This diploma thesis covers information system SAP R3 which dates in year 1972. During decades it has been improved and spread almost in all areas of data handling in companies. By help of different modules the system covers human resources, production planning, material management, plant maintenance, project system, etc.
The basic navigations in SAP R3 run by help of shortcuts of programs, called transaction. The business applications of system are divided in standard and customer applications. Standard applications are complex, extensive and general thus for easier application usually customer programs are developed covering only smaller area of company's needs. Thus, customer applications are easier to use for end-users. SAP R3 system has a special form of database consisting of a typical relational database on physical level and special data dictionary on application level. Main goal of data dictionary is consistency of different data types across the whole information system.
Main part of this thesis is devoted to the development of new application for management of holiday facilities in company. First, old application and its database are analyzed then the new database model is defined on the basis of requirements. Special program was made to convert and transport data from old database model to new one. Development of new application starts with simple management of master data. Then special interface for the call for tenders was made that fills six tables with data, so user doesn't have to. Manual application is possible but the real improvement is introduction of web application.
Finally, planning of integration of SAP R3 and another system on example as mobile devices as another system is shown. Needed infrastructure is defined alongside the steps and data that are required on mobile devices. Concept of SAP R3 operating with mobile devices has a lot of potential in the future.


Cryptotermes abruptus n. sp. is described from soldiers and alates collected on Isla de Cozumel, Mexico, and vicinity. It is the fifteenth neotropical Cryptotermes species to be described. The overhanging frons in the soldier caste of this species is unique among all termites worldwide.


This paper presents a link level analysis of the rate and energy efficiency performance of the LTE downlink considering the unitary codebook based precoding scheme. In a multi-user environment, appropriate radio resource management strategies can be applied to the system to improve the performance gain by exploiting multi-user diversity in the time, frequency and space domains and the gains can be translated to energy reduction at the base station. Several existing and novel resource scheduling and allocation algorithms are considered for the LTE system in this paper. A detailed analysis of the performance gain of different algorithms in terms of throughput, rate fairness, and power efficiency is presented.


HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS
We report on a 58-year-old patient with weight loss, weakness and polyarthralgia. She reported of recurrent drops, painful joints and muscle weakness.

INVESTIGATIONS
The patient had swollen joints, clubbing and cachexia. The radiogram of the hands and feet showed a hypertrophic oseoarthropathy. In further investigations we found a tumor in the upper left lung. The histology findings showed a adenocarcinoma of the lung.

DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE
The diagnosis of a secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (Pierre Marie-Bamberger syndrome) due to a adenocarcinoma of the lung was made. The patient refused a radiochemotherapy and decided to go on vacation. Further course is unknown.

CONCLUSIONS
Arthralgia is a common symptom for medical consultation. Pierre Marie-Bamberger syndrome is a rare cause of paraneoplastic arthritis. Notice that unspecific symptoms like weakness, weight loss and arthritis may result from paraneoplastic tumor disease.


OBJECTIVE To examine the framing of tobacco policy issues in the news media during the national tobacco settlement debate of 1997–98. The major aims were (1) to describe the extent of newspaper coverage of each of the specific components of the proposed tobacco settlement; (2) to identify the tobacco control frames, and the dominant frame, appearing in each newspaper article; and (3) to examine trends in tobacco control frames over time. DESIGN A content analysis was performed on 117 articles related to national tobacco legislation appearing in the Washington Post from 1 January 1997 through 18 June 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES (1) Major policy themes of the settlement referred to or implied in each article; (2) major frames used to discuss the problem of tobacco in each article. RESULTS The generation of new revenue was the dominant theme of the articles, appearing as a major focus in 44% (52) of the articles. Other than the issues of Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco and restrictions on cigarette advertising, the public health policy aspects of the tobacco settlement received little attention. The problem of tobacco was portrayed as one of youth smoking in 55% (64) of the articles, but as one of a deadly product in none of the articles. CONCLUSIONS Future discussions of comprehensive tobacco policy should be driven by a more specific discussion of the precise programme and policy mechanisms by which tobacco use can be most effectively prevented and controlled. The public health community must find ways to frame the tobacco issue more broadly than simply as one of youth smoking.


This paper presents synchronization of mixed continuous-discrete complex network via impulse-quantizing approach. A delay-partitioning group strategy is proposed and impulse-quantizing control is designed to derive theoretical criteria ensuring scale-type synchronization of complex networks. Our results show that synchronization of mixed continuous-discrete complex networks can be realized by controlling delay-partitioning subgroup nodes with impulsive quantization. The theoretical results give scale-limited sufficient conditions for quantized synchronization relying on control gains, impulsive intervals, and delays. A numerical simulation is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.


Abstract: Teachers have an important role to play in making education relevant to the needs of the emerging modem society. Only enlightened, competent and emancipated teachers can meet the aspirations of society by providing quality education to learners. This is be possible, only if teachers are well trained through effective teacher education programmes. The standard of teacher education programmes deternines the quality of training provided to teachers. The maintenance of standards and quality in teacher education programmes has of-late become more challenging in view of the demand for training from large number of teachers. This demand can not be fulfilled by formal teacher training institutes, but can be met through distance education. However, doubts about the quality of teacher education programmes through distance mode persist. Therefore, it was felt desirable to conduct an indepth study of a teacher education programme (6. Ed) offered through distance mode in a phased manner. This paperpresents the findings of the study conducted under Phase I with a focus on 'a status survey of teacher education programme (6.Ed) through distance mode, ' offered by, State Open Universities and Correspondence / Distance Education Institutes. On the basis of the findings, suggestions for improvements in the major aspects like faculty strength, preparation of quality course material and its delivery by strengthening student support services and through effective monitoring and evaluation system have been offered. It has been further suggested that a critical mass in the faculty of education as suggested by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) is needed to ensure professional inputs and quality maintenance. Due importance to practical components of the programme i.e. practice teaching, school-based and community-based practicals is given


The current schema design theories assume that a database may be regarded as a single relation. From the practical point of view, this is hardly acceptable. However, if a relation is allowed to have unspecified items, any database can be represented as a partial relation. Since the normalization theory is defined with respect to relations, it needs to be extended so that it may become applicable to partial relations. As extensions of dependencies, natural depend encies are defined. They are axiomatized, and the set of axioms is proved its completeness. The schema design based on natural de pendencies solves not only the problems caused by a universal relation assumption but also the update anomalies caused by decomposition of a database.


This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic concentration range of phenobarbital (PB) for adults, as well as the influence of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) on plasma concentration of PB. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients diagnosed with refractory status epileptic (RSE) and treated with a bolus injection of PB as well as TPE, admitted to our neurocritical care unit from November 2015 to October 2016. Continuous electroencephalographic monitoring was performed routinely for these patients. TPE was performed using a continuous-flow cell separator. PB concentrations in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis before and after TPE. A total of seven patients were included; among these, one patient had RSE related to anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis, another patient had Hashimoto encephalopathy, and five patients had undetermined etiology. For patients with clinical and electrographic control (n=6), the plasma concentration of PB ranged from 138 to 243.7 &mgr;g/ml. In addition, of six paired plasma samples (before and after TPE) obtained from three patients, no significant differences between the concentrations of PB were detected (P=0.6), suggesting that TPE may not significantly affect the plasma concentration of PB. This study confirmed that PB more than 100 µg/ml was effective for adults with RSE. Moreover, TPE may not have an influence on the plasma concentration of PB. Video abstract: http://links.lww.com/WNR/A489


TSP was initially described in tropical countries but has now also been identified in temperate countries (eg, southern Japan) as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). [1] HAM/TSP predominantly affects the spinal cord, resulting in an upper motor neurone syndrome, mostly affecting the lower limbs. Tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN) is predominantly a sensory neuropathy. TAN is often seen in malnourished populations and where large quantities of cassava are present in the diet. [1]


The use of Cyanine dye (Cy5 and Cy5.5) labeled dideoxy terminators with Thermo Sequenase DNA polymerase in DNA sequencing provides uniform band intensity, improved sequence read-length, and accuracy. It also greatly improves the ability to detect single base heterozygotes with dye-terminator sequencing method.


Abstract Background: In addition to their possible direct biological effects, plasma carotenoids can be used as biochemical markers of fruit and vegetable consumption for identifying diet–disease associations in epidemiological studies. Few studies have compared levels of these carotenoids between countries in Europe. Objective: Our aim was to assess the variability of plasma carotenoid levels within the cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Methods: Plasma levels of six carotenoids – α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin – were measured cross-sectionally in 3043 study subjects from 16 regions in nine European countries. We investigated the relative influence of gender, season, age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking status on plasma levels of the carotenoids. Results: Mean plasma level of the sum of the six carotenoids varied twofold between regions (1.35μmoll−1 for men in Malmö, Sweden vs. 2.79μmoll−1 for men in Ragusa/Naples, Italy; 1.61μmoll−1 for women in The Netherlands vs. 3.52μmoll−1 in Ragusa/Naples, Italy). Mean levels of individual carotenoids varied up to fourfold (α-carotene: 0.06μmoll−1 for men in Murcia, Spain vs. 0.25μmoll−1 for vegetarian men living in the UK). In multivariate regression analyses, region was the most important predictor of total plasma carotenoid level (partial R2=27.3%), followed by BMI (partial R2=5.2%), gender (partial R2=2.7%) and smoking status (partial R2=2.8%). Females had higher total carotenoid levels than males across Europe. Conclusions: Plasma levels of carotenoids vary substantially between 16 different regions in Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands. Compared with region of residence, the other demographic and lifestyle factors and laboratory measurements have limited predictive value for plasma carotenoid levels in Europe.


