae is a fact that worries all the educational community. Every day, the teachers observe how the alumnae, at all educational levels, follow patterns of behaviour, keeping values and reproducing roles that have been seen and defended by our television stations.

This abuse leads to a series of implications, not only in the educational area, but in the family circle as well, in relational and social aspects.

Our aim is to know the negative influence of this phenomena on a particular population, and to contrast the results with other investigations developed in other contexts. This study was initiated on a group of alumnae form the 2o term of primary education, in the province of Huelva.

The principal objective consisted of deepening the awareness in the world of our pupils: questioning the use of their free time and knowing their habits and behaviour. Finding out the amount of time they dedicate to watching television, where they watch it, with whom and why it attracts them so enormously.

First of all, the qualities presented on television to attract the infant population was analysed, afterwards a sample of the studied population was selected, specifying the context where it was to be taken and the characteristics of the area, its educational centres and studied alumnae.

Later, it was selected the instruments of data collected, among them, the questionnaire.

Finally, study implications to determine the given conclusions were obtained.


The employer, within the expected obligations of the D.Lgs. 81/2008, must assess the risk of cutting and puncture injuries. In this paper are described the criteria used to evaluated the risks of cutting and puncture injuries at the workplace


Hamsters immunized with either noninfectious hamster type-C virus (D9) or irradiated D9 tumor cells were tested for cell-mediated immune reactivity by the macrophage migration inhibition assay. The migration of peritoneal exudate cells from immunized hamsters was significantly inhibited by either D9 virus or D9 tumor extract, but not by extract of an unrelated CELO virus-induced tumor. The virus and tumor extracts had little or no effect on the migration of peritoneal exudate cells from normal hamsters. Noninfectious D9 virus produces a cell-mediated immune response in the hamster and shares antigenicity with D9 lymphoma, which releases the virus.


This article focuses on the phenomena of violence and activism in the Baltic Provinces during 1905. The level of violence was substantially greater in the Latvian areas than in the Estonians ones for the following reasons: more advanced economic development, especially in the metropolis of Riga; a much stronger social democratic movement; and greater social and ethnic tensions in the relations between Latvians and Baltic Germans. On the other hand, various manifestations of activism in the form of political and social mobilization, e.g., petition campaigns, the holding of national congresses, and the strike and trade union movements, were essentially comparable in the two cases. The one major contrast in political mobilization was the much more sweeping reorganization of rural government in the Latvian areas.


ABSTRACT: The distribution of anthocyanin pigments and polyphenolics in 1 sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) and 3 sweet cherry (Prunus avium) cultivars was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Changes during frozen storage, canning, and brining were also monitored. Sweet cherry cultivars differed qualitatively with respect to the minor anthocyanins. Hydroxycinnamates are the major class of polyphenolics in sweet cherries, whereas flavanols are in the majority in Montmorency cherries. Hydroxycinnamates were greatly affected by processing and storage, whereas flavonol glycosides were quite stable. Half of the anthocyanins and polyphenolics were transferred to the syrup with canning, and nearly all were transferred to brine during brining.


Directional biases are evident in many benchmarking problems for real-valued global optimisation, as well as many of the evolutionary and allied algorithms that have been proposed for solving them. It has been shown that directional biases make some kinds of problems easier to solve for similarly biased algorithms, which can give a misleading view of algorithm performance. In this paper we study the effects of directional bias for high- dimensional optimisation problems. We show that the impact of directional bias is magnified as dimension increases, and can in some cases lead to differences in performance of many orders of magnitude. We present a new version of the classical evolutionary programming algorithm, which we call unbiased evolutionary programming (UEP), and show that it has markedly improved performance for high-dimensional optimisation.


