Day-ahead DSM techniques in the smart grid allow the supply-side to know in advance an estimation of the amount of energy to be provided to the demand-side during the upcoming day. However, a pure day-ahead optimization process cannot accommodate potential real-time deviations from the expected energy consumption by the demand-side users, neither the randomness of their renewable sources. This paper proposes a day-ahead bidding system based on a pricing model that combines: i) a price per unit of energy depending on the day-ahead bid energy needs of the demand-side users, and ii) a penalty system that limits the real-time fluctuations around the bid energy loads. In this day-ahead bidding process, demand-side users, possibly having energy production and storage capabilities, are interested in minimizing their expected monetary expense. The resulting optimization problem is formulated as a noncooperative game and is solved by means of suitable distributed algorithms. Finally, the proposed procedure is tested in a realistic setup.


The general purpose of the research is to determine "the analysis of data analysis of the effects of nepotism practices of educational administrators on educators". For this reason, it was tried to determine the perceptions of teachers working in a school located in Esenyurt district of Istanbul about nepotistic-discriminatory attitudes exhibited by managers by taking into account gender, age, teaching level and years of professional experience. In order to understand whether managers in educational institutions are involved in such nepotistic activities, answers to a number of research questions were sought. In addition, in this research, the reflection of the behavior of managers working in educational institutions on the perception and performance of teachers will be determined. It is aimed to enable people who have an administrative identity in a managerial sense to make self-assessment on their own behavior through an external eye. When the area related to nepotism was scanned in the summer, it was found that studies were mostly conducted on nepotistic behavior in private sector schools. With this study, it is expected that the determinations at the points where public educators are exposed to similar behaviors and this effect is actually maintained in a much more dominant way will benefit the field. For this reason, it will be beneficial to create fair, unifying environments in schools, strengthen communication channels, and adopt an equal distance approach to everyone. Since the decisions taken in any negative situation will be binding on everyone, managers who exhibit an inclusive attitude will thus be able to reduce the perception of favoritism in the teacher. Key Words: Education Manager, Nepotism, Educator, Data Analysis


In order for high school students to appreciate environmental science, they must observe how science affects them personally. This study explored the relationship between online discussion of current environmental topics and the students' motivation to integrate environmental knowledge into their daily lives. Four different types of prompts were posed to Advanced Placement Environmental Science students to discover how various types of prompts affected participation, integration of science topics into daily conversation, and enjoyment of discussion. Students were surveyed and interviewed, discussion comments were reviewed, and student reflections were evaluated to collect data concerning the effectiveness of each type of prompt. Collected data suggests that online discussion increased communication of environmental science content between students and peers outside of the school day. Online prompts incorporating local events as well as those prompts giving students a choice in their responses encouraged more participation. .


This is a scholarly edition of the songs James Hogg contributed to published musical collections or published as single song sheets during his lifetime (1770-1835). It includes facsimilie copies of the musical sources along with detailed editorial notes and apparatus. It acts as a companion volume to the new critical edition of Hogg's last collection of songs 'Songs by the Ettrick Shepherd' in the Stirling/South Carolina research edition of the Collected Works of James Hogg published by Edinburgh University Press.


This paper reports the measurements of a new kind laser-induced collisional energy transfer ionization process in a K-Na vapour mixture. Theoretical analysis has been done by calculating the collision cross-sections of different transfer processes as a function of detuning.