In this article, the author considers distance learning as a new stage in the development of education. The author focuses on the latest achievements in the educational process, as well as the impact of the self-isolation process on the introduction of distance learning. The main advantages and disadvantages of distance learning technology are determined. The basic principles that a teacher needs to master for conducting distance learning of students are considered. The main educational platforms and services are presented, such as Microsoft Teams, Moodle, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Google Classroom. The main features of each platform and service for distance learning are highlighted. The strengths and weaknesses of each of the above platforms and services are considered.


A model is proposed for recent ground-based observations of auroral roar emissions, detected at 2Ωe and 3Ωe, where Ωe is the local electron cyclotron frequency in the source region, between 200 and 500 km above the Earth's surface. Electron cyclotron maser emission is a likely mechanism to account for these emissions because it naturally produces coherent radiation at harmonics of Ωe. A theory for auroral roar emissions has already been proposed, whereby maser-generated second (X2) and third (X3) harmonic x mode radiation is amplified in the source region by multiple reflections off the walls of the density cavity in which they are produced. After many reflections the X2 and X3 waves propagate along the density cavity to a ground-based observer. However, it is demonstrated here with ray-tracing calculations that it is highly probable that maser-generated X2 and X3 radiation is reabsorbed at lower altitudes and thus cannot be detected at the ground. An indirect maser mechanism is proposed instead, where maser-generated z mode waves at Ωe grow to high levels in the source region and then undergo repeated nonlinear wave-wave coalescence to produce second- and third-harmonic waves that propagate directly to the ground. The z mode waves must satisfy the necessary kinematic constraints to produce observable second- and third-harmonic radiation. The dependence of the z mode maser on the temperature and functional form of the unstable electron distribution is discussed, along with the conditions required for the coalescence processes to proceed and produce the observed levels of radiation.


Sediment movement in rivers is one of the most important indicators to evaluate the health of an ecosystem. Bed load different specification such as shape, dimensions and other statistical parameters of this sediment reflect the hydraulic and hydrological conditions governing them, directly. To investigate the changes of particle aggregation of Sistan river bed, four sediment samples were collected from the Sistan river. After aggregation of sediments in the laboratory, sediment diameter (D50) and uniformity coefficient (Cu) was calculated, and using inverse distance weighting (IDW) method, the mentioned parameters for the Sistan river from Jarikeh up to the AfzalAbad plugs place were interpolated and parameters using ARC-GIS software was zoning along the river. Results showed that Sistan river bed material is sand and silt, 3 km to the beginning and at end of the study interval based on the English standard classification it is silty texture and the rest of bed is sandy texture. 11 kilometers beginning and the end of the river also from 20 +721 kilometer up to about 12 kilometers has also a good aggregation. The entire river except for the middle section of river from the 13 +244 km to extent of 4 km river bed has non-uniform soil.


Background/Objective: Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an evolutionary conserved mechanism essential for morphogenesis and tissue homeostasis, but it plays an important role also in pathologic conditions, including neurologic disorders. Its execution pathway is critically regulated at the mitochondrial level. Evidence of apoptosis in muscle specimens was investigated in patients with genetically defined mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. Methods: Thirty-three muscle biopsies from patients with genotypically different mitochondrial diseases (single and multiple deletions, A3243G/A8344G point mutations of the mitochondrial DNA) were studied. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) reaction was used as a marker of nuclear DNA fragmentation, as well as antibodies against pro- (Fas) or anti- (Bcl-2) apoptotic factors. Also, because one hallmark of apoptosis is morphologic, ultrastructural studies were performed on skeletal muscle from 18 of 33 patients, examining both phenotypically normal and ragged red fibers. Results: In all muscle biopsies, no significant expression of either pro (Fas) and inhibiting (Bcl-2) apoptosis-related proteins was found, nor TUNEL positivity. This latter finding is confirmed by lack of morphologic evidence of apoptosis in all the fibers examined at the ultrastructural level. Conclusion: The authors' findings suggest that genetically determined defects of oxidative phosphorylation do not induce the apoptotic process and that apoptosis is not involved in the pathogenesis of mitochondrial disorders.


We consider automated decision aids that help users select the best solution from a large set of options. For such tools to successfully accomplish their task, eliciting and representing users' decision preferences is a crucial task. It is usually too complex to get a complete and accurate model of their preferences, especially regarding the trade‐offs between different criteria.We consider decision aid tools where users specify their preferences qualitatively: they are only able to state the criteria they consider, but not the precise numerical utility functions. For each criterion, the tool provides a standardized numerical function that is fixed and identical for all users and used to compare solutions. To compensate for the imprecision of this qualitative model, we let the user choose among a displayed set of possibilities rather than a single optimal solution. We consider the probability of finding the most preferred solution as a function of the number of displayed possibilities and the number of preferences. We present a probabilistic analysis, empirical validation on randomly generated configuration problems and a commercial application. We provide mathematical principles for the design of the selection mechanism, guaranteeing that users are able to find the target solution.


The requirement of the maximum yield strength of shear reinforcement in the KCI-07 code is quite different to those in the ACI-08 code, EC2-02, CSA-04, and JSCE-04 codes. Eighteen RC beams having high strength shear reinforcement were tested. Test results indicated that even if the yield strength of shear reinforcement in beams was much greater than the maximum yield strength required by the KCI-07 design code, the shear reinforcement of these beams reached their yield strains. Furthermore, the shear strengths of tested beams increased almost linearly with the increase of the amount of shear reinforcement. In addition, larger numbers of diagonal cracks developed in the web of the beam having greater yield strength than the beams having lower yield strength of shear reinforcement. The maximum crack width of the beam having high strength shear reinforcement was approximately the same to the crack with of the beam having normal strength shear reinforcement.


Background Since 2007, Gaza Palestine has been subject to blockade affecting over 1.9 million people. This denies health professionals access to continuing professional development (CPD). In Gaza, family physicians are scarce, and their level of training does not meet the needs of United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) Family Health Team (FHT) model for better population health. Aim This study sought to develop a postgraduate training programme for Gazan doctors via a Diploma in Family Medicine (FM PG), and evaluate its impact on physicians and patients. Design & setting A mixed-methods evaluation of a postgraduate diploma in Gaza Palestine. Method The programme was delivered over 1 year, to 15 primary care doctors. The impact was evaluated through focus group discussions and patient feedback questionnaire survey comparing FM PG graduate doctors and doctors without the FM PG Diploma. Results All participating doctors graduated successfully and found the experience extremely positive. Trainees felt that the Diploma helped them take more individualised approach to patients; have a better understanding of psychosocial elements affecting patient health; feel more inclined towards team-working and collaborative approaches to health care; and more insight into non-verbal communication such as active listening and tactile gestures. Statistical analysis of patients' feedback showed significantly improved patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction when treated by course diplomates compared to non-diplomates. Conclusion Where there are limited training opportunities, investment in a structured postgraduate diploma training programme can improve quality of health service delivery. UNRWA's experience in Gaza demonstrates the value of a scalable model in resource-limited settings.


Loneliness. In recent years, a considerable body of research has shown that loneliness is associated with both mental and physical health conditions, as well as premature mortality. Like many countries across the developed world, Denmark has an ageing population and a Danish research team recently completed a GP-based survey to analyse the social relations of patients aged 65 years and over.1 Across 12 practices, 461 patients completed their questionnaire. A total of 36.2% had a high, 45.5% had a medium, and 18.3% had a low social participation. Anxiety and depressive symptoms, living alone, and low social participation were the most important predictive variables for loneliness. Importantly, only 15.2% of lonely patients had talked to their GP about their loneliness. In my experience, GPs in the NHS almost always know which of their patients are lonely but rarely have effective local services to refer them to.


South African universities are changing in several very important ways; their entry standards are changing, their programmes are focusing more specifically on the outcomes that learners are required to achieve, and their student populations are becoming more diverse. These changes are occurring in a climate of increased accountability. It is, therefore, important for universities to be concerned about the standards of their academic programmes and about the success rates of students. Together, these factors have produced a range of opinions about what needs to happen in universities if the diverse range of students is to be successful in outcomes-based programmes that maintain high standards. Some educators argue that entry standards are the most important determinants of success at university; others maintain that non-academic factors must also be considered. There is considerable evidence that the views and expectations about success held by lecturers and stud ents are not always consistent. This article presents the results of a recent empirical investigation at the University of Pretoria that attempted to identify the post-enrolment factors that lecturers and students perceived as having important influences on students' success in their university studies. The study investigated the different expectations of first-year students, senior students and lecturers and identified numerous important similarities and inconsistencies. Most notably, there was a high and significant correlation between the rankings the three groups (lecturers, first-year students and senior students) gave to 52 factors linked to successful university study. There was also a high and significant correlation between the rankings of lecturers and senior students on 55 factors suggestive of unsuccessful university study. However, the perceptions of first-year students were not strongly correlated with either lectures or senior students. This suggests that First-year students may have unrealistic expectations about the non-academic factors that could reduce their chances of successful study. The results of the research could be used in three ways. University administrators could provide more supportive learning environments to enhance the chances that students will be successful and lecturers could also use the information to enhance the influences of positive factors on student learning. The influence of negative factors could also be minimised accordingly. Finally students could also be assisted and supported to approach university studies in a way that will increase their chances of success. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(4) 2003: 254-263


Human endogenous retroviruses (ERV) are an integral part of our genome. Expression of ERV is usually switched off but reactivation of ERV has been observed in varying human diseases including cancer. Recently, reactivation of ERV associated promoters in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) cells has been described. Despite relatively good prognosis, not all patients with HL can be cured with the established therapy and this therapy is associated with severe late side effects. Therefore, new targets are required for the development of future treatment strategies. Reactivated ERV might represent such target structures. Therefore, we asked which ERV loci are expressed in HL cells. Using DNA microarray analysis, we found no evidence for a general activation of ERV transcription in HL cells. In contrast, we observed down-regulation of ERV3, an ERV with potential tumor suppressor function, in HL cells in comparison to normal blood cells. Interestingly, ERV3 was also differentially expressed in published DNA microarray data from resting versus cycling B cells. Treatment of HL cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat strongly up-regulated ERV3 expression. In addition, we observed up-regulation in HL cells after treatment with hypoxia-mimetic cobalt(II) chloride. Like vorinostat, cobalt(II) chloride inhibited cell growth of HL cells. Our results suggest that cell cycle inhibition of HL cells is accompanied by up-regulation of ERV3.


