Of the phenomena which occur at the interface between a solid and a liquid, common examples include the deposition and corrosion of metals, the charging and discharging of storage batteries, and the wet processing of semiconductor devices. Developments in STM operated at solid-liquid interfaces led to its valuation as arguably the premier technique for atomic-level surface structural investigations of chemical processes taking place at solid-liquid interfaces. The present article describes a brief current status of in situ STM.


: Page stream segmentation into single documents is a very common task which is practiced in companies and administrations when processing their incoming mail. It is not a straightforward task because the limits of the documents are not always obvious, and it is not always easy to find common features between the pages of the same document. In this paper, we seek to compare existing segmentation models and propose a new segmentation one based on GRUs (Gated Recurrent Unit) and an attention mechanism, named AGRU. This model uses the text content of the previous page and the current page to determine if both pages belong to the same document. So, due to its attention mechanism, this model is capable to recognize words that define the first page of a document. Training and evaluation are carried out on two datasets: Tobacco-800 and READ-Corpus. The former is a public dataset on which our model reaches an F1 score equal to 90%, and the later is private for which our model reaches an F1 score equal to 96%.


Purpose Percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty (PCN) is a minimally invasive treatment for cervical radicular pain due to a disc herniation. Preliminary results show equivalent patient-reported outcomes of PCN as compared to conventional anterior cervical discectomy. However, there is a paucity of long-term outcome data. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the long-term clinical results of PCN. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent PCN at a secondary referral center between 2010 and 2014. Before surgery and five days after surgery, numeric rating scales (NRS) for arm pain and neck pain and data on complications were collected. To determine long-term follow-up outcomes, patients were sent a questionnaire booklet containing the Core Outcome Measures Index-Neck (COMI-Neck), NRS for arm pain and neck pain, Likert-scales on patient satisfaction and questions regarding the incidence of reoperations and complications. Results The baseline characteristics were collected for 158 patients. At a median follow-up of 41.5 months (interquartile range (IQR) 27.0 to 57.5), data were available for 118 patients (74.7%). At short-term follow-up, patients that underwent PCN had a mean decrease of 3.0 on the NRS for arm pain (95% CI 2.5 to 3.6) compared to baseline, while at long-term follow-up, a mean decrease of 2.8 (95% CI 1.0 to 3.6) was observed. At the long-term follow-up, 67.8% of the patients were fully recovered from all symptoms and 93.3% remained satisfied with the PCN treatment results. The reoperation rate for recurrent disc herniation was 21.4% at long-term follow-up. Conclusion PCN appears to be a safe and effective treatment at short-term and long-term follow-up of a specific selection of cervical herniated discs, with an acceptable long-term reoperation rate. These study results suggest a potential role of PCN as a less invasive treatment option for cervical radicular pain due to a soft disc herniation, before anterior cervical discectomy should be considered.


It is possible to understand Parmenides' being as the 'totality of what exists'. Parmenides' insight is that being is a compact continuum (fr. 4), and he gives a logical demonstration of this insight recognizing that non-being, which only could divide being in a plurality of beings, does not exist. Therefore, knowledge of being could only be the holistic appraisal of the totality of being – a form of knowledge unconceivable for men. Human knowledge is always articulated in concepts, images, relations…, expressed by their names. Men do not catch being itself, but, at best, some limited features of a minimal part of it, as they appear from human and personal perspectives. Thus, Parmenides' calls mortals 'two-headed' who claim that their truths represent the reality of being, since their pretense would imply the existence both of being and of non-being. This epistemological conception is the only relevant result of Parmenides' ontology. Parmenides' epistemology solves many of the philosophical riddles of his time, it shows that the so-called Zeno's paradoxes are sound arguments, and foreshadows the doctrines of Protagoras and Gorgias.


This paper presents an approach to window-constrained scheduling, that is suitable for multimedia and weakly-hard real-time systems. Our algorithm called virtual deadline scheduling (VDS) attempts to service m out of k job instances by their virtual deadlines, that may be some finite time after the corresponding real-time deadlines. By carefully deriving virtual deadlines, VDS outperforms our earlier dynamic window-constrained scheduling (DWCS) algorithm when servicing jobs with different request periods. Additionally, VDS is able to limit the extent to which a fraction of all job instances are serviced late, while maximizing resource utilization. Simulations show that VDS can provide better window-constrained service guarantees than other related algorithms, while having as good or better delay bounds for all scheduled jobs. Finally, an implementation of VDS in the Linux kernel compares favorably against DWCS for a range of scheduling loads.


This research aims at finding out whether or not the use of Click and Clunk Strategy can improve the reading comprehension of the students. The method of this research is quasi-experimental design. The sample is taken by using purposive sampling technique. The experimental group was taught by using click and clunk strategy while the control group was not. The result of the pre-test shows that the mean score of pre-test of experimental group is 50.57 and the control group is 51.82. The mean score of post-test obtained by experimental group is 71.25 while the control group gained 64.89. Thus, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference between students'who are taught click and clunk strategy and those who are not. T-test indicates that the score of t-counted is higher than t-table (2.4>2.02) which means that the Alternative Hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. The result of the research is the use of click and clunk strategy can improve the students' reading comprehension in literal level of reading comprehension.


Background: There are few studies on inflammatory storms in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with pneumonia. Therefore, we will retrospectively investigate characteristics of inflammatory storms in BALF of children with pneumonia in our hospital.Methods: 161 children with pneumonia were retrospectively divided into two groups: mild and severe pneumonia, according to the clinic diagnosis. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the levels of cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF-α and IFN-γ. We performed receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) and spearman correlation to evaluate the role of BALF inflammatory cytokines and cells in pneumonia.Results: 1) The levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α, and ratios of IL-6 to IL-10 and TNF-α to IL-10 in BALF of severe pneumonia group were higher than those of mild pneumonia group. 2) The number of inflammatory cells and the percentage of neutrophils in BALF of severe pneumonia group increased, and the percentage of macrophages decreased, compared with the mild pneumonia group. 3) ROC analysis showed that both the increase of the levels of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, and ratios of IL-6 to IL-10 and TNF-α to IL-10, number of inflammatory cells and neutrophils, percentage of neutrophils, and the decrease of the percentage of macrophages exceeding the cut-off value could be used to distinguish children with severe pneumonia from mild pneumonia. Conclusion: In severe pediatric pneumonia, BALF inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory cell infiltration are more intense. And these inflammatory signals are important biomarkers for reflecting the severity of pediatric pneumonia.Trial registration: This study approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/, No. ChiCTR2000034048(registration date, June 22, 2020).


In multiple sclerosis (MS) CD4+ T cells are thought to coordinate initiation and maintenance of neuroinflammation following recognition of central nervous system (CNS) antigens in the context of MHC class II molecules. Re-activation of these CNS antigen specific CD4+ T cells within the CNS is thought to be crucial to recruitment of secondary immune effector cells and resultant tissue inflammation. MHC class II is thought to be expressed on professional antigen presenting cells (APC) but not on oligodendrocytes and neurons, two cellular targets for MS pathology. Here we examine the use of defined MHC class II/peptide restricted transgenic T cell receptor expression in mature CD8 T cells to generate cytotoxic cells specific for CNS antigen presenting APC. We suggest that auto-antigen/MHC class II specific APC elimination can ameliorate disease while sparing MHC II negative neurons and oligodendrocytes. This study examines a novel potential therapeutic modality for its efficacy in neuroinflammation.


Background. Physical exercise has positive effects on health. However, its associations with self-rated health and body image, which are important predictors for adolescents' wellbeing and later morbidity, are complex. Methods. Cross-sectional survey among 2527 Norwegian adolescents. We examined the relations between self-reported gender, body size, amount and type of exercise and measures of self-rated health, drive for thinness, and desire to change body, with binary logistic regression analyses. Results. Girls and overweight students reported to a greater extent than their peers impaired self-rated health, weight concerns, and desire to change their body. Increasing amount of time spent on sports was related to improved self-rated health in a dose-response manner. Both girls and boys who engaged in individual sports with an advantage of leanness, but only girls engaged in team sports, reported an increased desire to change the body. However, weight concern was not related to amount or type of sports. Conclusions. Physical exercise is positively related to self-reported health but has negative associations with body image for many adolescents. Health promotion efforts should consider this paradox and stimulate physical activity and sports along with body acceptance.


This paper examines the failure of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to provide protection to civilians in Darfur, and considers the relevance, in this context, of the emerging doctrine of responsibility to protect. It is argued that while the existence of the responsibility to protect has been widely endorsed, there has been relatively scant attention paid to its content. In the context of the AMIS intervention in Darfur, this paper considers the question of what the responsibility to protect actually entails: for peace-support operations, for the states that send them, and most importantly, for the civilian population that expects to be protected by the soldiers sent to protect them. Because the responsibility to protect (as described by the International Commission on State Sovereignty (ICISS) and endorsed by the UN Secretary General, the General Assembly and the Security Council) says little as to positive obligations, such as might require peacesupport operations to actively protect, this paper considers whether there are obligations that can be drawn from international human rights or international humanitarian law that may assist in locating a substantive content for the responsibility to protect. It is suggested, in conclusion, that it is in the law of occupation that we come closest to finding a legal responsibility to protect.