One of the world's poorest countries, Sierra Leone, experienced a civil war from 1991
to 2002. The government has since been in the process of rebuilding the nation,
including the education sector. Yet, the challenge is that Sierra Leone is a very poor
country with about half of its national budget being donor-funded. Sierra Leone's
former colonial master and largest aid provider, Britain, is a particularly important
development partner. With donor assistance, the government introduced a free primary
education policy to achieve the international goal of EFA. The net primary enrolment
ratio has rapidly increased, from 35 per cent in 1992 to 63.0 per cent in 2004. However,
field research based on school observations, interviews with government officials,
teachers and people engaged in Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) such as
Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Faith-based Organisations (FBOs), and
questionnaires from pupils, parents, teachers, NGOs and government officials, reveals
worrying trade-offs in the quality of education provided. In addition, schools charge
parents "school fees" to run their schools under the free education policy. This is one
of the barriers to regular schooling for the vulnerable. Such findings show that the
government lacks the ability to provide adequate public services to the people. CSOs
have filled this democratic deficit and greatly contributed to the provision of education.
However, an investigation of donor-recipient relationships in this area showed that
there is a gap between the rhetoric and practice of "partnership" and "ownership" in
the development relationship. Using three development theories — Modernisation
theory, Dependency theory and Postcolonial theory to analyse aid modality and trends
in education plans and strategies, this research argues that Sierra Leone has been in
transition with regard to establishing ownership of its national development, working
with Britain as its main partner.


The high prevalence of osteoporosis in Pakistan is of public-health concern. However, there is a paucity of information regarding nutrition and bone density in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary and lifestyle factors that impact bone health in Nahaqi. Data were collected from 140 postmenopausal women using an interviewer-administered 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. Bone mineral density was estimated using the quantitative ultrasound index (QUI). Serum 25(OH)D was measured in fasting blood samples. The QUI scores revealed that 42% and 29% of the women had T-scores, indicative of osteopaenia and osteoporosis respectively. The mean calcium intake was 346 mg/d, which is less than 50% of the recommended daily intake. The QUI correlated with 25(OH)D after controlling for age (p=0.021, r=0.41, r2=0.168). Vitamin D deficiency and low intake of dietary calcium are two key factors contributing to poor bone health in this population.


Taurine, the most abundant free amino acid in mammals, with many critical roles such as neuronal development, had so far only been reported to be synthetized in eukaryotes. Taurine is the major product of cysteine metabolism in mammals, and its biosynthetic pathway consists of cysteine dioxygenase and cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (hCSAD). Sequence, structural, and mutational analyses of the structurally and sequentially related hCSAD and human glutamic acid decarboxylase (hGAD) enzymes revealed a three residue substrate recognition motif (X1aa19X2aaX3), within the active site that is responsible for coordinating their respective preferred amino acid substrates. Introduction of the cysteine sulfinic acid (CSA) motif into hGAD (hGAD-S192F/N212S/F214Y) resulted in an enzyme with a >700 fold switch in selectivity toward the decarboxylation of CSA over its preferred substrate, l-glutamic acid. Surprisingly, we found this CSA recognition motif in the genome sequences of several marine bacteria, prompting us to evaluate the catalytic properties of bacterial amino acid decarboxylases that were predicted by sequence motif to decarboxylate CSA but had been annotated as GAD enzymes. We show that CSAD from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335 specifically decarboxylated CSA and that the bacteria accumulated intracellular taurine. The fact that CSAD homologues exist in certain bacteria and are frequently found in operons containing the recently discovered bacterial cysteine dioxygenases that oxidize l-cysteine to CSA supports the idea that a bona fide bacterial taurine biosynthetic pathway exists in prokaryotes.


Objective. To compare the time-to-reimbursement of the last two committees of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), respectively appointed in 2015 and in 2018.
Methods. The analysis was run through a specific internal database created by MA-Provider. The database was populated with information regarding European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved new drugs, including each step of the Italian Price and Reimbursement (P&R) process reported in the monthly outcomes of Technical Scientific Committee (CTS) and Price and Reimbursement Committee (CPR) meetings from September 2015 to April 2020.
Results. The 2015 and the 2018 committees have reimbursed respectively 39 and 28 drugs by comparing their initial 19 months of activity. Significant differences have been observed in negotiated economic conditions, in particular an increase in the number of drugs with confidential discount (2018-committee: 96.4% vs 2015-committee: 64.1%; p = 0.003) and a reduction in the application of Managed Entry Agreements (MEAs) (2018-committee: 10.7% vs 2015-committee: 33.3%; p = 0.036). The average duration of the P&R procedure managed by the 2018-committee has increased by 45 days compared to the 2015-committee (287 days vs 242 days; p = 0.071) and this trend of delay is associated to the active scientific/economic assessment phase by CTS and CPR (particularly by the latter) and not to administrative phases (e.g. Official Journal publications).
Conclusions. The observed differences between committees may be explained by the higher number of oncological and/or innovative drugs assessed by the 2018-committee (regarding the time delay, probably linked to greater difficulties in finding a win-win agreement able to satisfy both AIFA and Pharmaceutical Company).