This paper presents the design methodology for a Superscalar 128-bit Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) processor. A full set of portable cell libraries, macro-block generators associated with complex and advanced tools, such as logic synthesis, functional abstractor, formal proof tool and data-path compiler have been used in order to achieve a fast design cycle, and still maintain a high level of integration and performance. The final circuit contains about 875,000 transistors with a die size of 14.6 * 14.6 mm/sup 2/ in a 0.8 /spl mu/m process.<<ETX>>


To investigate the molecular basis of severe clinical presentation in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in Yemen, this study was conducted on 30 Yemeni SCD patients living in Riyadh and attending King Khalid University Hospital. Seven individuals without SCD were used as controls. Haematological parameters, red cell indices, Hb A2 and Hb F levels were estimated and haemoglobin variant were identified on electrophoresis profiling. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat separated from fresh blood samples and was treated with the restriction endonuclease: Xmn I. The fragments generated were separated on electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose and hybridized to a 32P-labelled probe of gamma-globin gene. After extensive washing, two bands, 8.1 kb and 7.0 kb in size, were obtained. The frequency of occurrence of the presence of Xmn I polymorphic site (7.0 kb fragment) and its absence (8.1 kb fragment) were documented. The results in Yemeni SCD patients were compared with the results obtained previously in Saudi Arabs. Of the 30 SCD patients from Yemen 29 had only the 8.1 kb fragment and one had only the 7.0 kb fragment. This gave the frequency of 0.966 for the absence (-) and 0.033 (+) for the presence of Xmn I polymorphic site. This is the same result as that reported earlier for SCD patient from southwestern Saudi Arabia [(-) = 0.966; (+) = 0.033] but is significantly different from that reported in the eastern province [(-) = 0.068; (+) 0.932)] of Saudi Arabia. This paper presents the nature of molecular linkage in SCD patients from Yemen.


This study investigated the influence of library value on its use by undergraduate students. The study adopted descriptive survey research method and employed a structured questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The study population comprised of all regular undergraduate students in a Nigerian University. Simple random and equal allocation sampling methods were used to select 500 students from 10 faculties in the university. The pre-tested questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of .95 alpha was used to collect data from the students in their faculty libraries. Data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS 17.0. Results revealed that the university library is of great value to the students in their academic pursuit. The library is highly visited and used by majority of the students on a daily and weekly basis. The value of the library influenced its use by the students. There is no significant difference in library use per faculty or gender. It is concluded that the value of the library influenced library usage by students. Therefore, for a library to be highly used, it must be of great value to its patrons. University librarians should work towards improving the value of their libraries facilities, resources and services to enhance usage.


The prestige of the profession is at low ebb. Our authority as experts is, it seems, deeply damaged, and not only among politicians and the public, but among many in the university. In terms of influence, the distance between school and scholarship has never been greater. Our circumstances are so bleak they constitute, I suggest, a "nightmare" (Pinar 2004a, 3, 57). It is a term I use psychoanalytically (in specific reference to the nightmare that brought Freud's most famous patient to therapy), to suggest the dreamlike character of present political reality. The results of events in a primal past beyond our capacity to reconstruct, reality renders us as if asleep, defenseless, facing the wolves. In this research essay 1, I will examine two quite different characterizations of the present situation by two prominent spokesmen for our profession: Stanford University Professor David F. Labaree and former Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean Ted Sizer. In part due to their institutional affiliations, each is positioned to represent us – both schoolteachers and education professors – to a larger political public that judges us to be the problem. Speaking from positions of authority, each could clarify what is at stake in the politics of scapegoating – first focused on teachers, now on education professors – and thereby strengthen our professional authority. Do they? I will answer that question through an examination of their recent books: Sizer's The Red Pencil and Labaree's The Trouble with Ed Schools. Through such study we can, I believe, begin to attend to the absence of authority in contemporary curriculum studies.


BACKGROUND
Retention, stress and difficult transition are issues associated with new graduates entering the workforce. International literature has suggested there is a problem and preceptorship models have been introduced to assist new registrants. It is recognised that new registrants require support from a preceptor, however, the literature appears to focus attention on the preceptee's views, rather than the preceptor's.

RESEARCH QUESTION
How do preceptors perceive their role in supporting newly qualified nurses/midwives?

AIM
The aim of this article is to review the literature pertaining to preceptorship and explore the perceptions held by preceptors in relation to their role supporting newly qualified registrants.

METHOD
A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using a purposive sample. Interviews were used to capture the data.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The data analysis identified that overall preceptors do feel prepared for their role, however, they highlighted the benefits of preceptor updates and regular support. Preceptors identified rewards and challenges associated with this role.

CONCLUSIONS
The first 6 months of being a registrant has challenges for both the preceptee and the preceptor. The implementation of preceptorship models that include preparation and support for preceptors is essential to alleviate issues of transition, retention and stress. Preceptors identified areas for improvement such as regular update sessions, formal peer support, and protected time to discuss and complete the documentation.


Indonesia has plenty of natural resources which has not utilized yet, such as microalgae. Many valuable components, such as natural antioxidants which can be explored from it. The goal of this research is to maximize the growth of microalgae (Nannochloropsis sp.) so that it can produce more biomass. The variables observed were the addition of oxygen through aeration and nitrogen using NaNO3 nutrients (450 μmol/L, 600 μmol/L, 750 μmol/L, and 900 μmol/L) during the growth of microalgae. The amount of biomass produced was measured using centrifuge and drying method. The results showed that the aeration and the addition of NaNO3 nutrients could increase the growth rate and yield of biomass from Nannochloropsis sp. The optimum condition was obtained at the cultivation with aeration and 900 μmol/L NaNO3 added. The highest biomass produced was 25.975 g (dry basis)/L medium.


OBJECTIVES: There are confl icting data regarding the insulin resistance in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease(ADPKD) patients. We investigated the relationship between insulin resistance and anthropometric measurements in patients with ADPKD. MATERIAL and METHODS: Thirty-six female and twenty-eight male patients were included. HOMA-IR formula was used for determination of insulin resistance. Body mass index(BMI); neck, midarm, waist and hip circumferences; and skin fold thicknesses (SFT) at biceps triceps, subscapular, umbilical and suprailiac regions were recorded, and total body fat ratios were calculated. Patients were divided into four groups according to their creatinine clearance. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (42.18%) had insulin resistance. HbA1c, HOMA-IR, insulin and glucose levels, anthropometric measurements and total body fat ratios were not statistically different among the groups. Total body fat was signifi cantly correlated with HOMA-IR. The best predictor of glucose intolerance was found to be subscapular SFT. BMIs were not different in patients grouped according to their GFR. But, insulin resistance was higher in the group with BMI>25. CONCLUSION: A direct relationship between ADPKD and insulin resistance was not been shown in the study. The relationship between anthropometric measurements and insulin resistance in ADPKD patients is similar to the general population.


The present work deals with experimental studies to examine the theoretical model of thermodiffusion of electrically charged nanoparticles. Three different ionic magnetic colloid samples have been synthesized and profoundly analyzed. The theoretical model is a classical one, based on the calculation of the temperature and the electric potential distribution around nanoparticles. The discrepancy between experimental data and theory turns out not to exceed 20%. We focus on applying different approximations between calculated electrical double layer in the theoretical model and experimental determination of the surface charge density of colloidal particles. We assume this is the main reason for obtained discrepancy.


Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by the cessation of air flow during sleep due to an obstruction in the nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal region. The consequences that untreated obstructive sleep apnoea might have on patient's health include symptoms like sudden awakening with a sensation of suffocation, morning headache, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, lack of concentration, and it is commonly connected to hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression, obesity and other medical conditions. Aim: The purpose of this review study is to enlighten the role of an orthodontic professional in prevention and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome to the general public. Methods: Data search was determined by the following keywords: sleep apnea, orthodontic abnormalities, orthodontic prevention, sleep apnea syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, cephalometric analysis, AHI index, BMI index and obesity. Electronic data search was performed on platforms Pubmed and Google Scholar. Results: After reading and analyses, twenty-one articles with similar procedural criteria were selected, and among them only 6 were recognized as meeting the criteria of being completely accessible, having the selected keywords in their name, using the cephalometric analysis and BMI index and discussing the obese adults sleep apnea. In all the examined studies, it is proven that craniofacial morphology is a major anatomical risk factor for OSA. Conclusion: The role of the orthodontic specialists might be crucial in prevention of the development of obstructive sleep apnea, not only considering the orthodontic devices treament options, it can be especially important when obesity appears as a factor in the sense of informing and advising the patient and cooperating with other specialists who treat and prevent obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.