Uncontrolled hemorrhage is a leading cause of the preventable deaths that occur in patients with trauma. The cause of trauma-associated coagulopathy is multifactorial, including blood loss, consumption of coagulation factors and platelets, the dilution of coagulation factors and platelets due to fluid resuscitation, and hypothermia. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) lacks two key causal factors for coagulopathy: heavy blood loss and a large volume of fluid resuscitation, but is associated with a significantly higher incidence of coagulopathy. The pathogenesis of this TBI-associated coagulopathy remains poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that brain-derived microparticles (BDMPs) released from an injured brain play a causal role in developing systemic coagulopathy after TBI. Here, we report that mice subjected to fluid percussion injury (1.9±0.1 atm) developed a BDMP-dependent hypercoagulable state, with a peak level of plasma glial cell and neuronal microparticles, reaching 17,496 ± 4,833/µl and 18,388 ± 3,657/µl 3 hrs after TBI. BDMPs were measured by flow cytometry using triple gating based on particle size and the expression of neural cell markers and phosphatidylserine (PS). To exclude contributions to the coagulopathy of non-neural cell microparticles released during trauma stress, BDMPs were made from normal brain by freeze-thawing and mechanical injury. BDMPs thus made had below detection levels of microparticles from leukocytes (CD45), endothelial cells (CD144), erythrocytes (CD235a), and platelets (CD42b). Uninjured mice injected with BDMPs made in vitro developed a hyper-turn-hypo-coagulable state in a dose-dependent manner as measured by the rates of clot formation and fibrinogen depletion, resulting in microvascular fibrin deposition in the lungs, kidney and heart. BDMPs measured 50 – 500 nm with relatively intact membranes under transmission electron microscopy and expressed neuronal or glial cell markers and procoagulant PS and tissue factor (TF). BDMPs promoted clot formation in a PS-dependent assay at a maximal activity of ~1 x 105 BDMPs/µl, equivalent to 1.6 µg/µl of purified brain PS. They were equally active in promoting thrombin generation in a PS-and TF-dependent manner, BDMPs at 2.5 x 104 /µl yielding an activity equivalent to 1 pM of soluble TF. The procoagulant activity of BDMPs was significantly stronger than microparticles generated from collagen-stimulated platelets and was blocked by the PS-binding lactadherin in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with observations made in the mouse models, fetal hippocampal cells in culture produced microparticles upon injury. These microparticles transmigrated through the disrupted endothelial barrier in the presence of live, but not lyophilized platelets. BDMP-bound platelets were detected by flow cytometry and scan electron microscopy. They activated platelets as measured by increases in calcium influx and CD62p expression, but did not induce platelet aggregation directly or in the presence of low doses of collagen. In summary, we have studied acute changes in coagulation associated with TBI using a mouse FPI model combined with in vitro experiments. Focusing on the first 6 hrs post-TBI minimizes confounding changes induced by secondary events, such as ischemic injury. The results define a causal role for BDMPs in the TBI-associated systemic coagulation. We also show that BDMPs activated platelets. Activated platelets may facilitate the transmigration of BDMPs through the disrupted endothelial barrier by releasing pro-inflammatory mediators to promote local inflammation at a site of vascular injury. This notion is supported by the finding that live, but not lyophilized platelets and, to lesser degree, plasma from activated platelets promoted BDMP transmigration through a monolayer of endothelial cells. Finally, the PS binding lactadherin blocked the BDMP-dependent procoagulant activity, raising two interesting perspectives. First, PS scavengers and neutralizing molecules may reduce or prevent coagulopathy associated with TBI. Second, an intrinsic or acquired deficiency in the PS-dependent clearance of microparticles may predispose an individual to consumptive coagulopathy associated with TBI and other conditions.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The increasing use of antimicrobial agents such as sulfonamides by the pig industry is of concern, since residues in both pork and its by-products, when derived from animals treated improperly, can endanger human health. The aim of this study was to establish the production conditions and to evaluate the homogeneity and the stability of sulfamethazine in porcine liver quality control material, produced 'in-house' for use in ring tests of the laboratory network of residues and contaminants of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Brazil. In the process of preparing the material, a FOSS blender was used, where the samples were ground to obtain a homogeneous mass, which was packed in polypropylene bottles. The material resulting from this process of homogenisation was sampled and analysed by LC/MS/MS. The analytical results were statistically evaluated by one-way ANOVA. According to statistical evaluation, the material produced was considered homogeneous, with 95% confidence. Stability tests were performed with the bottles stored under the specified storage conditions. They were randomly selected and analysed in duplicate by the same analytical method as the homogeneity study. The analytical results were statistically evaluated by the procedures for a stability check described in ISO 13528:2005, indicating that the material was unstable under the conditions of storage.


The ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) was measured in 28 patients at the time of cardiac surgery. The VFT was measured with a 100 Hz train of 24 rectangular pulses positioned across the ST segment and T wave. Current was applied to the epicardial surface of either ventricle with a bipolar electrode probe. In six patients, the normal right VFT was 24.3 ± 5.2 mA, and in 10 patients the normal left VFT was 33.6 ± 9.5 mA (p < 0.05). In 12 patients with > 75% obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the left VFT was 18.6 ± 6.9 mA. This value was significantly less than the left VFT in patients without coronary artery disease (p < 0.001). This study shows that the VFT can be measured in man and that coronary artery disease reduces this parameter.


A sentinel event review (SER) is a system-based, multistakeholder review of an organizational error. The goal of an SER is to prevent similar errors from recurring in the future rather than identifying and punishing the responsible parties. In this article, we provide a detailed description of one of the first SERs conducted in an American police department—the review of the Lex Street Massacre investigation and prosecution, which resulted in the wrongful incarceration of four innocent men for 18 months. The results of the review suggest that SERs may help identify new systemic reforms for participating police departments and other criminal justice agencies.


Aim: Analyze the current practice of management in patients with neonatal seizures and perinatal brain disorders and determine the ways to prevent long-term neurological complications. Materials and Methods: The study group included 140 children (aged from 2 weeks to 18 months) with neonatal seizures and perinatal brain abnormalities. In these cases, the obstetric and early postnatal history was analyzed; all patients underwent videoEEG monitoring, cervical spine X-ray, neuroimaging, and a Doppler ultrasound test. Results: We found a number of reliable anteand intrapartum predictors of neonatal seizures. According to the medical documentation from the neonatal pathology departments, local neonatologists have difficulties in diagnosing and verifying the type and duration of seizures. In most patients with neonatal seizures, we detected epileptiform EEG activity, signs of birth defects (according to X-ray) and marked changes (according to neuroimaging) in the cervical spine. Conclusion: The results confirm that neonatal seizures are one of the first symptoms of severe brain damage, including intra-natal damage. Evolution of neonatal seizures into drug-resistant epilepsy and further disability is associated with insufficient knowledge of neonatal seizures, standards for their diagnosis, therapy and multidisciplinary observation.


A novel space-time (ST) pre-equalizer is proposed for the downlink of high data rate CDMA systems over frequency-selective multipath channels. We consider the scenario in which multiple transmit antennas are used at the base station (BS) for downlink transmission, followed by a set of adaptive FIR filters to suppress the multiple access interference (MAI) and possible intersymbol interference (ISI). With the MAI and ISI effectively suppressed, each mobile station (MS) would require only a simple matched filter (MF), leading to a "thin" handsets design suitable for next-generation wireless communications. The tap weights of each adaptive FIR filter are determined based on the generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) technique, and partial adaptivity is incorporated via the conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm for reduced complexity implementation. The proposed ST pre-equalizer is evaluated through simulations, and the results show that it can achieve better performance compared to the pre-RAKE maximum ratio combining (MRC) method.


Some analytical methods to compute the Coulomb free-free and bound-free matrix elements are described and applied to the calculation of the autoionisation probabilities of high angular momentum doubly excited states 6pnl in barium. Emphasis is put on the use of analytical formulae deriving from methods originally developed in photoionisation studies of high Rydberg states. The semiclassical formulae for collisional excitation-extensively used in line broadening theory-are derived as special limits of the Gordon quantum expression. It is shown that the domain of validity of the semiclassical approach extends to low-energy collisions, and even to near-threshold excitation, when proper average electron kinetic energy and angular momentum are used.


Under a NASA program to produce long‐term data records from instruments on multiple satellites, data from a series of nine Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV and SBUV/2) instruments have been reprocessed to create a coherent ozone time series. Data from the BUV instrument on Nimbus 4, SBUV on Nimbus 7, and SBUV/2 instruments on NOAA 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 19 covering the period 1970–1972 and 1979–2011 were used to create a long‐term data set. The goal is an ozone Earth Science Data Record—a consistent, calibrated ozone time series that can be used for trend analyses and other studies. In order to create this ozone data set, the radiances were adjusted and used to reprocess the entire data records for each of the nine instruments. Interinstrument comparisons during periods of overlap as well as comparisons with data from other satellite and ground‐based instruments were used to evaluate the consistency of the record and make calibration adjustments as needed. Additional improvements in this version 8.6 processing included the use of the Brion, Daumont, and Malicet ozone cross sections, and a cloud‐height climatology derived from Aura OMI measurements. Validation of the reprocessed ozone shows that total column ozone is consistent with the Brewer/Dobson network to within about 1% for the new time series. Comparisons with MLS, SAGE, sondes, and lidar show that ozone at individual levels in the stratosphere is generally consistent to within 5%.


This paper will discuss the theory and mechanics of in-service propeller polishing and then present the benefits of identified by periodically polishing the propellers on selected ships between the Sohio Oil fleet and how these benefit justify establishing a fleetwide propeller maintenance program. Based on our investigations it is reasonable to expect fuel servings in the order of one to three percent through in service propeller polishing on a quarterly or semiannual basis.