Regulation of long-chain non-coding RNA01592 (LINC01592) in the process of transforming retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells into mesenchymal cells following induction by transforming growth factor beat 1 (TGF-β1) was investigated by interfering with LINC01592 expression in human RPE (hRPE) cells. LINC01592 expression in hRPE cells was significantly increased following treatment with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 48 h. Expression of E-cadherin and Snail were decreased in hRPE cells following induction with TGF-β1 compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Following induction by TGF-β1, expression of E-cadherin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and Snail were significantly lower in the LINC01592-knockdown group compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05). LINC01592 overexpression significantly enhanced the viability, proliferation, and migration of hRPE cells induced by TGF-β1 (P < 0.05). Following induction by TGF-β1, E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased and α-SMA and Snail expression were significantly increased in the LINC01592-overexpression group compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05). RPE cells induced by TGF-β1 exhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Inhibiting LINC01592 expression could significantly reduce TGF-β1-induced EMT of hRPE cells. The regulatory effect of LINC01592 on EMT in hRPE cells induced by TGF-β1 provides a novel treatment for proliferative vitreoretinopathy.


EFSA's Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) was asked for a scientific opinion on two alternative methods for processing Category (Cat) 2 Animal By-Products (ABP). The material to be treated consists of poultry manure, straw and dead-on-farm poultry; this implies that the animals died due to a disease, which in most cases was not properly diagnosed. The proposed processes are composting methods to be used on-farm. The first method is a continuous open system where composting is done under roof in piles separated by wooden partition walls. The piles are processed without enforced aeration. The second method is a discontinuous closed system consisting of two different types of containers (Box-Compost®) coupled with a device for conditioning temperature and humidity during composting (Compostronic®). The end-product obtained is intended to be used as an organic fertiliser. According to the legislation in force, before being used as an organic fertiliser, Cat. 2 material should be treated with a sterilisation process (i.e. 133°C / 20 min / 3 bars / 50 mm particle size). The BIOHAZ Panel concluded that the identification and characterisation of the risk material was not properly addressed in the application and a comprehensive list of possible hazards was not provided. No experimental validation with representative test-organisms under practical conditions was done. Because of a lack of information in the report, it was not possible to determine the degree of risk reduction of pathogenic bacterial, viral and parasitological agents achieved by the processes. Moreover, the proposed alternative method cannot be considered equivalent to the sterilisation process defined in the current legislation


Hernia repairs are the most common abdominal wall elective procedures performed by general surgeons. Hernia-related postoperative infective complications occur with 10% frequency. To counteract the risk of infection emergence, the development of effective, biocompatible and antimicrobial mesh adjuvants is required. Therefore, the aim of our in vitro investigation was to evaluate the suitability of bacterial cellulose (BC) polymer coupled with gentamicin (GM) antibiotic as an absorbent layer of surgical mesh. Our research included the assessment of GM-BC-modified meshes' cytotoxicity against fibroblasts ATCC CCL-1 and a 60-day duration cell colonisation measurement. The obtained results showed no cytotoxic effect of modified meshes. The quantified fibroblast cells levels resembled a bimodal distribution depending on the time of culturing and the type of mesh applied. The measured GM minimal inhibitory concentration was 0.47 µg/mL. Results obtained in the modified disc-diffusion method showed that GM-BC-modified meshes inhibited bacterial growth more effectively than non-coated meshes. The results of our study indicate that BC-modified hernia meshes, fortified with appropriate antimicrobial, may be applied as effective implants in hernia surgery, preventing risk of infection occurrence and providing a high level of biocompatibility with regard to fibroblast cells.


It is well known that a building's energy performance (heating and artificial lighting) and the comfort of occupants are very strongly correlated with a building envelope's access to the sun and its ability to harness that resource. We need to determine how the climate interacts with the built environment, how buildings influence each other, and how the indoor environment is impacted by these. In addition, in order to achieve any objectives related to sustainability, it is far more effective to influence building design in its early phases than in its final ones. This presentation will provide an overview of how the combination of climate science, statistics, lighting and thermal analysis on optimizing the form of the built environment – from building massing to the specifics of facade technologies – can bring promising answers if properly translated into design recommendations and guidance.


The purpose of this study is to examine the rol of auditors and audit committees in the revision of narrative information. Using the tone of financial historical information contained in the Management Commentary as a measure of its quality, we study its relationship with certain characteristics which previous research has identified as determinants of audit quality and audit committees' effectiveness in disclosure supervision. Our results indicate the presence of bias in the report that is not corrected by auditor or committees. The only outstanding result is auditor' effort which is related positively to neutrality on tone, while audit tenure and non audit services, although not significantly are negatively related. Neither the independence nor the meeting frequency of the audit committee show any relationship with this measure of the quality of the information.