Expression of the amino acid permeases PsAAP1 and PsAAP2 was analysed in developing pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants. Both transporters were expressed in seed coats and cotyledon epidermal transfer cells and storage parenchyma cells. AAP expression is developmentally regulated and coincides with the onset of storage protein synthesis. Nitrogen was shown to induce AAP expression and AAP transcript levels were upregulated during the photoperiod. Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana AAP1 promoter activity in pea, using promoter-β-glucuronidase (promotor-GUS) studies, revealed targeting of GUS to seed coats and cotyledon epidermal transfer cells. Expression was found in the nutritious endosperm during the early stages of seed development, whereas GUS staining in embryos was detected from the heart stage onward. In addition, AAP1 expression was observed in the phloem throughout the plant. This finding equally applied to PsAAP1 expression as shown by in situ mRNA hybridisation, which also demonstrated that PsAAP1 expression was localised to companion cells. Overall, PsAAP1 expression patterns and cellular localisation point to a function of the transporter in phloem loading of amino acids for translocation to sinks and in seed loading for development and storage protein accumulation.


The death of a small star--such as our sun--was long believed to be accompanied by formation of a smoothly expanding nebula. Now, dozens of spectacular images of planetary and protoplanetary nebulae provided by Hubble Space Telescope have revealed morphological aspects completely unsuspected before. The newly found complexity represents a challenge for researchers trying to understand the mechanisms of stellar death.


Simple Summary The large yellow croaker is one of the most economically important fish in China. In recent years, the deterioration of the water environment and unregulated aquaculture have caused great economic losses to the large yellow croaker breeding industry. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of hypoxia and acidification stress on large yellow croaker. This study revealed that hypoxia and acidification stress suppressed the growth of the large yellow croaker. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes of the collagen family play an important role in the response of large yellow croaker to hypoxia and acidification stress. The study elucidates the mechanism underlying the response of large yellow croaker to hypoxia–acidification stress during early development and provides a basic understanding of the potential combined effects of reduced pH and dissolved oxygen on Sciaenidae fishes. Abstract Fishes live in aquatic environments and several aquatic environmental factors have undergone recent alterations. The molecular mechanisms underlying fish responses to hypoxia and acidification stress have become a serious concern in recent years. This study revealed that hypoxia and acidification stress suppressed the growth of body length and height of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Subsequent transcriptome analyses of L. crocea juveniles under hypoxia, acidification, and hypoxia–acidification stress led to the identification of 5897 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the five groups. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed that several DEGs were enriched in the 'protein digestion and absorption' pathway. Enrichment analysis revealed that this pathway was closely related to hypoxia and acidification stress in the five groups, and we found that genes of the collagen family may play a key role in this pathway. The zf-C2H2 transcription factor may play an important role in the hypoxia and acidification stress response, and novel genes were additionally identified. The results provide new clues for further research on the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxia–acidification tolerance in L. crocea and provides a basic understanding of the potential combined effects of reduced pH and dissolved oxygen on Sciaenidae fishes.


ABSTRACT A self-paced program designed to integrate the use of computers and physics courseware into the regular classroom environment is offered for physics high school teachers in this module on projectile and circular motion. A diversity of instructional strategies including lectures, demonstrations, videotapes, computer simulations, laboratories, and small group discussions are employed in the four-week plan for the unit. Suggestions for instruction include: (1) description of materials and equipment (emphasizing the role .of the Apple II microcomputer in instruction); (2) flow sheet (diagramming instructional options and procedures); (3) materials list (indicating relevant textbooks, courseware, videotapes, and film loops); (4) student learning objectives outline (stating desired behaviors related to projectiles, circular motion, satellites, and the solar system); (5) lesson plan (providing a list of 39 activities for a period of 17 school days); (6) grading suggestions (advocating opportunities for student recognition); (7) hints on use of computers (offering suggestions for classroom management); (8) self-paced consideration (discussing class size, scheduling and teacher monitoring); (9) field test conclusions (containing the student evaluation form and results); and (10) student worksheets (including all activities, quizzes, and information sheets as well as an article from "NASA Facts" (March, 1981) concerning the shuttle era. (ML)


Hermetic packaging requirements for high-reliability fiber-optic devices can be met through the use of solder-sealed fibre penetrations. Local metallization of the fiber surface facilitates soldering but also modifies the fiber's strength and fatigue properties. A significant body of research addresses the properties of fibers coated with metal during fiber drawing, but the mechanical properties of fibers locally metallized after drawing have not been discussed. These properties were evaluated by means of dynamic fatigue tensile testing for fibres having a multilayer metallization applied by a vacuum deposition process. The results show that fiber strength reduction resulting from metallization is compensated by an increased resistance to static fatigue. Use of the results in reliability assurance is discussed. >


The paper is basically a bibliometric study based on 4993 citations from 53 PhD theses under four sub-subjects of Economics viz. Indian Economics, Rural Economics, Economic Developing and International Economics). The purpose of the study is to analyze the citation pattern of references appended to the theses of all four subjects submitted to The University of Burdwan during the period 2006-2015. To fulfill the purpose, all the relevant information has been collected from the research section of The University of Burdwan and Shodhganga (http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/) and finally has been analyzed against pre-defined parameters such as bibliographic forms, journal ranking, authorship pattern, authorship collaboration, degree of collaboration. All the information collected under these parameters has been presented through dBaseIII plus programmer. It was found that highest number of contribution was in Indian Economics with 26 theses (49.05%) and least number of theses was contributed by International Economics with 2 theses (3.77%). The study also revealed that journals were found to be most cited documents (50.15%), followed by books (26.57%) and single authored articles were mostly cited than multi-authored articles.


Objective. To evaluate the prevalence of sleep disturbance in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and its association with disease activity and depression. Methods. Forty patients with AS and eighty healthy controls were included in this study. Sleep quality was assessed using the Korean version of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Depression was assessed by the Korean version of Beck depression inventory second edition (BDI-2). Ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) was used to evaluate disease activity. Patients were dichotomized into a good sleeper group (PSQI≤5) and a poor sleeper group (PSQI>5). Results. The mean total PSQI score of patients with AS was 7.23±3.84. It was higher than that of the control subjects. AS patients had higher scores in all of the PSQI components, except for the use of sleep medication. Sixty percent of the AS patients were classified as poor sleepers. The mean BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, and BDI-2 scores of the poor sleeper group were higher than that of the good sleeper group. Significantly, higher disease activity according to ASDAS-CRP was associated with poor sleep quality and depression. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the duration of morning stiffness and depression were independent risk factors that influenced poor sleep quality. Conclusion. Sleep disturbances are prevalent amongst Korean patients with AS. Lower quality of sleep is significantly associated with higher disease activity and depression. Therefore, optimal management to improve sleep quality in patients with AS is important.


OBJECTIVE
to describe the ethical aspects to be considered in the consent of adolescents to participate in research.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A narrative review was conducted in the scientific databases PUBMED and BVS, between 2010-2021, the search was conducted in English, and MeSH and DeCS descriptors were used, obtaining a total sample of 12 articles selected for analysis.

RESULTS
Age was commonly used instead of directly assessing the ability to understand the issues and make an informed decision about participating in research. This ability is influenced by age, context, and development. Adolescent decision-making is substantially different in the presence of peers. A balance is needed between recognizing the emerging autonomy in adolescents, their differential developmental rhythms, and their not yet fully mature response to personal risk.

CONCLUSIONS
It is necessary to generate responses and strategies that safeguard both safety and respect for adolescents, focusing on the characteristics of both the age group and the individual, unifying valid mechanisms for determining the capacity to consent, integrating criteria from the sciences regarding cognition, maturation and development, psychology and ethics.


A study was made of the characteristics of the formation, in the absence of seed radiation, of a χ(2) grating with an efficiency of 4% in Ge—Er optical fibres. In a wide dynamic range of the χ(2)-grating amplitude, there was a direct relationship between the growth rate of the grating and the intensity of the UV third and fourth harmonics of a neodymium laser generated by the cubic χ(3) nonlinearity inside a fibre. The experimentally determined characteristics of the growth and saturation stages of the formation of a grating were in agreement with the proposed physical interpretation based on a model of a coherent photocurrent and on the assumption that the UV harmonic radiation participates in the photoionisation of donor and acceptor centres.


Hypospadias is a highly prevalent congenital anomaly. The impact of the defect and operative interventions on sexual and reproductive function has been addressed by few publications. It is essential to know the possible outcomes of intervention for appropriate counseling, operative planning, and follow-up. English articles indexed in Pubmed dealing with the long-term sexual and reproductive outcome following hypospadias repair from 1965 to 2007 were reviewed. To our knowledge, there was no prospective trial comparing the impact of various techniques on sexual outcome. There is considerable discordance in literature regarding the effects on sexual function. A few publications report patient and partner dissatisfaction with the appearance of genitalia. Sexual dissatisfaction is often attributed to penile size. Ejaculatory disturbances range between 6 and 37% of operated individuals. There is no convincing evidence for impaired fertility. The long-term follow-up is essential to identify problems and to address them appropriately. Literature documenting the outcome of specific operative procedures and analysis based on severity of hypospadias will be informative. The long-term follow-up of the newer techniques which are more commonly used are awaited.