This essay examines a growing literature on postcolonial Black Britain that seeks to suture the ties between prewar and postwar histories of Black political activity in Britain. By examining how people of African descent articulated the political conditions of being Black in metropolitan Britain during the 20th century, recent studies have shown how non-state actors shaped ideas about the relationship between race and citizenship. In unearthing the myriad of ways that people of African descent navigated the politics of being both Black and British, this body of work has begun to offer critical perspectives on postcolonial Black Britain's place within the political history of the African Diaspora. Moreover, this essay argues that new work on Black Britain and the politics of race yields fruitful ground for dismantling some of the artificial historiographical partitions that have oftentimes separated metropolitan race politics in the postwar era from the broader history of empire, decolonization, and transnational anti-racist movements organized around the pursuit of Black freedom.


Reversible protein phosphorylation at serine, threonine and tyrosine is a well-known dynamic post-translational modification with stunning regulatory and signalling functions in eukaryotes. Shotgun phosphoproteomic analyses revealed that this post-translational modification is dramatically lower in bacteria than in eukaryotes. However, Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphorylation is present in all analysed bacteria (24 eubacteria and 1 archaea). It affects central processes, such as primary and secondary metabolism development, sporulation, pathogenicity, virulence or antibiotic resistance. Twenty-nine phosphoprotein orthologues were systematically identified in bacteria: ribosomal proteins, enzymes from glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, elongation factors, cell division proteins, RNA polymerases, ATP synthases and enzymes from the citrate cycle. While Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphorylation exists in bacteria, there is a consensus that histidine phosphorylation is the most abundant protein phosphorylation in prokaryotes. Unfortunately, histidine shotgun phosphorproteomics is not possible due to the reduced phosphohistidine half-life under the acidic pH conditions used in standard LC-MS/MS analysis. However, considering the fast and continuous advances in LC-MS/MS-based phosphoproteomic methodologies, it is expected that further innovations will allow for the study of His phosphoproteomes and a better coverage of bacterial phosphoproteomes. The characterisation of the biological role of bacterial Ser/Thr/Tyr and His phosphorylations might revolutionise our understanding of prokaryotic physiology.


The in situ observation of thermal alteration of photoinduced optical anisotropy of ultrathin films of polymethacrylates having p-cyanoazobenzene side chains exhibiting amorphous, crystalline, and liquid-crystalline phases was performed by means of temperature scanning ellipsometry. Whereas photogenerated optical anisotropy of amorphous polymer films disappeared above glass transition temperature, the photoinduced anisotropy of films of liquid crystalline and crystalline polymer films was significantly amplified by heat treatment. In case of crystalline polymers, amplified optical anisotropy was maintained even at 300 °C.


The benefit of infrastructure services has been inadvertently ripped apart by non inclusion of the rural inhabitants in the development strategy. The government in many instances has been largely unsuccessful in providing independently the much needed and envisioned goal of infrastructure development. Therefore, the paper examines the extent of participation and level of involvement of the rural inhabitants on physical infrastructure development in the niger delta region of Nigeria. The study used mainly secondary source of information and, adopted content analysis technique. From the findings there exists, ostensibly, missing link on government policy. It is evidenced that the Government infrastructural rural development policy is increasingly less concern with the actual content and participation of the users themselves (rural population that will benefit from the project). The paper identifies clear frustrating approach, amongst which are; lack of rural values, imprecise social objectives, uncoordinated and unguided inputs. It recommends broad-based and inclusive development frameworks, having the inhabitants inputs guided and coordinated by representatives of the area, and a creative "bottom up" planning approach viewed as mass – oriented. This will more likely deliver better results, combined local feedbacks and evaluation by establishing a scene of collaboration with the indigenous rural population.