The effects immobilization stress on renal sympathetic neurotransmission as well as on heart, spleen and adrenal catecholamine content were examined in the rat. A single 2.5 hr stress period produced significant increases in blood pressure, heart rate, plasma norepinephrine and plasma epinephrine concentrations. However, no changes in renal catecholamine content or in stimulus-induced (1 Hz, 120 pulses, supramax. V) overflow of catecholamines were observed when the isolated perfused rat kidney was studied immediately after the 2.5 hr stress period. In contrast, the single stress period produced a 3-4 fold increase in cardiac epinephrine content while no effects on spleen or adrenal catecholamine content were observed. When stress was applied for 7 daily 2.5 hr periods, the repetition of the stress failed to produce any changes in renal neurotransmitter content or stimulus-induced overflow from the isolated perfused rat kidney. The data suggest that the accumulation of epinephrine into peripheral sympathetic nerves as a result of stress-induced adrenal catecholamine release is not a phenomenon which can be generalized to all regions of the cardiovascular system.


Thirty years after its discovery,1,2 the association between HLA-B27 and ankylosing spondylitis remains the strongest known relationship between a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen and a disease. Epidemiological studies in the 1960s and early 1970s identified close links between several distinct forms of arthritis that were given the collective title of the seronegative spondarthritides.3 Recognition that HLA-B27 was a genetic marker for these diseases led to a review of the composition of the group, resulting in the exclusion of Whipple's disease and Behçet's syndrome and the inclusion of other conditions such as undifferentiated and formes frustes of spondarthritis4 and HLA-B27 associated isolated peripheral enthesitis.5 Notwithstanding a 28–44% prevalence of HLA-B27 in affected patients, Whipple's disease was excluded after being found to be caused by the actinobacterium Tropheryma whipplei,6 whilst Behçet's syndrome forfeited its place for many reasons including a lack of association with HLA-B27.7 Box 1 lists the seronegative spondarthritides currently recognized—now more commonly known as the seronegative spondylarthropathies or spondyloarthropathies.


The primary goal of the paper is to examine how the Turkish and Russian Governments are using the term terrorist in their diplomatic communication towards the Syrian conflict. Following the introduction, the study outlines the theoretical framework – namely the securitisation theory –, then presents a concept of terrorism, which is focusing on the instrumentalisation of the terrorist label in discursive processes. Henceforward, the paper attempts to accomplish the aforementioned goal by examining the Turkish and Russian security discourses on two interrelated issues of the Syrian war: Turkey's Operation Peace Spring in October 2019, and the Russian–Syrian offensive codenamed Operation Dawn of Idlib between April 2019 and March 2020. Based on the detailed analysis of relevant speeches and articles given or written by high-ranking Russian and Turkish diplomats, the paper displays how the two states justified their military interventions, defined their own roles, and framed the non-governmental actors involved in the conflicts. According to the conclusion of the author, despite the numerous similarities in their discourses, Turkey and Russia define oppositely, who is, and who is not a terrorist in Syria, which constitutes a major collision point between their geostrategic perspectives.


The article characterizes the growing interest of the Arctic states and the world community to the development of the vast natural resources in the harsh environment of the Arctic, including the development of programs and the strategy, the importance of international cooperation, harmonization of legal framework of economic activities in the macro-region. The essential modernization and development of transport and logistics complex in the effective development of the Arctic zone is substantiated. A conceptual model for creating the modern transport and logistics complex applicable to Murmansk transport hub, the largest in the Russian Arctic, has been developed.


Retrospective analysis within the BENESTENT-l trial has shown that patients having a "stent-like" result after standard PTCA had angiographic and clinical outcomes similar to those of patients receiving a stent. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of a "stent-like" PTCA strategy in native coronary arteries in non-selected patients. From our data base, 503 consecutive patients who underwent successful PTCA or stent supported PTCA were stratified according to a target lesion length < 15 mm, a reference vessel diameter > or = 2.5 mm, and a postprocedural residual stenosis < 30%. After stratification, 132 patients with "stent-like" PTCA, and 88 with single stent implantation were compared on two-year clinical outcomes. Two-year event-free survival rate was 70% in the "stent-like" PTCA group, and 83% in the stent group (p = 0.022). Stent-like PTCA is associated with a higher restenosis rate and higher adverse events rate as compared to single stent supported PTCA, whatever the indication for stenting.


PurposeAlthough both institutional export assistance and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) contribute separately and positively to export performance, the interplay between them has received little attention. This study examines the role of international EO in deriving performance benefits from governmental and nongovernmental export assistance.Design/methodology/approachIn this longitudinal study, two surveys were administered at two different times: In 2011, 705 Bangladeshi apparel exporters were surveyed, and in 2019, a subsequent survey of 198 firms in multiple industries was conducted. The aim of the surveys was to assess the relationships between governmental and nongovernmental assistance, EO and export performance.FindingsThe results of the first survey show that, while nongovernmental assistance influences performance directly and via EO, governmental assistance has only direct effects. Furthermore, the negative influence of government assistance on EO reduces the total effects and renders them nonsignificant. The results of the second survey demonstrate that government EPPs have both direct and indirect positive and significant effects on market performance, indicating a partial mediation, whereas quasi-governmental assistance has positive and significant direct effects as well as negative but nonsignificant indirect effects. Nongovernmental EPPs have both direct and indirect significant effects on international performance, indicating a partial mediation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has important implications for researchers studying export assistance and its impact on firm performance. Instead of adopting a parochial view of government assistance, this study categorizes such assistance into three types – government, quasi-government and nongovernment. Furthermore, this study bridges the export assistance and international entrepreneurship literature by including EO.Practical implicationsEntrepreneurs must emphasize the use of government assistance in order to enhance export performance. However, to promote both entrepreneurship and performance, they must emphasize nongovernment assistance. Exporters should also capitalize on the assistance extended by various quasi-governmental agencies to bolster export performance.Originality/valueGiven the performance advantage of export assistance, this study highlights the contribution of the private sector in promoting export entrepreneurship while shedding light on the pernicious role of (quasi-)governmental assistance in export entrepreneurship.


The surface fouling of food processing equipment by proteins was studied by investigating the adsorption of egg white proteins to the surface of stainless steel (SS) at pH 7.4 and 30 °C, and particularly the effects of different types of ionic substances. Ovalbumin and ovomucoid, acidic egg white proteins, were less adsorbed in the presence of phosphate (Pi), a multivalent anion, than in the presence of HEPES, an amphoteric ion. On the other hand, lysozyme, a basic egg white protein, was more adsorbed in the presence of Pi than in the presence of HEPES. Citrate as another multivalent anion and taurine as another amphoteric ion affected the respective adsorption of those egg white proteins similarly to Pi and HEPES. The adsorption of an egg white protein to an SS surface therefore depended on the combination of the type of protein and the effective charge of the coexisting ionic substance. This behaviour can be well explained by assuming that a small ionic substance precedes a protein in attaching to an SS surface, resulting in an alteration to the effective surface charge. Pretreating SS with a Pi buffer lowered the amount of ovalbumin adsorbed with the HEPES buffer, demonstrating that Pi can attach to and remain on the SS surface to affect the subsequent protein adsorption.


G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and G-proteins are critical signal transduction molecules that regulate cell survival, proliferation, motility and differentiation. However, mutations and disruptions in the expression or function of these molecules have been linked to growth, progression and metastasis of various cancers. Recently, major efforts in the area of genome-wide sequencing of tumors have unveiled numerous previously uncharacterized mutations in G-proteins and GPCRs, which could have significant implications to cancer initiation and progression. In particular, mutations in the gene encoding the G-protein G13 (GNA13) and/or its downstream effector, RhoA, have been identified in B cell lymphomas (particularly Burkitt9s lymphoma and Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma), T cell lymphomas, and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCCs). Our analyses indicate that these mutations are highly statistically significant over background cancer gene mutation rate, and mutations in GNA13 alone occur in ∼10-15% of patients with Burkitt9s lymphoma and Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma. Surprisingly, although G13 and RhoA have previously been linked to cellular transformation and metastatic potential of epithelial cancers, our data suggests that the mutations in GNA13 and/or RHOA in these B cell lymphomas and HNSCC are inhibitory in nature. Furthermore, our results indicate a tumor suppressive function for wild-type GNA13 and RHOA in in vivo cancer models. Overall, our data suggest a novel function tumor suppressive function for the G13/RhoA axis in multiple human malignancies. Citation Format: Morgan O9hayre, Asuka Inoue, Katiuchia Sales, Irina Kufareva, Juan Luis Callejas Valera, Fukun Guo, Constantinos Mikelis, Giovanni DiPasquale, Kira Finkel, Junken Aoki, Yi Zheng, Thomas H. Bugge, J. Silvio Gutkind. Novel roles for GNA13 and RHOA as tumor suppressor genes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2059. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2059


Dynamic development of the Russian market of furniture products, tightening of competition in this market branch attach particular importance to the application of advanced management methods to optimize the production process, which leads to an increase in the competitiveness of enterprises. In the context of formation of effective directions for the country's development, improvement of management of effective development of enterprises, their provision with various innovative types of resources and technologies for the optimal use of all the reserves of enterprises acquire special importance. The most accessible is a comprehensive approach to the management of effective development of an industrial enterprise, which consists in improving a management mechanism of effective enterprise development. Effective development of the enterprise as a managed system is built on the part of its full financial and economic independence. All the internal issues of its activity are solved by enterprise independently, selling products, organizing accounting and reporting. Enterprise sells its products at prices that are built on financial and economic contracts concluded with buyers. Keywords— dynamic development; management; economic independence; styling; managed system


Substitution of nickel by copper in the heavy fermion system CeNi9−xCuxGe4 alters the local crystal field environment of the Ce3+-ions. This leads to a quantum phase transition near x ≈ 0.4, which is not only driven by the competition between Kondo effect and RKKY interaction, but also by a reduction of an effectively fourfold to a twofold degenerate crystal field ground state. To study the consequences of a changing crystal field in CeNi8CuGe4 on its Kondo properties, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments were performed. Two well-defined crystal field transitions were observed in the energy-loss spectra at 4K. The crystal field level scheme determined by neutron spectroscopy is compared with results from specific heat measurements.


Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is responsible for various damages to the skin, collectively referred to as photoaging. A key UV-induced effect on the skin is excessive degradation of collagen and related structural abnormalities. Camellia japonica is a flowering plant with cosmeceutical properties. In the present study, Camellioside A (CMDA), a triterpene saponin, was investigated for its effects against UVA-induced photoaging in HaCaT keratinocytes. CMDA was analyzed to determine its attenuating effects against UVA-induced overproduction of the collagen degradation enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), in UVA-irradiated immortalized human HaCaT keratinocytes. UVA irradiation significantly increased MMP-1 release from keratinocytes in addition to suppressing type Iα1 pro-collagen production. Treatment with CMDA reversed the effects of UVA irradiation on the production of MMP-1 and type Iα1 pro-collagen. UVA irradiation also stimulated the activation of p38, ERK and JNK mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and their downstream transcription factor activator protein 1 (a heterodimer of c-Fos and c-Jun). MAPK activation and consequent phosphorylation of c-Fos and c-Jun were also inhibited by CMDA treatment. In conclusion, the present study indicated that CMDA may have potential antiphotoaging properties due to suppression of UVA-mediated MMP-1 production.


In Late Medieval Christianity, the concept of hell was closely connected to the sacrament of penance. Hell could be avoided through the right use of penance. And the cleansing sufferings in purgatory could to a certain extent replace the eternal sufferings in hell. The Protestant Reformation rejected purgatory, and returned to a traditional dualistic view of the relationship between heaven and hell. At the same time, hell seems to lose some of its religious importance in early Protestant spirituality. This change is illustrated through a comparison of two central texts belonging more or less to the same genre: on the one hand the famous Late Medieval illustrated Ars moriendi and on the other Luther's Sermon von der Bereitung zum Sterben from 1519.


The purposes of this study were to identify the factors influencing industrial-technical students in the choice of major area of study, to determine if certain areas were more influential when these students elected a major, and to provide information for industrial arts teacher-preparation programs that would aid in determining the reasons for the current industrial arts teacher shortage. From the study of factors influencing the student's choice of major, one may conclude that there is a definite need in the state of Texas for students to major in industrial arts education. One may also conclude that at the high school level, the industrial arts class and the industrial arts teacher have positive influences on the student when the student selects a college or university major. Perhaps the most significant conclusion is that the existence of an industrial arts teacher shortage is, in part, due to the fact that teaching salaries are not competitive with salaries offered by industry.


Management of projects often requires decisions concerning the choice of alternative activities. The completion time of the whole project (i.e. the makerpan) is computed subsequently. In this paper, we aim at selecting the activities and computing the makespan simultaneously. This problem is referred to as PERT Problem with Alternatives (PPA). The corresponding model is similar to a conventional PERT graph, except that two types of nodes are introduced to represent either the choice between activities, or the fact that a set of activities should be completed before starting a subsequent set of activities. In this paper, we analyse the PPA and we propose a pseudo-polynomial algorithm to solve it.


This paper presents a unified architecture for a live video over the Internet with emphasis on solving some challenging problems such as network bandwidth adaptation for rate and congestion, loss packet recovery, joint source and channel coding, and packetization. In our architecture, a time-varying bit rate for the source coding and time-varying ratios for the channel coding are simultaneously computed by a new congestion-control protocol. An adaptive rate-control scheme is then proposed to calculate quantization parameters and to determine the number of skipping frames corresponding to the bit rate. An adaptive unequal error-control scheme is also provided to protect the bitstream. Furthermore, a simple and MPEG-4 standard compatible algorithm is designed to packetize generated bitstream at the SyncLayer by using the existing resynchronization marker approach. With the proposed architecture, the coding efficiency and the robustness of the whole system are improved greatly.


Electron energy-loss spectroscopy is used to map composition and electronic states in epitaxial La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 films grown on SrTiO3 (001) and (110) substrates. It is found that in partially relaxed (110) films cationic composition and valence state of Mn3+/4+ ions are preserved across the film thickness. In contrast, in fully strained (001) films, the Ca/La ratio gradually changes across the film, being La rich at film/substrate interface and La depleted at free surface; Mn valence state changes accordingly. These observations suggest that a strongly orientation-dependent adaptative composition mechanism dominates stress accommodation in manganite films and provides microscopic understanding of their dissimilar magnetic properties.


An increasing environmental concern and a growing interest of environmentally friendly and renewable materials is driving the growth of the bio-based composite sector. From 2010 to 2020, it is expected that the use of natural fibres as a reinforcement in composites will be doubled. Bio-based composites are already widely applied within the automotive and boat industry, as well as product design. Yet, the use of bio-based composites in architecture and building engineering is scarce. Nevertheless, the use of bio-based composites does show potential in the architecture and building engineering industry, having the 3TU bio-based pedestrian bridge project as a recent example which proves the possibilities with bio-based composites. But aside from the benefits of natural fibres as reinforcement in bio-based composites, such as renewability and high technical quality, there are challenges in the use of bio-based materials. One main concern is the long-term durability of bio-based composites, which is particularly important to understand to ensure the safety of load-bearing structures. This thesis studies the potentials and challenges of the use of bio-based composites in load-bearing structures. The major objective of this research is to define the mechanical properties of flax fibre bio-based composites and the effect of weathering on these mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of flax fibre bio-based composites were investigated through a series of mechanical testing, while the effect of weathering on the mechanical performance was researched through an accelerated weathering test. In this weathering test, the flax fibre reinforced bio-based composite has been exposed to ultraviolet light, changing temperatures and moisture. With the results of this research, it can be concluded that natural fibre reinforced composites are suitable for load-bearing structures. However, these experiments have also shown that weathering has a negative impact on the mechanical properties of bio-based composites. After being exposed to 808 hours of accelerated weathering, the tensile strength and the Young's modules of the tested composites have decreased. Although accelerated weathering tests provide valuable knowledge about the possible weathering characteristics of bio-based composites, the translation to weathering in a real-life situation remains difficult and requires more extensive research.


: This paper uses employment and output in high-tech industries, venture capital funding, and the number of dot-com firms per 1000 private workers, at the metropolitan level, to identify their contribution to differences in housing market outcomes. Housing prices in New Economy markets are found to be higher, peakier and more volatile than in old economy markets. Homeownership rates are found to be lower in new economy metro areas while crowding is found to be higher. Although the distribution of housing values, cost, and rents was more equal in New Economy markets, the cause would seem to be differences in metro area income levels, with poorer MSA's having greater inequalities. Regression analysis is used to identify the contribution of traditional supply and demand factors such as job growth, income, residential construction, as well as New Economy indicators, to housing market outcomes. Rather than being fundamentally different, New Economy housing markets are found to be faster and more extreme versions of traditional housing markets.


Optical properties of Pr3+ doped in Y2SiO5, including absorption spectra, emission spectra, and fluorescence decay, have been investigated with a special attention in the UV region. Broad band (270–350 nm) UV fluorescence assigned to the transitions 4f5d→4f2 3HJ, 3FJ is found. The spontaneous transition probabilities in the 4f2 intraconfiguration are calculated by utilizing the Judd–Ofelt theory, by which three phenomenological parameters (Ω2, Ω4, Ω6,) are obtained by fitting the absorption spectra. For the evaluation of transition probability of the interconfiguration 4f5d→4f2, a formula for electric dipole transition is employed. In comparison of the measured fluorescence lifetime with the calculated spontaneous radiative lifetime, the fluorescence quantum efficiency is deduced.


[1] Three periods of repeated flux transfer event (FTE) observations made by the Cluster satellites are investigated by a novel method for extracting from the observations the reconnection electric field Erec. On 21 January 2001, a series of FTEs is observed at the poleward edge of the cusp around 15 magnetic local time (MLT). Another series of FTEs is observed on 14 February 2001, at somewhat earlier MLTs at the high-latitude magnetopause at the equatorward edge of the cusp. In both cases, ground-based radar observations confirm that Cluster observations refer to transient reconnection. Additionally, we consider an event of several magnetosheath FTEs on 26 January 2001, during very steady interplanetary conditions. Here we apply a model based on time-dependent Petschek-type magnetic reconnection to the in situ magnetic field data to obtain the temporal variations of the reconnection electric field responsible for each FTE of the three series. On 14 February 2001 we find peak average values of Erec = 2.1 ± 0.4 mV/m for the magnetospheric FTEs and peak average values Erec = 0.9 ± 0.5 mV/m for the magnetosheath FTEs. The corresponding result for the four FTEs on 21 January 2001 is 3.7 ± 0.8 mV/m. Finally, the four FTEs observed on 26 January 2001 give a reconnection rate of 2.85 ± 1.68 mV/m. These results are discussed in the context of estimates of the reconnection electric field at the magnetopause obtained from diverse techniques.