A new felt scale species Rhizococcus isodoni sp.nov.,is described and illustrated from Lishan Mountain,Shanxi Province,China,on root of Isodon glaucocalyx(Labiatae).The type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Beijing Forestry University.


We document evidence for surface‐rupturing earthquakes (events) at two trench sites on the southern Green Valley fault, California (SGVF). The 75–80 km long dextral SGVF creeps ∼1–4  mm/yr. We identify stratigraphic horizons disrupted by upward‐flowering shears and infilled fissures unlikely to have formed from creep alone. The Mason Rd site exhibits four events from ∼1013 CE to the present. The Lopes Ranch site (LR, 12 km to the south) exhibits three events from 18 BCE to present including the most recent event (MRE), 1610±52  yr CE (1 σ ) and a two‐event interval (18 BCE–238 CE) isolated by a millennium of low deposition. Using OxCal to model the timing of the four‐event earthquake sequence from radiocarbon data and the LR MRE yields a mean recurrence interval (RI or μ ) of 199±82  yr (1 σ ) and ±35  yr (standard error of the mean), the first based on geologic data. The time since the most recent earthquake (open window since MRE) is 402  yr±52  yr, well past μ ∼200  yr. The shape of the probability density function (PDF) of the average RI from OxCal resembles a Brownian passage time (BPT) PDF (i.e., rather than normal) that permits rarer longer ruptures potentially involving the Berryessa and Hunting Creek sections of the northernmost GVF. The model coefficient of variation (cv, σ / μ ) is 0.41, but a larger value (cv∼0.6) fits better when using BPT. A BPT PDF with μ of 250 and cv of 0.6 yields 30 yr rupture probabilities of 20%–25% versus a Poisson probability of 11%–17%.

Online Material: OxCal model for ages of paleoearthquakes, Lopes site 1998 logs, and description of a model for estimation of rupture frequency.


UNLABELLED
The therapeutic effects of peptide receptor-based radionuclide therapy are extensively being investigated in rats bearing tumors. Both the dose to the tumor and the therapy-limiting dose to normal tissues, such as kidneys and bone marrow, are of interest for these preclinical studies. The aim of this work was to develop a generalized computational model for internal dosimetry in rats.

METHODS
Mature rats were dissected and the relative positions, dimensions, and weights of all of their major organs were measured. A mathematic model was set up for the rat body and its internal organs to enable Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations to determine estimates for both tumor and organ self-doses as cross-organ doses for (90)Y, (111)In, and (177)Lu. The organs and body were mostly of ellipsoid shape with the axes given as the measured length, width, and height normalized to values that, together with the measured weights, are consistent with the recommended soft-tissue and bone densities. A spheric tumor of 0.25 g was positioned on the right femur. Calculations were performed with the Monte Carlo neutral particle transport code MCNP for the beta-emitters (maximum energy, 2.28 MeV) and (177)Lu (maximum energy, 0.497 MeV) and for the gamma-emissions from (177)Lu and from (111)In. The presented absorbed dose S values are used to calculate the absorbed dose estimates for the rat organs in a study on the biodistribution of (177)Lu-DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotate (DOTA is 1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid). Three activity distributions were considered in the kidney: uniform in the whole kidney, in the cortex, or in the outer 1-mm-thick rim of the cortex. Isodose curves and dose volume histograms were calculated for the dose distribution to the kidneys.

RESULTS
Depending on the activity distribution in the kidneys, the renal dose for (177)Lu-DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotate is 0.13-0.17 mGy/MBq.

CONCLUSION
The renal dose of 70-95 Gy for an injected activity of 555 MBq will likely cause radiation damage, although the higher amount of peptide with this activity may influence the dosimetry by partial receptor saturation. Dose volume histograms show that (111)In and (177)Lu are likely to have a higher threshold for renal damage than (90)Y.


It is a common assumption that knowledge possesses value. The value we attribute to knowledge justifies its acquisition and possession. It justifies the enforcement of laws and international agreements. It is not obvious, however, what type of value knowledge possesses or whether its value is economic, instrumental, moral, social or even if it possesses value per se, as an absolute value, or whether its value depends on other factors. Intellectual property law is nonetheless based on value judgments and on assumptions that this paper intends to challenge using the theory of value developed by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi applied, for the first time, to the study of intellectual property law.


John Hudson et al analyse people's attitudes to robots to be used in caring for the elderly using Eurobarometer data relating to November/December 2014 on approximately 1000 people in each EU country and found results different with the age. [1]Besides, robots as the synonymous product with high-tech, most of the domestic research has focused on the technical problems. Study about robot appearance ethics and aesthetics is few. So the purpose of this article is just to discuss the issue about eldely attitude to robot appearance. It extracted the mainly two relevant effect factors through referring to literature review and combining with overseas research experience in this field. The conclusion is that when to design robot appearance should take user's age into account and clarify what service do the elderly want to get from the robot. Another factor that cannot be ignored is the influence of social context. So to design service robot for the future potential users who are growing up under the exposure of science fiction frequently also need to keep paying attention to appearance changes of the robot in the literature and art works.


This article analyzes Chicago's new Renaissance 2010 school plan to close public schools and reopen them as choice and charter schools. Grounding the analysis in participatory research methods, the authors argue that Chicago's education accountability policies have laid the groundwork for privatization. They furthermore argue that Renaissance 2010 is part of a neoliberal corporate and financial urban agenda of gentrification, African American displacement, and the class conquest of the city by the middle and upper-middle classes. The authors conclude with a discussion of emerging resistance to the plan, suggesting that education may be a focal point of anti-neoliberal economic and social struggles.


Understanding how environmental problems, including Climate Change (CC), are visualized by the public and the media is crucial to developing effective communications strategies aimed at encouraging mitigation and adaptation behaviors. In this study, we sought to understand how Canadians visualize CC, the affective response elicited by CC images, and what factors predict the representativeness of photographs depicting CC. A representative sample of Canadian adult Anglophones (n = 618) completed an online survey that assessed responses to CC imagery and corresponding affective content (PANAS). Measures of demographics, CC beliefs/knowledge, and environmental values (NEP) were also collected. Content analysis showed Canadians mainly associate CC with ice melt, temperature, pollution, and flooding imagery. Logistic regression showed that CC representativeness of several photos is predicted by pro-environmental values, belief in the causes of CC, and political affiliation. Images generally elicited negative affect, particularly those depicting anthropogenic causes of CC, where feelings of distress and upset were strong. Importantly, CC images identified by participants differ from those commonly used in the Canadian news media. These findings will aid communicators in optimizing the use of visuals in CC messaging, and offer some guidance for more effective communication within the challenging Canadian context.;


Abstract The main objective of this work was to test the suitability of rice husk waste biomass for anaerobic digestion and to examine the energy potential of the co-digestion of rice husk with zebu dung. Rice husk and zebu dung were studied under batch anaerobic conditions as separate wastes as well as mixed in various proportions. All experiments were carried out at 5% of total solids. The methane yield achieved by single substrate digestion of rice husk and zebu dung was 13.9 l and 44.58 l CH4/kg volatile solids (VS), respectively. The co-digestion of 50% total solids (TS) rice straw with 50% total solids zebu dung gave the result of 38.42 l CH4/kg VS. According to these results, the degradation and methane production potential of rice husk were not sufficient and it was found that this residue material is less suitable for single substrate digestion without additional pretreatment than for co-digestion. Even if co-digestion of rice husk with zebu dung improved the digestibility of rice husk and hence increased the biogas production, the methane yield was lower in comparison with the result for zebu dung, due to the high lignin content in rice husk. Nevertheless, the proof of digestibility of rice husk showed the possibility of rational exploitation of this waste material.


The importance of reliable spectral transmittance measurements for reliable thin-film characterization is demonstrated. By using a model of the spectral transmittance of thin-film samples, the effect of various uncertainty components in transmittance measurements on the determined thin-film parameters is analysed. The experimental results for aluminium dioxide and tantalum pentoxide thin-film samples show good agreement with the model.