Conventionally, it is a tedious work to measure the beam quality factor for a laser beam because one needs to move a camera-based beam profiler from one location to another for many times to record intensity profiles at different positions around the beam waist. We present a simple method for determining the laser beam quality factor from only two laser intensity profiles at different cross sections around the waist. We first used an iterative phase-retrieval algorithm, based on the Huygens-Fresnel principle, to reconstruct the phase profiles at the two cross sections where the intensity profiles had been measured. Once the optical field amplitude (the square root of intensity) and phase distribution functions at certain cross section of a laser beam had been determined, we can propagate the light wave at this cross section by using the Fresnel diffraction formula to obtain the intensity profiles at different positions, from which the beam quality factor can be determined. Using a HeNe laser for test, we had experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of our idea by showing that the result from our proposed method is in good agreement with that obtained from the conventional method. Our setup is capable of executing a real-time measurement of the beam quality factor because the two intensity profiles can be simultaneously recorded by using a beam splitter and two beam-profilers controlled by the same computer.


Minimal representations of a real reductive group G are the 'smallest' irreducible unitary representations of G. We discuss special functions that arise in the analysis of L2-model of minimal representations.


Abstract Absorption and translocation of three commercial formulations of glyphosate, the isopropylamine salt formulated as Roundup Ultra™ (IPA1) and Roundup UltraMax™ (IPA2) and the diammonium salt formulated as Touchdown™ IQ (DA), were compared in three- to five-leaf velvetleaf, common waterhemp, and pitted morningglory. Absorption of 14C-glyphosate in velvetleaf was not significantly different among the three formulations up to 50 h after treatment (HAT). More absorption of 14C-glyphosate occurred in the IPA1 (26.0%) vs. the IPA2 (17.7%) formulation over 74 h. Of the total 14C-glyphosate absorbed, 20 to 35% was translocated from the treated leaf to the rest of the plant. Initial absorption of 14C-glyphosate was rapid in common waterhemp with the IPA1 (42.7%) and IPA2 (30.7%) formulations; both were higher compared with absorption of the DA formulation (11.5%) by 2 HAT. These differences continued up to 26 HAT, but no differences were evident by 74 HAT. Up to 65% of the 14C-glyphosate absorbed was translocated out of the treated leaf by 74 HAT, with roots the primary sink. Initial absorption of 14C-glyphosate was slow in pitted morningglory compared with the other species. More foliar absorption occurred in plants treated with the DA (13.6%) vs. the IPA2 formulation (4.9%) by 6 HAT. Absorption beyond 26 HAT was not different among the three glyphosate formulations. Translocation of 14C-glyphosate to roots was 27% greater as the DA salt than IPA1 and IPA2 by 74 HAT. The distribution pattern of glyphosate was similar in all species; phosphorimages demonstrated movement both acropetal and basipetal, with accumulation in roots greater than in any other plant parts. An efficacy study parallel to the 14C study showed no difference among the three glyphosate formulations on the species investigated at both 74 HAT and 2 wk after treatment. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; common waterhemp, Amaranthus rudis Sauer AMATA; pitted morningglory, Ipomoea lacunosa L. IPOLA; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medicus ABUTH.