The objective of this article is to inform and document the contemporary development
of the private security industry in Queensland Australia, a premier holiday destination that
provide entertainment for the larger region. The purpose of this review is to examine the
comtemporary development of mandated licensing regimes regulating the industry, and the
necessary reform agenda. The overall aim is threefold: first, to chart the main outcomes of
the two-wave of reforms since the mid-`90s; second, to examine the effectiveness of changes
in modes of regulation; and third, to identify the criteria that can be considered a best
practice based on Button(2012) and Prenzler and Sarre's(2014) criteria.
The survey of the Queensland regulatory regime has demonstrated that, despite the
federal-guided reforms, there remain key areas where further initiatives remain pending,
markedly case-by-case utilisation of more proactive strategies such as on-site alcohol/drug
testing, psychological evaluations, and checks on close associates; lack of binding training
arrangement for technical services providers; and targeted auditing of licensed premises and
the vicinity of venues by the Office of Fair Trading, a licensing authority. The study has
highlighted the need for more determined responses and active engagements in these priority
areas.
This study of the development of the licensing regimes in Queensland Australia provides
useful insights for other jurisdictions including South Korea on how to better manage
licensing system, including the measures required to assure an adequate level of professional
competence in the industry. It should be noted that implementing a consistency in delivery
mode and assessment in training was the strategic imperative for the Australian authority
to intervene in the industry as part of stimulating police-private partnerships. Of particular
note, competency elements have conventionally been given a low priority in South Korea,
as exemplified through the lack of government-sponsored certificate; this is an area South
Korean policymakers must assume an active role in implementing accredited scheme, via
consulting transnational templates, including Australian qualifications framework.


In the present study, we describe the diets of the fish assemblages in two streams in the Maringa region of Parana that are under the influence of different anthropic impacts. We also evaluate how the origin and use of food resources varies temporally and spatially and how the trophic organization of the fish assemblages differs between the two streams. Fish were collected every two months from October 2006 to October 2007 using sieves, seining and closing nets along two 50 m stretches of each stream. We used the volumetric method to analyze the stomach contents of 599 fish belonging to 15 species. We then employed ANOSIM, SIMPER, NMDS and cluster analyses (using the Bray-Curtis index) to examine how different factors (species, stream, sampling site and season) influenced the diets of the assemblages. The dietary analysis revealed a total of 21 types of items consumed, with the most common being detritus and immature Diptera. Spatial factors resulted in differences in diets between the two streams, with detritus representing the material consumed most often in the Morangueiro stream and immature Diptera being the most consumed item in the Quecaba stream. SIMPER analysis indicated a 76.33% dissimilarity between species' diets during the dry and rainy seasons, with detritus, immature Diptera and testate amoebae making the greatest contributions to this differentiation. In the Morangueiro stream, three trophic guilds were found: detritivorous, detritivorous/aquatic insectivorous, and aquatic insectivorous. In Quecaba stream, six trophic guilds were present: detritivorous, benthophagous, aquatic insectivorous, terrestrial insectivorous, herbivorous and carnivorous. Autochthonous items were generally the items most consumed by species, in particularly in the Quecaba stream. In the Morangueiro stream, food items of indeterminate origin were more relevant. The differences in the diets of fish species between the two streams support the conclusion that urbanization causes the disruption of aquatic environments and trophic organization.


Abstract #2105 Introduction: Physical examination remains an important method of breast cancer detection. Unfortunately, many health care professionals express concerns about missing breast lesions and current methods of teaching this essential skill are limited. Through an interdisciplinary collaboration, we created an immersive virtual patient to teach health professions students history-taking and breast examination skills.
 Methods: Fifteen physician9s assistant (PA) and 13 medical students (MS) interacted with a mixed reality human (MRH, a computer avatar with a mannequin-based breast simulator) with a breast complaint (Figure 1).
 Students spoke to and touched the MRH to take a history and examine a simulated breast with two masses of differing size and consistency. Subjects were surveyed regarding the usefulness of the virtual teaching tool and composed a patient note documenting pertinent history and physical examination findings. Students received feedback regarding the content of their patient note (number of 17 essential content items documented) and on the completeness of their breast examination (percentage area covered) using a color-coded touch map.
 Results: Student feedback related to the utility of this virtual educational tool was positive. Students only documented a mean of 7.8±2.7 (range=4-15) essential content items in the breast history. The completeness of the breast exam was a mean of 82% (range=62% to 97%) of total breast area examined (Figure 2, green=area examined, red=area missed).
 More clinically experienced students (MS 3 and 4, N=9) performed better than those with no clinical experience (MS 1 and PA 1, N=19) in both history-taking (58% vs. 40%, p Conclusions: The simulated experience differentiated performance among students with varying levels of clinical experience and identified a need for improved teaching and greater practice among all students. MRH scenarios provide a less anxious learning environment for students to practice breast history-taking and examination. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 2105.