Despite the great strides made in imaging breast cancer (BC) in humans, the current imaging modalities miss up to 30% of BC, do not distinguish malignant lesions from benign ones, and require histologic examinations for which invasive biopsy must be performed. Annually in the United States, approximately 5.6 million biopsies find benign lesions. More than 50% of human BCs overexpress cyclin D1, and all BCs exhibit VPAC1 oncogene products. Together, these gene products may provide an excellent biomarker for the early and accurate detection of BC. We have evaluated 4 biologically active peptide analogs that have high affinity for VPAC1. The transgenic MMTVneu mice spontaneously develop BC and metastatic lesions that overexpress cyclin D1 and VPAC1 biomarkers. The MMTVneu mouse, therefore, provides an excellent animal model that mimics the pathogenesis of human BC. The objective of this investigation was to determine the ability of 1 of the peptide analogs, 64Cu-TP3805, to detect BC in MMTVneu mice using 18F-FDG as a gold standard. Methods: The transgenic MMTVneu mouse colony was maintained. Offspring were screened for transgenic status by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Nine mice with visible, palpable, or unknown metastatic lesions were entered into the protocol. 18F-FDG (6,475 ± 1,628 kBq [175 ± 44 μCi]) PET served as a control, followed by a CT scan and 24–48 h later by PET with 64Cu-TP3805 (4,588 ± 962 kBq [124 ± 26 μCi]). RT-PCR on excised tumors determined VPAC1 expression, and histology ascertained the pathology. Results: Ten tumors were detected by PET. Four tumors were detected both by 18F-FDG and by 64Cu-TP3805. Additionally, 4 tumors were imaged with 64Cu-TP3805 only. These 8 tumors overexpressed VPAC1 receptors and were malignant by histology. The 2 remaining tumors were visualized with 18F-FDG only. These tumors did not express the VPAC1 oncogene product and had benign histology. The standard uptake value ranged from 3.1 to 18.3 for 64Cu-TP3805 and 0.9 to 1.4 for 18F-FDG. Conclusion: 64Cu-TP3805 identified all malignant lesions unequivocally that overexpressed the VPAC1 oncogene surface product. The 2 benign tumors that did not express the VPAC1 receptor were not imaged. 64Cu-TP3805 promises to have the potential for the early and accurate imaging of primary and metastatic BC.


A multichannel detection system having a dynamic range of approximately 1 x 10(-9) Gy --20 Gy was developed with the use of commercially produced Si-photodiodes and TLDs for accurate measurement of X ray energy emitted from plasma-focus facility and from laser-produced plasmas. The proof of linearity of the employed detectors accomplished by a comparison of their responses to a broad band spectrum of X rays emitted from plasmas, is reported. It is demonstrated that TLDs irradiated with no protective filter show an incorrect response due to overloading in the sub-keV range and repopulation of dosimetric peaks induced by the UV radiation. The measurement of the power of undesirable secondary X ray sources driven by the primary plasma inside the interaction chamber was performed on the basis of analysis of space dependence of X ray intensity with respect to the assumed r(-2) decrease in the intensity far away from the plasma.


Multicarrier code division multiple access (MCCDMA) systems using complex-quadratic spreading sequences and cyclic delay diversity (CDD) facilitate frequency or time domain chip combining to mitigate different types of jamming. In this paper, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel coefficients, jamming power, and jammer state information (JSI) are jointly estimated to suppress the adverse effects of partial-band noise jamming. We derive weighted least square error (LSE) and linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimators operating under jamming and investigate the constraints on the cyclic delays. The JSI for the pilot symbols is estimated to assist estimation of the time-varying frequency selective channel coefficients by updating the noise covariance matrix. We also derive the optimum (sufficient statistics) chip combining weights for the data symbols that require the JSI; hence, the JSI for the data symbols is iteratively estimated using the decoder output. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed iterative despreading (includes JSI estimation and chip combining), demapping, and decoding receiver with soft- JSI-assisted channel estimation and chip combining is very robust against partial-band noise jamming.


An encoding/decoding process of JPEG2000 requires much more computation power than that of conventional JPEG mainly due to the complexity of entropy encoding/decoding. Thus usually multiple entropy codec hardware modules are implemented in parallel to process entropy encoding/decoding. This module, however, requests many small-size memories to store intermediate data, and when multiple modules are implemented on a chip, employment of the large number of SRAMs increases difficulty of whole chip layout. In this paper, an efficient memory architecture of the entropy encoding/decoding module is proposed, in which three approaches are attempted by utilizing one-bank SRAMs and internal registers. As a result, the efficient memory organization for a target process technology can be explored


The increase of the automotive fleet, industrial development, and human activities cause environmental pollutions in the air, damaging people's health. In this context, large cities incorporate central air monitoring that allow measuring air pollution levels, but in general, these central air monitoring are high-cost and they are few. In this paper, we to develop a system for monitoring air quality in urban environments applying low-cost solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile sensors. In the medium term, the Monitoring System will be complemented with other components such as Network and Telecommunications System, GEO Database System, Computer Systems, Mathematical-Statistical Modeling, and Management Information System for decision making (SIG-DSS) to form a technological infrastructure. To achieve the objective, an architecture was developed using open source IoT hardware devices and mobile sensors; then the devices that will measure the air quality variables were configured. Experiments show that the technical-economic feasibility to build solutions at low cost and to measure environmental pollution in urban environments


An open fire was assembled with firebricks to simulate the household fire pit used in rural China, and 15 different coals from this area were burned to measure the gaseous and particulate emissions. Particle size distribution was studied with a microorifice uniform-deposit impactor (MOUDI). Over 90% of the particulate mass was attributed to sub-micrometer particles. The carbon balance method was used to calculate the emission factors. Emission factors for four pollutants (particulate matter, CO2, total hydrocarbons, and NOx) were 2-4 times higherfor bituminous coals than for anthracites. In past inventories of carbonaceous emissions used for climate modeling, these two types of coal were not treated separately. The dramatic emission factor difference between the two types of coal warrants attention in the future development of emission inventories.


Semantic role labeling (SRL) aims to extract the arguments for each predicate in an input sentence. Traditional SRL can fail to analyze dialogues because it only works on every single sentence, while ellipsis and anaphora frequently occur in dialogues. To address this problem, we propose the conversational SRL task, where an argument can be the dialogue participants, a phrase in the dialogue history or the current sentence. As the existing SRL datasets are in the sentence level, we manually annotate semantic roles for 3000 chit-chat dialogues (27198 sentences) to boost the research in this direction. Experiments show that while traditional SRL systems (even with the help of coreference resolution or rewriting) perform poorly for analyzing dialogues, modeling dialogue histories and participants greatly helps the performance, indicating that adapting SRL to conversations is very promising for universal dialogue understanding. Our initial study by applying CSRL to two mainstream conversational tasks, dialogue response generation and dialogue context rewriting, also confirms the usefulness of CSRL.


The 5th generation of mobile networks is term used in various research papers and projects to identify the next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards. 5G wireless networks will support higher peak data rate, lower latency and provide best connections with QoS guarantees. In this article, we discuss various promising technologies for 5G wireless communication systems, such as IPv6 support, World Wide Wireless Web (WWWW), Dynamic Adhoc Wireless Networks (DAWN), BEAM DIVISION MULTIPLE ACCESS (BDMA), Cloud Computing, cognitive radio technology and FBMC/OQAM. This paper is organized as follows: First, we will give introduction to 5G systems, present some goals and requirements of 5G. In the next, basic differences between 4G and 5G are given, after we talk about key technology innovations of 5G systems and finally we will conclude in last Section. Keywords—WWWW, BDMA, DAWN, 5G, 4G, IPv6, Cloud Computing, cognitive radio, FBMC/OQAM.


Optimally designed three-dimensional (3D) biomedical scaffolds for skeletal muscle tissue regeneration pose significant research challenges. Currently, most studies on scaffolds focus on the two-dimensional (2D) surface structures that are patterned in the micro-/nanoscales with various repeating sizes and shapes to induce the alignment of myoblasts and myotube formation. The 2D patterned surface clearly provides effective analytical results of pattern size and shape of the myoblast alignment and differentiation. However, it is inconvenient in terms of the direct application for clinical usage due to the limited thickness and 3D shapeability. Hence, the present study suggests an innovative hydrogel or synthetic structure that consists of uniaxially surface-patterned cylindrical struts for skeleton muscle regeneration. The alignment of the pattern on the hydrogel (collagen) and poly(ε-caprolactone) struts was attained with the fibrillation of poly(vinyl alcohol) and the leaching process. Various cell culture results indicate that the C2C12 cells on the micropatterned collagen structure were fully aligned, and that a significantly high level of myotube formation was achieved when compared to the collagen structures that were not treated with the micropatterning process.


Abstract Globalization has led to a redefinition of the functions and roles of the state. Based on data drawn from a cross-national social survey, this article examines the influences of globalization on the public's attitudes towards their state in Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States, by focusing on satisfaction with government performance and demands on the government. The six countries differ extensively in their sociopolitical and technological situations, as well as in the experiences of their people with globalization in terms of the following aspects: connectivity with the world through personal ties and digital means, English language capacity, and support for the forces of globalization. There are also huge disparities in the public rankings of government performance and demands for expanding government spending in a wide range of policy areas. Our analysis reveals that, although both intra- and inter-country variations in the influences of globalization on public attitudes towards the state are not particularly prominent, those who support globalization not only are more inclined than others to be satisfied with the government's performance, but also demand more government intervention.


Nowadays, designers typically use modeling tools and numerical calculation for the electrical machine sizing, particularly the finite element method. The finite element method has been validated and has proved to be a very efficient one. However, due to problem complexity, this method is still time-consuming and large computer memory is needed. In this paper, we propose a faster analytical model (magnetic and thermal) coupled with an optimization tool CADES (Component Architecture for the Design of Engineering Systems) [1-2] to optimize a range of machines (from a few kW to more than 300 kW, and for speed ranges from 100 rpm to more than 5500 rpm). For this we used a deterministic optimization algorithm called Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) [3-4].