Organic and conventional farming systems have been compared in terms of soil properties, the world over. A field study was conducted to determine the distribution of different carbon fractions and the activity of acid Phosphatase, alkaline Phosphatase and Dehydrogenase enzymes in four representative soil profiles one each from 6 years of organic farming practice and one profile from conventional farming system under central dry zone of Karnataka, India. The activity of dehydrogenase increased significantly in all three organic farming fields irrespective of cropping systems evaluated over conventional farming, with maximum activity being in the profile where organic farming is practicing for > 6years. The organic farming being practiced in < 3 years and 3–6 years fields recorded significantly lower levels of acid and alkaline phosphatase activities in the surface horizon when compared conventional farming system. Depth-distribution studies showed that all the three enzyme activities were concentrated in surface soils and decreased with depth.


Propolis is an organotherapeutic product collected by honeybees and has relevant pharmacological properties, highlighting the high antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the synergistic effect between three ethanol extract of different Brazilian propolis samples: green (Baccharis dracunculifolia) (A), red (Dalbergia ecastophyllum) (B) and brown (Copaifera sp) (C) propolis by antimicrobial sensitivity of Streptococcus mutans(ATCC 25175) and Streptococcus sanguinis (ATCC 10557), through the agar diffusion method. Aliquots of each microorganism containing 1.0x106 CFU / mL were inoculated on Mueller- Hinton agar supplemented with 5% dextrose and sterile blank discs containing 20 μL of each propolis sample (A, B, C) and combined (A + B, A + C, B + C, and  A + B + C) were planted on the agar. Tetracycline 30 mg discs and blank discs containing 70% alcohol served as controls. After incubation at 37°C in bacteriological incubator in a 5% CO2 atmosphere for 24 and 48 h the inhibition zones were measured. The results showed that all extracts inhibited the growth of both microorganisms, while the samples (B) and (A + B), were significantly more effective than the others. For samples B and C similar results were observed.

 Key words: Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Brazilian propolis, antimicrobial activity, synergism.


OBJECT
The authors conducted a retrospective study to provide an independent evaluation of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in which impacted carbon cages were used. Interbody cages have been developed to replace tricortical interbody grafts in anterior and PLIF procedures. Superior fusion rates and clinical outcomes have been claimed by the developers.

METHODS
In a retrospective study, the authors evaluated 71 consecutive patients in whom surgery was performed between 1995 and 1997. The median follow-up period was 28 months. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Prolo scale. Fusion results were interpreted by an independent radiologist. The fusion rate was 90%. Overall, 67% of the patients were satisfied with their outcome and would undergo the same operation again. Based on the results of the Prolo scale, however, in only 39% of the patients were excellent or good results achieved. Forty-six percent of the work-eligible patients resumed their working activity. Clinical outcome and return-to-work status were significantly associated with socioeconomic factors such as preoperative employment (p = 0.03), compensation issues (p = 0.001), and length of preoperative sick leave (p = 0.01). Radiographically demonstrated fusion was not statistically related to clinical outcome (p = 0.2).

CONCLUSIONS
This is one of the largest independent series in which PLIF with cages has been evaluated. The results show that the procedure is safe and effective with a 90% fusion rate and a 66% overall satisfaction rate, which compare favorably with those of traditional fixation techniques but fail to match the higher results claimed by the innovators of the cage techniques. The authors' experience confirms the reports of others that many patients continue to experience incapacitating back pain despite successful fusion and neurological recovery.


There are three matters to which I would like to address myself in this paper: 1. Some brief comments on the GCE A - level examinations in Design. 2. Some questions regarding the relevance of examinations and, in particular, those in Design. 3 . Some suggestions regarding curricula , curriculum d ir ections and curricu l um concerns in the contexts of courses . The curriculum concerns I shall implicitly refer to are a) Who is the curriculum being designed for ; ot h erwise described as the population . b) What should be the outcomes of curricula ; otherwise described as aims . c) What should the implementation of the curricula consist of ; otherwise described as co nt e nt . d) How shall we know the learning or whatever is in tended has occurred ; otherwise described as assessment or evaluation .


Wireless communication and Internet services are converging to provide an unprecedented level of convenience for online shopping. Based on the review of value theory, especially on the newly research on the perceived value, the authors develop a framework that incorporates ten kinds of roles and three layers, as well as value chain. Because of the pervasiveness of perception criticality as an important characteristic of the mobile commerce, they also investigate the influence of consumers' value consciousness. This study focuses on the perceived value of a new service delivery Model, presents the Mobile Commerce Value Chain Role Model. They reveal that the value perceptions, which in turn influence behavioral intentions of customers


Laboratory methods for detecting Clostridium difficile have undergone considerable evolution since the organism's etiologic association with antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis was established. Clearly, familiarity with the advantages and shortcomings of the various assays is essential for the laboratory director when choosing among these tests. For the consulting pathologist, furthermore, an understanding of the laboratory's role in securing a diagnosis of C difficile infection (CDI) is also required to identify requests for unnecessary testing that may be costly and potentially misleading. The purpose of this article is to highlight the major differences in laboratory test methods for CDI and to review a few commonly encountered provider ordering scenarios.


A sophisticated and accessible application of the newest theoretical work in public-policy history and legal studies, this book is a detailed account of how a permanent income tax was enacted into law in the United States. The tax originated as an apology for the aggressive manipulation of other forms of taxation, especially the tariff, during the Civil War. Levied with very low rates on a small proportion of the population and raising little revenue, the early tax was designed to preserve imbalances in the structure of wealth and opportunity, rather than to ameliorate or abolish them, by strengthening the status quo against fundamental attacks by the political left and right. This book shows that the early course of income taxation was more clearly the product of centrist ideological agreement, despite occasional divergences, than of "conservative-liberal" allocative conflict.


Redox-sensitive epitopes on subunit V of beef heart cytochrome-c oxidase were demonstrated previously using polyclonal subunit-specific antibodies raised in rabbits. The antibodies only slightly inhibited electron transfer, and the accessibility of their epitopes depended on the presence of a membrane and on the redox state of the oxidase. The present paper describes additional preparations of antibodies raised against subunit V. These antibodies have an even higher subunit specificity, they are more than three times as inhibitory against electron transfer, and their binding does not require a membrane. Moreover, the redox-sensitive nature of their binding to detergent-dispersed oxidase is sensitive to the method of its isolation. We discuss inferences that can be drawn from a detailed quantitative comparison of the interactions of the two antibody preparations with the antigen in different environments. The techniques used in the comparison can be used to examine other perturbants of the oxidase as to their effects on specific segments of the enzyme.


The European Palliative Care Research Collaboration is updating the EAPC recommendations on opioids in cancer pain management. A systematic literature search on Medline on the use of alternative routes for opioid application identified 242 papers, with 72 publications included in the final evaluation. Two or more alternative routes of opioid application were compared in 18 papers with a total of 674 patients. The best evidence base was available for the subcutaneous route. A comparison of subcutaneous and intravenous routes found no differences, confirming both routes as feasible, effective and safe. Efficacy and safety of the rectal route was comparable to the parenteral route. The side effect profile seemed to be very similar for the subcutaneous, intravenous, rectal or transdermal routes. Local side effects were reported for rectal application as well as for subcutaneous and transdermal administration. In conclusion, the systematic review found good evidence that subcutaneous administration of morphine or other opioids is an effective alternative for cancer patients if oral treatment is not possible. However, for a number of patients intravenous, rectal or transdermal therapy will offer a good alternative to the subcutaneous route. The review found no significant differences in efficacy or side effects between the alternative application routes.


The new measuring apparatus of plasma jet force using the load-cell on the parallel beams structure has been developed and applied to the measurement of argon gas plasma jet force.The load-cell of parallel beams structure is easily manufactured and has excellent sensitivity of measurement. The experimental results of the plasma jet force measurement are described and discussed.It has been indicated that the plasma jet force depends on arc current, arc voltage, working gas flow rate, gas supplying method, and stand-off condition. The plasma jet force is closely related with the input power and is proportion to the square root of input power.


Within sustainability research, as well as elsewhere, resilience is a concept of increasing popularity (Hackett and Parker 2012, Walker and Cooper 2011); it's meaning(s) and usefulness a topic of heated debate (Davidson 2010, Hornborg 2013). A virtue often emphasized as central to this notion is its potential for bridging and unifying disciplines. Gunderson and Pritchard (2002) discuss resilience in the preface to their book as a "unifying concept in both ecological and social systems" (xxi). In a similar vein Holling et al. (2002) are critical of alternative "approaches" as they consider them too partial: "[t]hey are too simple and lack an integrative framework that bridges disciplines and scales" (8). One is thus inclined to ask the question: how is the concept of resilience supposed to bridge disciplines? And, is there anything one can say-from a philosophy of science perspective-about the kind of unification that can be expected to follow? This paper is an attempt to address these questions. We argue, in brief, that resilience considered as a behavior of different systems is radically multiply realizable. That is to say, many different underlying structures may give rise to the behavior. What this means is that the project of conceptual unification-that of clarifying its meaning, and predicaments of it's use-does not on its own imply a methodologically coherent empirical project. Studying resilience in the field-that is the actual structures and dynamics that determine the resilience of particular systems-will involve deploying a range of different methods, tools, and techniques. Methodological unification depends ultimatley on the constitution of the systems actually studied and not only on the success of the project of conceptual unification.