In this paper, we present a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) regression approach for real-time 2-D/3-D registration. Different from optimization-based methods, which iteratively optimize the transformation parameters over a scalar-valued metric function representing the quality of the registration, the proposed method exploits the information embedded in the appearances of the Digitally Reconstructed Radiograph and X-ray images, and employs CNN regressors to directly estimate the transformation parameters. The CNN regressors are trained for local zones and applied in a hierarchical manner to break down the complex regression task into simpler sub-tasks that can be learned separately. Our experiment results demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method in computational efficiency with negligible degradation of registration accuracy compared to intensity-based methods.


THIS EDITION HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER 2003 EDITION This classic reference work is simply the best one-volume music dictionary available today. Its nearly 6,000 entries, written by more than 70 top musicologists, are consistently lucid and based on recent scholarship. "The New Harvard Dictionary of Music" contains among its riches superb articles on music of the 20th century, including jazz, rock, and mixed media as well as twelve-tone, serial, and aleatory music; comprehensive articles on the music of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Near East; entries on all the styles and forms in Western art music; and descriptions of instruments enriched by historical background. Short entries for quick reference--definitions and identifications--alternate with encyclopedia-length articles written by experts in each field. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples enhance the text. Combining authoritative scholarship with concise, lively prose, "The New Harvard Dictionary of Music" is the essential guide for musicians, students, and everyone who listens to music.


Recently, online matching problems have attracted much attention due to its emerging applications in internet advertising. Most existing online matching methods have adopted either adversarial or stochastic user arrival assumption, while on both of them significant limitation exists. The adversarial model does not exploit existing knowledge of the user sequence, and thus can be pessimistic in practice. On other hands, the stochastic model assumes that users are drawn from a stationary distribution, which may not be true in real applications. In this paper, we consider a novel user arrival model where users are drawn from drifting distribution, which is a hybrid case between the adversarial and stochastic model, and propose a new approach RDLA to deal with such assumption. Instead of maximizing empirical total revenues on the revealed users, RDLA leverages distributionally robust optimization techniques to learn dual variables via a worst-case consideration over an ambiguity set on the underlying user distribution. Experiments on a real-world dataset exhibit the superiority of our approach.


The author explores feelings of despair and varied human reactions to them. One day a student in the author's class -- not a very good one -- shows kindness and tenderness in response to another person's despair, leading the author to conclude that there is hope when a person has the courage to act when someone else is in a despairing situation.


Finding potential collaborators has become a challenge due to the growing number of scientists in organizations such as universities, research institutes, or companies. Collaboration Recommendation Systems (CRSs) have been developed to help researchers identify possible collaboration partners, but they often rely on citation graphs or paper abstracts which may not be readily available in organizational databases or online sources. However, scientific publication titles provide consistent bibliometric data that can provide insights into research areas. TOMOSCO is a topic modelling framework that uses transformer-based methods to extract research area information from small amounts of text, such as publication titles or brief project descriptions. TOMOSCO can classify, cluster, and match research topics across different disciplines, uncovering relationships among scientists and suggesting potential interdisciplinary collaborations. In experiments, TOMOSCO was able to identify existing collaborations with over 90% accuracy based solely on publication titles and propose new collaborations based on previously unseen publications and project descriptions.