The capacity for workers to combine in order to further their economic and social interests is a fundamental right enshrined in the Conventions of the International Labour Organization. Despite this, access to lawful collective bargaining may be limited in national jurisdictions to a more restricted class of workers, namely 'employees'. In common law countries, self-employed workers (or independent contractors) are almost always excluded. The distinctions drawn in national collective bargaining schemes between who is covered and who is not are a product of twentieth-century forms of work organization which facilitated a clear delineation between 'employees' labouring for the benefit of their employer, and self-employed 'entrepreneurs' in business for themselves. However, the economic structures and forms of work organization underpinning that distinction have broken down. Workers in need of the protection and benefits collective bargaining offers may be excluded because their contractual arrangements do not fit the twentieth-century model of employment on which access to collective bargaining is commonly based. Exploring how the boundaries of labour law regulation should be redrawn for the new globalized, outsourced and restructured world of work is a major challenge confronting the labour law discipline. This article considers how we might redefine those boundaries in the context of collective bargaining to accommodate the needs of self-employed workers. Starting from the assumption that such workers should be provided with access to lawful collective bargaining, the article discusses the issues that arise in designing such a framework. The discussion will draw upon various schemes in Australia and Canada that have been designed for particular classes of precarious self-employed workers, considering the lessons that can be learned from those experiences.


Aim: To evaluate the vertical misfit and cement line quality of partial ceramic restorations cemented with resin luting cements using two different methods for cement remove excess.  Materials & Methods: Lithium di-silicate restorations were fabricated and cemented at 24 human molars that receive onlay type preparations. The specimens were randomly divided in two groups (n=12): Group 1 (G1) where the cement excess was removed at pre-gel stage and Group 2 (G2) with the cement excess removed after the polymerization. The vertical misfits at cement line were measurements twice, before and after cementation. Epoxy resin replicas of the specimens were obtained and the cement line quality was analyzed with the scanning electron microscope before and after the finishing and polishing procedures and classified as unsatisfactory, acceptable or good conditions. The vertical misfits values were submitted to Student test (p<0.05) and the quality line data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney for independent samples (p<0.05) and Wilcoxon test for paired specimens (p<0.05). Results: The statistical analysis showed that vertical misfit and the cement line quality presented no difference values to G1 and G2. However, finishing and polishing procedures affect positively the cement line quality in the both groups.  Conclusion: The excess cement removal methods had no influence on the vertical misfit and cement line quality for the restorations. The finishing and polishing procedures improved the cement line quality in both groups.


Profiling and antifungal susceptibility of Candida sp. in blood was conducted and the specimens were collected from Thanjavur Medical College, Thanjavur, India. A total of 31 isolates were selected for prospective analysis over a period of 6 months. Candidemia was diagnosed by positive blood culture bottles. Candida sp. were identified to species level by germ tube test, Hi- Chrome Candida agar, methyl blue SDA agar, rapid trehalose and maltose test, corn meal agar and sugar fermentation tests using standard techniques. All the Candida isolates were tested for antifungal susceptibility to amphotericin B and fluconazole by the disc diffusion method. Most frequent isolates were C. parapsilosis (66%), C. tropicalis (19%), C. albicans (6%), C. glabrata (6%) and C. guillermondii (3%). About 6.5% polymicrobial candidemia has been described. Most of the blood isolates were from the Intensive Care Units (ICU) (81%) especially neonatal (61%) and few from other wards (19%). 84% isolates were resistance to fluconazole, 56% isolates were resistant to voriconazole and 16% isolates were resistance to amphotericin B. Among the isolates C. parapsilosis was found to be predominant in occurrence. Most of the isolates were resistant to fluconazole


Accurate positioning of autonomous underwater vehicles is a major challenge. The long-term drift is problematic if global position updates are not available, and for applications such as repeat-pass interferometry and coherent change detection, millimeter accuracy is needed. Repeat-pass synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) micronavigation is one potential technique for countering both challenges. While single-pass SAS micronavigation enabled successful coherent processing within one track, the potential is that repeat-pass SAS micronavigation can support coherent processing between passes. Both techniques are based on recognizing the speckle pattern in the seafloor return, but repeat-pass SAS micronavigation has additional challenges with the larger temporal and spatial separations between the observations. In this study, we investigate the spatial correlation of speckle as observed from SAS systems. We divide the different contributions to spatial decorrelation into three groups: 1) speckle decorrelation; 2) footprint mismatch; and 3) stretching. We examine each contribution separately and develop simplified formulas for their decorrelation baselines. When correlating synthetic aperture images, decorrelation from stretching dominates. When correlating single-element data recorded at low grazing angles common to SAS, speckle decorrelation dominates. We validate our findings on experimental data, and by combining elements into larger effective elements, we demonstrate increasing the across-track baseline for repeat-pass SAS micronavigation updates from less than 1 to 10 m.


Following recent technological advances in diverse mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, in-depth studies aimed at improving the quality of augmented reality (AR) are currently ongoing. Smartphones feature the essential elements of AR implementation, such as a camera, a processor and a display in a single device. As a result, additional hardware expansion for AR implementation has become unnecessary, popularizing AR technology at the user level. In the early stages, low-level AR technology was used mainly in limited fields, including simple road guides and marker-based recognition. Due to advances in AR technology, the range of usage has expanded as diverse technologies and purposes are combined. Users' expectations of AR technology have also increased with this trend, and a high quality of service (QoS), with high-resolution, high-quality images, is now available. However, there are limitations in terms of processing speed and graphic treatment with smart devices, which, due to their small size, have inferior performance compared to the desktop environment when processing data for the implementation of high-resolution, high-quality images. This paper proposes an optional frame-selection algorithm (OFSA), which eliminates the unnecessary work involved with redundant frames during rendering for adaptive symmetric service of augmented reality big data on smart devices. Moreover, the memory read-write delay of the internally-operating OFSA, is minimized by adding an adaptive operation function. It is possible to provide adaptive common AR images at an improved frame rate in heterogeneous smart devices with different levels of performance.


Incentive mechanisms play a critical role in P2P systems. Private BitTorrent sites use a novel incentive paradigm, where the sites record upload and download amounts of users and require each user to maintain its upload-to-download ratio above a specified threshold. This paper explores in-depth incentives in private P2P file-sharing systems. Our contributions are threefold. We first conduct a measurement study on a representative private BitTorrent site, examining how incentives influence user behavior. Our measurement study shows that, as compared with public torrents, a private BitTorrent site provides more incentive for users to contribute and seed. Second, we develop a game theoretic model and analytically show that the ratio mechanism indeed provides effective incentives. But existing ratio incentives in private BitTorrent sites are vulnerable to collusions. Third, to prevent collusion, we propose an upload entropy scheme, and show through analysis and experiment that the entropy scheme successfully limits colluding, while rarely affecting normal users who do not collude.


This study analyses observed and projected climatic trends over Ethiopia, through analysis of temperature and rainfall records and related meteorological fields. The observed datasets include gridded station records and reanalysis products; while projected trends are analysed from coupled model simulations drawn from the IPCC 4th Assessment. Upward trends in air temperature of + 0.03 °C year−1 and downward trends in rainfall of − 0.4 mm month−1 year−1 have been observed over Ethiopia's southwestern region in the period 1948‐2006. These trends are projected to continue to 2050 according to the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab model using the A1B scenario. Large scale forcing derives from the West Indian Ocean where significant warming and increased rainfall are found. Anticyclonic circulations have strengthened over northern and southern Africa, limiting moisture transport from the Gulf of Guinea and Congo. Changes in the regional Walker and Hadley circulations modulate the observed and projected climatic trends. Comparing past and future patterns, the key features spread westward from Ethiopia across the Sahel and serve as an early warning of potential impacts. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society


Arbitrary processor affinities are used in multiprocessor systems to specify the processors on which a task can be scheduled. However, affinity constraints can prevent some high priority real-time tasks from being scheduled, while lower priority tasks execute. This paper presents an implementation and evaluation of the Strong Arbitrary Processor Affinity scheduling on a real-time operating system, an approach that not only respects user-defined affinities, but also supports migration of a higher priority task to allow execution of a task limited by affinity constraints. Results show an improvement in response and turnaround times of higher priority tasks.


In the first section, Einstein's 1919 paper "Do gravitational fields play an essential role in the structure of elementary particles?", though originally intended to explain atomic structure, helps explain gravitational-electromagnetic (G-EM) unity by being used as inspiration for a "vector-tensor-scalar geometry". The geometry is then extended, nearly a hundred years later, into "bits (binary digits) and topology" to complete G-EM unity. It also interprets the origin of mass, and of the Higgs boson, in terms of G-EM unity: thus relating the Higgs field to the supposedly unrelated gravitational field. In sections 3 and 4, Einstein's paper is utilized in its original context by applying vector-tensor-scalar geometry to the Weak force's bosons, then to the Strong force's gluons: extending the previous G-EM unification to the remaining fundamental forces.

Sections 2 and 5 are reminiscent of something the Danish physicist Niels Bohr is reported to have said last century, "Your theory is crazy, but it's not crazy enough to be true." This article reaches a final conclusion that is, in a word, crazy. But the conclusion appears to be inescapable if mathematics has any value – and the article would therefore be crazy enough to be true. The vector-tensor-scalar relationship can substitute Earth for the Higgs boson and field, making our planet infinite and eternal. Obeying the Copernican principle that Earth does not rest in a special physical position in the universe, everything in the cosmos would be infinite and eternal, composing the Unified Field of the Block Universe Albert Einstein believed in. If the Earth, and everything on or beyond it, is eternally infinite; there can be no Big Bang originating time and the universe. Since a quantum computer is infinite and eternal in actuality,^ it can use 1 and 0 simultaneously (combining them into a so-called qubit). A traditional computer, though infinite and eternal, is built and programmed to function in a much more limited manner. Experiments suggesting that entanglement pervades all space and all time are used to suggest the Cosmic Microwave Background fills the entire sky without being produced by the Big Bang. This eternal infinity is beyond detection by bodily senses and current scientific instruments but is mathematically logical.