Introduced species can impose profound impacts on the evolution of receiving communities with which they interact. If native and introduced taxa remain reproductively semi‐isolated, human‐mediated secondary contact may promote genetic exchange across newly created hybrid zones, potentially impacting native genetic diversity and invasive species spread. Here, we investigate the contributions of recent divergence histories and ongoing (post‐introduction) gene flow between the invasive marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and a morphologically indistinguishable and taxonomically contentious native Australian taxon, Mytilus planulatus. Using transcriptome‐wide markers, we demonstrate that two contemporary M. galloprovincialis introductions into south‐eastern Australia originate from genetically divergent lineages from its native range in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Europe, where both introductions have led to repeated instances of admixture between introduced and endemic populations. Through increased genome‐wide resolution of species relationships, combined with demographic modelling, we validate that mussels sampled in Tasmania are representative of the endemic Australian taxon (M. planulatus), but share strong genetic affinities to M. galloprovincialis. Demographic inferences indicate late‐Pleistocene divergence times and historical gene flow between the Tasmanian endemic lineage and northern M. galloprovincialis, suggesting that native and introduced taxa have experienced a period of historical isolation of at least 100,000 years. Our results demonstrate that many genomic loci and sufficient sampling of closely related lineages in both sympatric (e.g. Australian populations) and allopatric (e.g. northern hemisphere Mytilus taxa) ranges are necessary to accurately (a) interpret patterns of intraspecific differentiation and to (b) distinguish contemporary invasive introgression from signatures left by recent divergence histories in high dispersal marine species. More broadly, our study fills a significant gap in systematic knowledge of native Australian biodiversity and sheds light on the intrinsic challenges for invasive species research when native and introduced species boundaries are not well defined.


The copolyester was characterized as having 71 mol % trimethylene terephthalate units and 29 mol % ethylene terephthalate units in a random sequence according to the NMR spectra. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to investigate the isothermal crystallization kinetics in the temperature range (Tc) from 130 to 170°C. The melting behavior after isothermal crystallization was studied using DSC and temperature-modulated DSC by varying the Tc, the crystallization time, and the heating rate. The DSC thermograms and wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the complex melting behavior involves melting-recrystallization-remelting and different lamellar crystals. As the Tc increases, the contribution of recrystallization gradually falls and finally disappears. A Hoffman-Weeks linear plot yields an equilibrium melting temperature of 198.7°C. The kinetic analysis of the growth rates of spherulites and the change in the morphology from regular to banded spherulites indicate that a regime II→III transition occurs at 148°C. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009


This article has two purposes. First, the consolidation of facts about natural and manmade biological warfare agents as well as the use of technology in the development of biological weapons, including near-term future evolvement in genetic engineering to prevent the potential havoc-wreaking events using biological warfare. Secondly, this article aims to suggest steps to tackle the vulnerability of humans to biological warfare and to provide a potential solution that incorporates Directed Evolution to attack the problem of biological weapon proliferation.


PURPOSE
Person-centred care (PCC) is an essential component of high-quality healthcare across professions and care settings. While research is emerging in subacute nutrition services more broadly, there is limited literature exploring the person-centredness of nutrition care in rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore person-centred nutrition care (PCNC) in rehabilitation units, as described and actioned by patients, support persons and staff. Key factors influencing PCNC were also explored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
An ethnographic study was undertaken across three rehabilitation units. Fifty-eight hours of field work were completed with 165 unique participants to explore PCNC. Field work consisted of observations and interviews with patients, support persons and staff. Data were analysed through the approach of reflexive thematic analysis, informed by PCC theory.

RESULTS
Themes generated were: (1) tensions between patient and staff goals; (2) disconnected moments of PCNC; (3) the necessity of interprofessional communication for PCNC; and (4) the opportunity for PCNC to enable the achievement of rehabilitation goals.

CONCLUSIONS
PCNC was deemed important to different stakeholders but was at times hindered by a focus on profession-specific objectives. Opportunities exist to enhance interprofessional practice to support PCNC in rehabilitation. Future research should consider the system-level factors influencing PCNC in rehabilitation settings.


Nursing uniforms have undergone various metamorphoses since Malaysia gained independence. This article presents the process of transforming the nursing uniform at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) between 1983 and 2017. In this historical case study, content analysis was conducted on the data obtained through library research and face-to-face interviews. The HUSM nursing uniform evolution can be categorised into three phases: the inauguration of the unique HUSM image and the negotiation for Malay-Muslim-friendly nursing uniforms (from 1983 to the mid-1990s); the officiation of the Malay-Muslimfriendly nursing uniform (from the mid-1990s to 2011); and the enhancement of the HUSM image (from 2011 to 2017). With the evolution of the Malay-Muslim dressing norms during the specific time frame, various obstacles arose, but the HUSM continuously improved its nursing uniform in terms of practicality, professional image and Malay-Muslim features. The process of advocating for a Malay-Muslim friendly uniform in the post-colonial period was challenging, although Malay-Muslims account for the majority of the population and Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. HUSM has demonstrated practicality in blending Salilah Saidun and Elmira Akhmetova 2 the local dressing norms within the professional dress codes while maintaining good standards of practice in healthcare.


A model is presented to describe flow-induced crystallization in isotactic polypropylene at high shear rates. This model incorporates nonlinear viscoelasticity, compressibility, and nonisothermal process conditions due to shear heating and heat release due to crystallization. Flow-induced nucleation occurs with a rate coupled to the chain backbone stretch associated with the longest mode relaxation time of the polymer melt, obtained from a viscoelastic constitutive model. Flow-induced nuclei propagate in flow direction with a speed related to shear rate, thus forming shish, which increase the viscosity of the material. The viscosity change with formation of oriented fibrillar crystals (known as "shish") is implemented in a phenomenological manner; shish act as a suspension of fibers with radius equivalent to the radius of the shish plus the attached entangled molecules? The model is implemented in a 2D finite element code and validated with experimental data obtained in a channel flow geometry. Quantitative agreement is observed in terms of pressure drop, apparent crystallinity, parent/daughter ratio, Hermans' orientation, and shear layer thickness. Moreover, simulations for lower flow rates are performed and the results are compared, in a qualitative sense, to experiments from literature.


One of the worst nightmares of the arts is piracy. It is a single variable that has dealt a serious blow on the development of the arts including the video film industry in Nigeria. Measures, predominantly legislation and enforcement have been taken to up-root the canker worm to no avail. This work examines existing measures for curbing piracy, how to strengthen them and seeks the possibility of integrating and making the pirate part and working for the system. It recommends the adoption of market segmentation policy in integrating the pirate, emphasises the run of video films in cinemas, halls etc before they go into the market and calls for a better synergy between producers and marketers among others.Key words: Identification, Interface, Integration, Market Segmentation


Iranian educational systems heavily focus on Smart schools and equipping. Based on social-cognitive theory student attitude toward school affect student achievement and motivation. With attention to the importance of student attitude toward technology and schools, this study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire in order to estimate student attitude toward Smart schools. A sample 305 middle school student from grade 7 and 8 in South Khorasan was selected randomly. Exploratory factor analysis identified 9 factors that explain 62 present of the variance of student attitude toward smart schools. These factors include: attitude towards interactive whiteboard; attitude towards teacher; reluctance to classroom; general attitude towards smart schools; test and feedback; feeling alone in school; student satisfaction from teaching; the impression of school and finally family attitude. The alpha value revealed instrument is reliable (α=0. 89). All Instrument factors can predict 22.5 percent of the variance of students' self-expressed GPA. This questionnaire was recommended to researchers to study and school policy makers for decision making.


.. Background: Pre-eclampsia along with its consequences is one of the primary driver of maternal morbidity and horribleness. Despite the availability of magnificent literature, the onset of pre-eclampsia has yet not been fully understood. Objectives: To compare the serum calcium level among pre-eclampsia and the normal women during pregnancy. Patients and Methods: Study Design: Hospital based case control study. Setting: Gynecology Department of Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Period: 1st July 2014 to 31 December 2014. The study groups consist of the 30 pre-eclamptic subjects and women with normal pregnancies. The serum calcium level of the subjects under this study was determined using standard colorimetric analyzer. Results: The results of our study determined that serum calcium level among the pre-eclamptic and the normotensive pregnant women was statistically significantly lower as compared to the normal pregnant women. Conclusion: The findings of current work are statistically significant to establish that concentration of serum calcium among pre-eclamptic subjects is lower than in the normotensive women during pregnancy.


The rise of technologies such as 6G networks, edge computing, and the Industrial Internet has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over heterogeneous integrated networks. The resources of embedded devices limit the ability of the Industrial Internet to transmit data. While the multipath transmission mechanism can mitigate data transmission issues of low reliability and low real-time performance from the network-level perspective. As the complexity of industry applications increases, however, the phenomenon that the high-quality data transmission is subject to the influence of the underlying layer is becoming increasingly apparent. The paper aims to explores the possibility of multipath transmission protocol running on a real-time kernel from the perspective of the operating system, as there is a lack of research and reports in this area. Based on RT-Preempt, a real-time system RT-Linux suitable for the "NXP i.MX6Q" ARM integrated board has been proposed, which replaces the native Linux kernel to optimize and enhance its real-time performance. As described in the experiment part, the original standard Linux system OR-Linux and the new RT-Linux are tested with single-threaded and multi-threaded load experiments, respectively. The results of the analysis show that this paper provides a way of validating the trial data and ensuring its accuracy using the lognormal distribution model, which is a statistical distribution used to model variables that are positive and skewed to the right. The RT-Linux scheme has better real-time performance and is more stable than the OR-Linux scheme after real-time processing, showing the viability of the scheme.