Primary thyroid lymphoma is an uncommon thyroid malignancy. The treatment modalities significantly differ from other thyroid malignancies. Frequently it is accompanied by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and it may be difficult to differentiate the two entities histologically. Patients typically present with suddenly growing mass in the thyroid gland. Discrimination between primary and secondary lymphoma is important due to variations in diagnostic tools, treatment modalities and prognosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or combinations of these modalities may be applied in treatment. In this report, three cases with primary thyroid lymphoma in which three different treatment modalities have been applied are presented.


In the paper the experimental analysis of dryout in small di- ameter channels is presented. The investigations were carried out in vertical pipes of internal diameter equal to 1.15 mm and 2.3 mm. Low-boiling point fluids such as SES36 and R123 were examined. The modern experimental techniques were applied to record liquid film dryout on the wall, among the others the infrared camera. On the basis of experimental data an empirical correlation for predictions of critical heat flux was proposed. It shows a good agreement with experimental data within the error band of 30%. Addition- ally, a unique approach to liquid film dryout modeling in annular flow was presented. It led to the development of the three-equation model based on consideration of liquid mass balance in the film, a two-phase mixture in the core and gas. The results of experimental validation of the model exhibit improvement in comparison to other models from literature.


To evaluate the applicability of cellular energy allocation (CEA) in the bivalves as a biomarker for the assessment of environmental contamination, the energy contents and energy consumption in several tissues of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum were analyzed. The contents of lipid, glucose, protein and electron transport system (ETS) activity in the foot, siphons, gills, and body of R. philippinarum exposed to crude oil-spiked sediments were measured at 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 days after exposure. The reserved energy (energy available, EA) in the lipid, glucose and protein decreased as contamination level and exposure time increased. In contrast, the ETS activity (energy consumed, EC) showed the reverse tendency. The order of available energy contents were foot > siphons > gill > body. Significant differences in both EA and EC were found only at the highest contamination level (58.3 ㎎ TPAHs/㎏ DW). EA decreased significantly in the foot and gill at 1 day, in the body at 2 and 7 days after exposure. EC increased significantly in the body at 4 days after exposure. CEA showed higher sensitivity to the contamination than EA or EC. Especially, CEA in the foot and body decreased significantly at lower ranges of contamination level (as low as 6.5 mg TPAHs/kg DW) during 1 to 7 days after exposure. The CEA is more useful than EA or EC alone for the assessment of sediment contamination at lower level that acute toxicity could not be detected. CEA analyses in the body of R. philippinarum after 4 days' exposure to contaminated sediments seem to be the most sensitive and reliable.


Individuals are always limited by some inelastic resources, such as time and energy, which restrict them to dedicate to social interaction and limit their contact capacities. Contact capacity plays an important role in dynamics of social contagions, which so far has eluded theoretical analysis. In this paper, we first propose a non-Markovian model to understand the effects of contact capacity on social contagions, in which each adopted individual can only contact and transmit the information to a finite number of neighbors. We then develop a heterogeneous edge-based compartmental theory for this model, and a remarkable agreement with simulations is obtained. Through theory and simulations, we find that enlarging the contact capacity makes the network more fragile to behavior spreading. Interestingly, we find that both the continuous and discontinuous dependence of the final adoption size on the information transmission probability can arise. There is a crossover phenomenon between the two types of dependence. More specifically, the crossover phenomenon can be induced by enlarging the contact capacity only when the degree exponent is above a critical degree exponent, while the final behavior adoption size always grows continuously for any contact capacity when degree exponent is below the critical degree exponent.


Cancer is a disease with uncontrolled multiplication and spread within the body of abnormal forms of the body's own cell. Renal-Cell Carcinomas (RCC) arises from the renal epithelium and account for about 85 percent of renal cancers accounting approximately 95000 deaths every year. Various types of renal carcinoma are conventional or clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma, papillary renal-cell carcinoma, oncocytoma, chromophobe renal-cell carcinoma, and collecting-duct renal-cell carcinoma. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) increases incidence of cancer at various sites. Common symptom of RCC is flank or abdominal pain, gross hematuria, and an abdominal mass, weight loss etc. Treatment of RCC includes surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplant, tumor vaccine etc. Some molecular targeted therapies are also being used and many are under clinical trials. Diabetes, hypertension, tobacco addiction increases the probability of RCC while the green vegetables, fruits Ca ++ supplements, vitamin E reduces the risk.