Because of the rotating between the x- and y-axes in Wick rotation, there's a space-time we call imaginary or higher dimensional that is just as real as ordinary space-time. Gravity also leads to mass here - "dark" matter – and that matter's associated "dark" energy. Use of so-called "imaginary" time and quantum mechanics' entanglement removes boundaries between the "imaginary" and known realities. Boundaries between the far future's simulated universe and this known universe are removed by the imaginary's affecting virtual reality to produce an augmented reality.


On summarizing the observations above described, we see that in cases of benign and malignant hypertensions and acute diffuse glomerulonephritis, the minute volume is considerably increased, as compared with the normal standards, and that it diminishes nearly proportionally to the decrease of blood pressure, whilst in cases of the end stage of chronic diffuseglomerulonephritis, i. e. secondary contracted kidney, it remains approximately normal or rather tends to diminish. According to Weizsacker, 9) Liljestrand and Stenstrom, 10) and Dautrebande, 11) anaemia can sometimes give rise to an increase of the minute volume of the heart. The reason why the secondary contracted kidney, which in the majority of cases is accompanied by anaemia, is not increased in the minute volume, is to be sought in the slightness of the anaemia and also in the enfeebled heart function due to emaciation through the prolonged course of the renal insufficiency. Thus it may follow that all the diseases which are accompanied by increased arterial blood pressure do not always produce an increase in the minute volume, as Liljestrand and Stenstrom11) have advanced, and also that the minute volume of hypertension seems to bear no direct relation to the insufficiency of the renal function. It is perceptible that the minute volume of malignant hypertension is usually quantitatively greater than that of benign hypertension, but since the blood pressure of malignant hypertension is generally higher than that of benign hypertension, the difference of the increased minute volume between both the hypertensions will probably depend upon the degree of the increased arterial blood pressure, and the cause of the hypertension in both diseases, having no qualitative difference, will presumably be the same, inasmuch as there are between them occasionally states of transition impossible to discriminate clinically. In the case of nephrosclerosis and acute diffuse glomerulonephritis the minute volume seems to be intimately associated with blood pressure since I have observed that in the fluctuating blood pressure the minute volume runs parallel to the variation of blood pressure, so that we may infer also from this that the hypertension in this disease has a different cause from other renal diseases with raised blood pressure. There are not a few authors who are ready to attribute a factor of non-nephritic hypertension to the increased output of the heart or an increased cardiac efficiency, thus, in patients of cardiac neurosis Hochhaus12) has postulated from the heart systole occurring swiftly and plentifully, that the hypertension in them is due to the increased heart function, and Gross13) has advanced that the hypertension in exophthalmic goiter is provoked by an increased heart function; in several cases of young men with high blood pressure of unknown origin, Kulbs14) has preliminarily attributed its cause to an excessive heart action. One of the factors in which the increased minute volume results may be augmented gas metabolism of the tissue cells, the action of the circulatory system being increased secondarily in order to respond to an excessive demand for oxygen in the tissue. According to my determinations of gaseous exchange in different kinds of hypertensions, as will be reported later in another paper, of nephrosclerosis, malignant hypertension in which the renal function is profoundly disturbed, brings on an increased oxygen consumption, while benign hypertension gives a nearly normal rate of basal metabolism. Thus in malignant hypertension the increased minute volume is supposed to have responded to the change of gaseous metabolism, but in benign hypertension it is based on exaggerated cardiac function of another cause.


Earlier attempts at mechanising pre-commercial thinning have been met with varying degrees
of success. Most attempts have been based on techniques where residual stems are straddled.
Early treatment is essential to limit damage on residual trees. One part of the present study is an evaluation of mechanised pre-commercial thinning using the new Vimek 404R. Vimek 404R is a fairly small machine that permits selective removal of stems, making it potentially suitable also for areas overdue for pre-commercial thinning. The study established the level of performance for the machine, as well as the improvement needed to make it an economically viable option. The method to do this was a time study in an area where stand data were collected prior to and after treatment. Hourly costs for the machine were estimated at 356 SEK. At present Vimek 404R cannot compete with pre-commercial thinning using brush saw, the dominant technique in Swedish forestry. There is however most likely a considerable scope for improvement, especially if pre-commercial thinning is done late, i.e., when stems are becoming thicker.

Stand structure and merchantable volumes in a number of stands overdue for pre-commercial thinning were analysed, and six stands were selected for closer study. These six stands were selected among those with comparatively large biomass. Potential biomass extraction was calculated for a number of stand densities using biomass functions. Results indicate that it is not unusual for extraction levels to exceed 10 tonnes per ha, even if 2500 stems per ha are retained in the residual stand. Productivity required was specified for a Vimek 404R equipped with a harvester unit. Productivity was specified in relation to stand density, mean diameter at breast height, capital invested and annual usage. Vimek 606TT, having the same total width as Vimek 404R, was selected as the forwarder in such a harvesting system. Performance of the machine used for pre-commercial thinning was used as the basis when calculating the productivity required for a harvester version. Profitability of harvesting in young stands depends primarily on stand structure and performance of the harvesting system, as well as on chipping costs and energy prices.

It was finally found that a management model with extraction of biomass for bioenergy from
young stands showed promise. In such a model areas to compose future strip roads are left
untreated at pre-commercial thinning, and biomass is thus allowed to accumulate in these areas until first commercial thinning/harvest is carried out.


Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is considered an uncommon disease with a low incidence rate that remains as a diagnostic challenge for the clinician, in spite of the fact that seventy years have passed since its original description. Hereby we present the case of a 29-year-old male without history of allergies who was evaluated for unspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, without relevant findings on physical examination and presenting an initial complete blood count (CBC) with severe eosinophilia. The patient was evaluated and the diagnosis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis was confirmed by histopathological findings. The relevance of the case resides in highlighting the lack of guidelines or consensus for histological diagnosis being virtually the only one available. To a similar extent, treatment evidence is based on case series with a reasonable number of patients and case reports.


Only a few cases reported/in the literature fulfil the currently established criteria for accepting the traumatic Origin of some intracranial tumors. A case of post-traumatic gtioma is presented. Several years after sustaining a commotive left parietal trauma, our patient developed symptoms of intracranial tumor. Neuroimaging ( CT and MRI) showed a large neoplasia in the left temporo-parietal-occipital region, and stereotactic biopsy revealed a mixed glioma in continuity with the scar resulting from the trauma.


The objective of this research was to determine if gestational diabetes has an impact on the plasma lipoprotein profiles and/or cholesterol content of the plasma lipoproteins in newborns. Very low plus low density lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins in cord sera of newborns from gestational diabetic and non-diabetic mothers were isolated by heparin-affinity chromatography, and the cholesterol content in these plasma lipoprotein fractions were measured with an enzymatic assay. There were no significant differences in baby weights and total serum cholesterol levels between the two experimental groups. High density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p less than 0.05) were significantly lower while very low plus low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (p less than 0.05), very low plus low density lipoprotein cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios (p less than 0.025), and total serum cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios (p less than 0.025) were significantly elevated in newborns of diabetic mothers. These results suggest that gestational diabetes altered neonatal plasma lipoprotein metabolism.


Furan has recently received attention as a possibly hazardous compound occurring in certain thermally processed foods. Previous model studies have revealed three main precursor systems producing furan upon thermal treatment, i.e., ascorbic acid, Maillard precursors, and polyunsaturated lipids. We employed proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) as an on-line monitoring technique to study furan formation. Unambiguous identification and quantitation in the headspace was achieved by PTR-MS/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling. Ascorbic acid showed the highest potential to generate furan, followed by glyceryl trilinolenate. Some of the reaction samples generated methylfuran as well, such as Maillard systems containing alanine and threonine as well as lipids based on linolenic acid. The furan yields from ascorbic acid were lowered in an oxygen-free atmosphere (30%) or in the presence of reducing agents (e.g., sulfite, 60%), indicating the important role of oxidation steps in the furan formation pathway. Furthermore, already simple binary mixtures of ascorbic acid and amino acids, sugars, or lipids reduced furan by 50-95%. These data suggest that more complex reaction systems result in much lower furan amounts as compared to the individual precursors, most likely due to competing reaction pathways.


Ummah has various connotations which depend on perspectives from various sources. In Islam, ummah has certain element and criteria and especially if related to Islam as "a way of life". Currently, ummah is facing tough challenges from within and outside. Challenge from within is represented by many perspectives, as well as from outside. Both challenges could not be easily wiped away and at certain level, can damage the ummah if they are not handled carefully. Obviously, challenge from outside is clearer than from within. To know the challenges fundamentally can easily help to find the fair solution. It is indeed a must to differentiate the secondary challenge that is produced by fundamental challenge. Historical perspective could also be examined to see the change that happened from the earlier stage until now in order to observe the solidarity of the ummah themselves throughout the stages. The strength and weakness from fundamental aspect can determine the identity and survival of the ummah in the globalised world. This paper, as it is presented here tries to see, to elaborate and to observe the strength and weakness of ummah fundamentally and its relation to the survival of ummah themselves.