Pyruvate oxidase (POX) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetylphosphate in the presence of oxygen, a divalent cation, and its cofactors thiamine pyrophosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was applied at selected temperatures to elucidate its effect on the thermostability of POX. High pressure generally destabilizes POX. Rate of inactivation was slowed slightly between atmospheric pressure and 50 MPa at 35 °C, where kinact decreased from 0.004 ± 0.003 min -1 to 0.001 ± 0.001 min. Activation volume halved to 29 ± 13 cm/mol at 45 °C from 68 ± 43 cm/mol at 35 °C and 71 ± 12 cm/mol at 25 °C. Data from non-denaturing gel electrophoresis and ultraviolet spectroscopy suggest that POX remains in a native conformation before dissociating and precipitating with the application of HHP. Low density polyethylene reduced POX activity, though the specific reason for this affect is unclear. INDEX WORDS: Pyruvate oxidase; High hydrostatic pressure; Enzyme kinetics; Stabilization THE EFFECT OF HIGH HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON STABILITY OF PYRUVATE OXIDASE FROM AEROCCOCUS SPECIES


An experiment was made with grafts of four different clones of Scots Pine (Pinus silvestris) planted in 1963 in poor sandy soil, with two different spacings and with and without an annual supply of fertilizers from 1964 onwards. The nutrient status of the pines was followed by foliar analysis of needles sampled every autumn. Measurements of a great number of traits (dimensions of tree stems and top-shoots, dimensions and number of branches, branch angles, cone frequencies, etc.) were made in 1967 and 1969 and subsequent statistical analyses showed that both clones and treatment had significant effects on tree properties. Fertilizer strongly affected many properties, such as diameter, branch length and diameter, cone setting and needle length. In this early phase of stand development spacing had less effect on growth than did fertilizer, but branch and stem diameters were affected. Clone influence was very strong in branch angle (one of the four clones was characterized by acute branch angles) but also appeared in some dimensional relations and cone numbers.


An analysis of 392 radical operations on patients with carcinoma of the esophagus has shown that surgical treatment is justified for tumors of not more than 3 cm size, growth to the muscular layer of the esophagus, with tumors having exophytic and ulcerous forms of growth, high degree of differentiation and without metastatic involvement of the regional lymph nodes. Combined (radial and surgical) treatment is justified for any size of the tumor having mixed, ulcerous-infiltrative and diffuse-infiltrative forms of growth, for tumors of medial and low degrees of differentiation.


Nurses are seeking continuing professional development that is easily accessible, convenient, and available at any time and any place. As nurses have increasing access to Internets and Intranets at home and their workplace, courses for continuing nursing education must be available to meet this need. This article discusses the planning, implementation, and evaluation of continuing nursing education (CNE) on the World Wide Web. The article explains how to develop a strategic plan, develop course offerings, select technology tools to support teaching and learning, and market and evaluate the courses.


Powell should be given the credit for the idea advanced in 1929 by Busk that a monocline is a double bend consisting of the anticlinal and synclinal bends. In the Colorado Plateau monoclines have an aggregate length of nearly 2500 miles, and the greatest nearly uninterrupted monocline is about 300 miles long. Every gradation from gentle open monoclines to overturned and thrust structures is present on the Plateau. Reversal of dip, either broad or locally abrupt, is common near the head or foot of the monoclines; however, the monoclinal designation should be retained on a regional basis. There is homology between monoclines and noses, anticlines, synclines, normal faults, and reverse faults. The monoclines are thought to be tangentially compressive Laramide features, and in places they show pronounced coupling action. They are divided into a western group that may be genetically related to the Central Laramide Rockies and an eastern group related to the Eastern Laramide Rockies. Roughly dividing the two groups are the Uinta and San Juan basins and the Salt fold and fault belt of the Paradox basin.


Falls are a serious medical and social problem among the elderly. This has led to the development of automatic fall-detection systems. To detect falls, a fall-detection algorithm that combines a simple threshold method and hidden Markov model (HMM) using 3-axis acceleration is proposed. To apply the proposed fall-detection algorithm and detect falls, a wearable fall-detection device has been designed and produced. Several fall-feature parameters of 3-axis acceleration are introduced and applied to a simple threshold method. Possible falls are chosen through the simple threshold and are applied to two types of HMM to distinguish between a fall and an activity of daily living (ADL). The results using the simple threshold, HMM, and combination of the simple method and HMM were compared and analyzed. The combination of the simple threshold method and HMM reduced the complexity of the hardware and the proposed algorithm exhibited higher accuracy than that of the simple threshold method.


Although theorists argue that ideology and material conditions emerge in relation to one another, the connection between racial ideology and place is undertheorized. Analyzing in-depth interviews (N=109) with residents of a racially diverse suburb—Fort Bend County, Texas—the author uncovers a local racial ideology that they term the diversity contract. In contrast to colorblindness, which requires avoidance of race talk, residents exhibit selective engagement: race is recognized for certain purposes—including to celebrate diversity—but recognition of racial inequality in the community is disallowed. Through the diversity contract, residents co-construct the appearance of racial harmony. The author theorizes that this ideology emerges in highly selective, socioeconomically homogeneous diverse suburbs and finds preliminary support for this theory through comparative interviews in Queens County, New York (N=20). Overall, findings suggest that place should be centralized in analyses of racial ideology and illustrate how racial inequality is upheld through different ideologies across varying local contexts.


Integer transform is crucial for lossless compression. Integer wavelet transform's promising exploration attributes to lifting scheme. This paper employs lifting scheme to FFT's butterfly, and presents the construction of invertible FFT (fast Fourier transform) that maps integers to integers, which leads to the building of invertible integer DCT. On the other hand, for color image, an integer transform between color spaces based on lifting scheme is built. Experimental results using invertible integer DCT for lossless and lossy color image compression are given and show that this transform is fast and efficient.


Cognitive skills, such as visual perception skills and phonological awareness, and handwriting skills are closely related to the development of literacy and school performance. This is why it is very important for a child to start developing them already in the preschool period through different experiences. The latter are often limited in families with a lower social-economic status as a consequence of a less encouraging environment, which is the consequence of parents' lower education level and lower financial capacity. Children coming from a less stimulating environment due to poverty thus often have more inadequately developed skills (graphomotor skills, phonologic awareness, aural and visual perception, etc.), which are essential for developing handwriting. Early evaluation of children's writing skills and early treatment of children have thus got a really important role so that their problems do not escalate.
The purpose of this MA thesis is to examine the influence of practise on writing skills – specific cognitive skills and handwriting skills, through a case study. A student from year 2, who comes from a less stimulating environment due to poverty and has got difficulties when it comes to writing according to her teacher's opinion, was the object of this study. With the help of individual subtests of diagnostic tests ACADIA, SNAP and the Test for recognizing reading and writing disabilities, together with a dictation and independent writing, we discovered that, before the beginning of training, the student had the most issues with graphomotor skills and with phonologic awareness. The training was done in 16 meetings and every meeting lasted for one school lesson (45 minutes). After the training we administered the same tests during the final testing and then compared the initial and the final results. We discovered that the student improved her phonologic awareness, but she did not improve her graphomotor skills to a desirable extent. A longer and a more intense training would be necessary for the improvement of the said areas. The results show how important it is to help children from a less stimulating environment due to poverty.


Cancer is a genetic disease. The main causes of cancer are alterations of DNA, mutations, damage etc. Any herbs which may be a plant or a part of the plant that are used to maintain the health are called Herbal supplements or Phytomedicines. Plant extracts are generally prepared by boiling the herb in water. The goals of these herbal medicines include prevention and protection against cancer. The traditional plants like Eleutherococcus senticosis, Astralagaus membranaceous, and medicinal mushrooms are used in cancer treatment. The other herbs used in other parts of the world are Valeriana, Garlic, Curcumin etc. These herbal medicines along with benefits also include some adverse effects. This review summarizes the role of some pharmaceutically important herbal medicines used in treating cancer.


The doctrine of inequitable conduct in patent law has a long and vexing history. While it is sometimes mistakenly conflated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Rule 56, the doctrine is actually a purely equitable one established by the Supreme Court in 1945and not revisited by it since then. This Article re-establishes the roots and proper context of the doctrine, while tracing its confused interactions with Rule 56 over the ensuing decades. The Article reaffirms the necessary balancing act between over and under disclosure of references during patent prosecution, and the inverse sliding scale relationship of materiality and intent to deceive for courts' invocation of the doctrine as a patent litigation defense rendering the patent unenforceable. It concludes by proposing a "damages-at-law only" litigation tactic by patent owners to preclude the use of the doctrine by defendants. Copyright © 2009 The John Marshall Law School; Sean M. O'Connor


Introduction: Gonarthrosis is most frequently defined as the change involving damage of the articular cartilage of the knee joint, emergence of abnormal knee tissue, reactive changes in synovial membrane, and pathological synovial fluid. The site of initial damage most often remains unknown. Goal of the research The goal: The goal of this research is to demonstrate the efficacy of individual physical therapy during the medical treatment for gonarthrosis in the working population engaged in physical labour, and to compare the state of pain and mobility before and after the treatment. Subjects and research methods: The research encompassed 30 subjects diagnosed with gonarthrosis, and it was conducted in the Institute of Occupational Health and Sports Medicine of the Zenica-Doboj Canton. On the basis of the applied physical treatments, we divided the subjects into control group and treatment group. All the subjects were treated during 21 days. Results and conclusions: In the largest number of subjects in both groups gonarthrosis occurred primarily as a consequence of knee joint trauma, and then because of weight and physical strain. Of the total number of subjects covered by this research, 9 subjects in control and 8 in treatment group had gonarthrosis of their right knee. 4 subjects in the control and 5 in the treatment group had gonarthrosis of the left knee, while 2 subjects from each group had gonarthrosis on both knees. By the analysis of clinical symptoms of gonarthrosis prior to the treatment, it was found that all the subjects from both groups had pain symptom, in 13 subjects from the control and 14 subjects from the treatment group limited range of motion was established, while 8 subjects from control and 9 subjects from treatment group had swelling in the joint area. The condition of the subjects prior to the treatment was analyzed by means of pain scale, and it was found that both groups experienced moderate level of pain before the treatment. After the 21st day of treatment, the pain intensity was again measured in the subjects that underwent combined physical and medication treatments. In the subjects from the control group that also underwent electrotherapy, the average pain scale value amounted to 2,33±1,34 after treatment, whereas in the subjects that underwent magnetotherapy and combined physical and medication treatments the pain scale amounted to 0,73±0,38. The ANOVA test showed that there is a statistically significant difference in the pain scale before and after the treatment, and also that the improvement in the clinical picture and reduction of pain occurred in both groups of subjects.


Fingertip injuries with nail bed trauma can require specialist hand surgery, depending on severity. However, most of these injuries can be managed in well-equipped emergency departments by emergency nurses with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the fingernail and surrounding structures, assessment and examination, pain management and treatment. This article describes the surface and underlying anatomy and physiology of the nail, the most common mechanisms of injury, relevant diagnostic investigations, and initial assessment and management. It also discusses treatment options, referral pathways, and patient discharge advice.


Subclinical brain infarcts (SBI) are common in the elderly and are associated with covert neurologic and cognitive impairment. Although renal impairment is associated with accelerated cerebrovascular disease and an increased risk for clinically apparent brain infarct, few studies have examined the relationship between renal function and SBI, and these may have been limited by the inaccuracy of creatinine as a renal function marker. A cross-sectional study was performed among older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study to examine associations between SBI and two serum markers of renal function: Serum creatinine (SCr) and cystatin C (CysC). Patients had cranial magnetic resonance imaging and renal markers measured in 1992 to 1993. Logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between renal function (estimated by 1/SCr and 1/CysC) and SBI, controlling for potential confounding factors. SBI were present in 789 (28.7%) of 2784 participants. A linear association with SBI was observed for 1/CysC (per 1-SD decrement; odds ratio [OR] 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09 to 1.32; P < 0.001) but not for 1/SCr (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.19; P = 0.14), for which a quadratic U-shaped association was suggested (P = 0.004). In a model with both markers, 1/CysC was linearly associated with SBI (OR 1.26; P < 0.001), whereas 1/SCr was not (OR 1.06; P = 0.3). The prevalence of SBI was directly associated with quintile of CysC, whereas the association between SCr and SBI was U-shaped, with greater prevalence at high and low levels. Compared with creatinine, CysC, a novel marker of renal function, has a stronger and more direct association with SBI in the elderly.


We investigate the localization properties of surface waves created at the interface between a truncated 1D photonic crystal and homogeneous medium in the presence of a chiral cap layer using the transfer matrix method. The numerical results show that the interface can support surface waves with both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations. We demonstrate that the surface waves can be engineered by varying the chirality parameter of the cap layer, which plays an important role in controlling and localization of surface states. It is shown that the effect of a chirality parameter on surface waves with transverse electric polarization is more remarkable compared with surface waves with transverse magnetic polarization. In addition, the effect of thickness and material type of the cap layer and the termination layer of a photonic crystal on surface waves is investigated. The results show that these parameters have considerable effect on modification of surface states. These findings may open new opportunities in the design of cavity-based devices such as high-Q sensors and perfect absorbers.


Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is known to be an adult-onset muscular dystrophy caused by the expansion of CTG repeats within the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophin myotonin protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The clinical features of DM1 include CNS symptoms, such as cognitive impairment and personality changes, the pathogenesis of which remains to be elucidated. We hypothesized that the distribution of neuropathological changes might be correlated with the extent of the length of the CTG repeats in the DMPK genes in DM1 patients. We studied the neuropathological changes in the brains of subjects with DM1 and investigated the extent of somatic instability in terms of CTG repeat expansion in the different brain regions of the same individuals by Southern blot analysis. The neuropathological changes included état criblé in the cerebral deep white matter and neurofibrillary tangles immunoreactive for phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, both of which were compatible with the subcortical dementia in DM1 patients. However, the length of the CTG repeats did not correlate with the regional differences in the extent of neuropathological changes. Our data suggested that pathomechanisms of dementia in DM1 might be more multifactorial rather than a toxic gain-of-function due to mutant RNA.


Oral health care can be a challenging experience for children with autism, for their parents and for dentists. Recently, some technology-enhanced systems have been proposed to help people with autism to cope with distressing situations originated by unknown social-life contexts, such as dental care settings with intense sound-visual stimulations. Results were positive in mitigating anxiety at the dental clinic but seem to fail in supporting proper oral hygiene at home. Thanks to the increasing spread of household Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPA) and Vocal Conversational Agents (VCAs), we envisage new opportunities considering the Voice-enabled IPAs not only as support on daily activities but also to enrich and simplify access to healthcare procedures from home. This work attempts to extend the use of technology-enhanced systems for dental care by exploiting the potential of the Vocal User Interface, Amazon Alexa, as an instructional agent with children on the spectrum. To this purpose, we developed a personalized Alexa Skill with two different functionalities: (i) support the child during the routine transition toward the target activity: move to the bathroom to brush their teeth; (ii) act as a persuader and a timer to guide the child during the procedure observing the proper brushing time. We conducted a three-week preliminary study with three children of different autistic profiles. The goal was to collect opportunities and issues deriving from the device introduction in the home context and test the device usage to favour dental care. Results and feedback were encouraging and gave insights to improve this approach.


One hundred forty four 10-day old male Arbor Acres (320±5g) broiler chicks were used to compare the responses in liver function to dietary supplementation of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), artichoke (Cichorium intybus) and olive (Olea europaea) extracts with gemfibrozil and atorvastatin, in broiler chickens fed with a lipogenic diet. Birds raised in the standard experimental conditions and received a pelleted grower diet (control) supplemented with milk thistle (250 mg/kg), artichoke (200 mg/kg), olive (150 mg/kg) extracts, atorvastatin (20 mg/kg) and gemfibrozil (1800 mg/kg) up to day 42 of age. Liver weight and liver fat parentages were 1.62 and 6.04%, respectively, in the birds fed with the un-supplemented basal diet (control) and modified by +0.21 and -2.13, +0.11 and -1.21, +0.14 and -1.40, -0.07 and -2.36, +0.07 and -0.38% in the birds received milk thistle, artichoke, olive extracts, gemfibrozil, and atorvastatin, respectively. The milk thistle-added diet elicited a significant reduction in serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase at day 35 of age. Dietary olive extract at 150 mg/kg reduced liver fat at day 35 of age compared with those grown on the basal diet (P < 0.05). The serum concentration of triglycerides was lower (P < 0.05) in the birds fed with diets enriched with artichoke (34.86 mg/dL) and olive extract (40.63 mg/dL) compared with those fed with the supplemented control diet at day 35 of age. It was concluded that milk thistle exerted greater promising hepatoprotective effects compared with other remedies. Gemfibrozil exhibited a greater hepatoprotective and blood lipid-lowering effect than atorvastatin in broiler chicken.


Bone fracture is a musculoskeletal injury with a high incidence rate. The healing process of the fracture can be inhibited by oxidative stress, which occurs due to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that exceeds the antioxidant capacity in the body that neutralizes it. Antioxidants that have red spinach have the potential to suppress the level of oxidative stress. This study aims to determine the effect of red spinach ethanol extract on the healing process of fracture in male Wistar rats through osteoblast cell count. A sample of 30 male Wistar rats was divided into five groups; negative control group, positive control group, and three groups of red spinach ethanol treatment with doses of 35.4 mg / 150 g body weight (BW), 70.8 mg / 150 gBW, and 141.6 mg / 150gBW induced fracture, splinted, then treated for one week. One Way Anova test results showed a significance of 0.000 (p <0.05) in which there was a significant difference in the osteoblast level between the treatment group and the control group. The result of LSD test between P1 group and P3 group showed significantly different result where the increase of osteoblast cell number was in line with the increase of the dose of red spinach ethanol extract. The conclusion is that red spinach ethanol extract has a positive impact during the fracture healing process with osteoblast cell number parameters.
Keywords: Red spinach ethanolic extract, fracture healing process, osteoblast, oxidative stress


Next-generation wireless networks should be able to coordinate and integrate different communication systems. It has been a challenging problem to support a seamless handover in these diverse wireless network environments. The design of an All-IP wireless network requires an efficient and flexible handover management. In this paper we propose an efficient mechanism to support soft-handover management over heterogeneous wireless networks. The proposed mechanism exploits IPv6 protocols futures and coexists with MIPv6. It can provide data transmission continuity for delayed constrained applications and allow efficient micro mobility management.


An article published in this journal by Sahin and Motorcu[1] developed a surface roughness model based on the response surface method, multiplicative-logarithmically linearized approach for determination of the cutting parameters in turning of AISI 1040 carbon steel. Their published results for the surface roughness show that it appears Sahin and Motorcu[1] have obtained wrong constants (C, m, n, p), thereby resulting in incorrect solutions for the surface roughness prediction model. This note works through the solutions to show how Sahin and Motorcu[1] incorrectly handled the published prediction model constants to their solution. The established predictive model shows that the surface roughness increases with the increase of feed rate but decreases with cutting speed and depth of cut.