This research investigates the use of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals (PhC) as selective emitters and means of achieving higher efficiencies in combustion-driven thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems intended as auxiliary power systems in automobiles. A TPV power conversion system functions on the principle of direct conversion of thermal radiation into electricity. A basic TPV system consists of an emitter and a photovoltaic (PV) diode. The emitter is heated and radiates photons of various energies. The PV diode captures the incident photons whose energy is equal to or greater than the band-gap energy of the PV diode. Ideally, all captured photons are converted into electricity. This thesis develops the fabrication process for a high-efficiency selective emitter. The radiation spectrum of this structure is closely matched to the sensitivity spectrum of the PV diode. The selective emitter is a lp1m-period 2D PhC in tungsten consisting of 0.8/im holes in a square lattice. The background of selective radiation and structure selection process are presented in this text. The preliminary structures are fabricated using Lloyd's mirror laser interferometer and developed using reactive ion etching. The detailed parameters of preparation, exposure, softand hard-mask etching are presented. The physical analysis results are reported and compared to the expected structure. The final structure dimension match the initial specifications to within 5%. Thesis Supervisor: John G. Kassakian Title: Professor


Because Iron (Fe) is an essential element, Fe storage in plant seeds is necessary for seedling establishment following germination. However, the mechanisms controlling seed Fe storage during seed development remain largely unknown. Here we reveal that an ERF95 transcription factor regulates Arabidopsis seed Fe accumulation. We show that expression of ERF95 increases during seed maturation, and that lack of ERF95 reduces seed Fe accumulation, consequently increasing sensitivity to Fe deficiency during seedling establishment. Conversely, overexpression of ERF95 has the opposite effects. We show that lack of ERF95 decreases abundance of FER1 mRNA in developing seed, which encodes Fe-sequestering ferritin. Accordingly, a fer1-1 loss-of-function mutation confers reduced seed Fe accumulation, and suppresses ERF95-promoted seed Fe accumulation. In addition, ERF95 binds to specific FER1 promoter GCC-boxes and transactivates FER1 expression. We show that ERF95 expression in maturing seed is dependent on EIN3, the master transcriptional regulator of ethylene signaling. Whilst lack of EIN3 reduces seed Fe content, overexpression of ERF95 rescues Fe accumulation in the seed of ein3 loss-of-function mutant. Finally, we show that ethylene production increases during seed maturation. We conclude that ethylene promotes seed Fe accumulation during seed maturation via an EIN3-ERF95-FER1-dependent signaling pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


A new design of micromachined inertial sensors, accelerometer and rate-gyroscope, is presented. The design employs the modulated integrative differential optical sensing for the output motion sensing. The former uni-axial design with cantilever suspension is presented. Then the new dual-axis design with "spider" suspensions is discussed. The design and fabrication issues of the new design are discussed, in-light of the results of the uni-axial design. The predicted performance of this device is presented.


The present study aimed to examine voluntary participation in sports organizations in terms of certain variables in the context of social capital. The study was designed using the descriptive survey model, one of the quantitative research approaches. The data were collected with the demographic information form and Ucar's (2016) validated and reliable social capital scale. Individuals participated in Street 10K national sports organization in 2022 constituted the study's population. On the other hand, the study sample consisted of 104 volunteers participated in this sports organization. The participants were chosen according to the convenient sampling method. The data were evaluated using the SPSS 23 Windows package program. Internal consistency coefficients were calculated for the data collection instrument, and mean, standard deviation, kurtosis, and skewness values were examined during data analysis. The independent samples t test and the one-way analysis of variance test were used to test the hypotheses. According to the analysed results, there were significant differences in the "group belonging" factor in favor of participants with volunteer experience in fields other than sports. Besides, significant differences were found in the factors of "corporate trust" and "group belonging" in favor of participants who believed that future career advancement would result from voluntary participation.


Alcoholism remained one of the most urgent problems of the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s. In the article, the author analyses activities of the Bolsheviks aimed to solve these social problems with the help of illustrative materials of medical periodicals. The author found that after the abolition of the "dry law" the Soviet authorities intensified their agitation and propaganda activities, in which doctors were actively involved. Anti-alcohol topics were reflected in a number of illustrations and articles of the popular science magazine "Put' k zdorov'yu" (The Way to Health). In order to counteract the spread of alcoholism, the published illustrations and texts showed a negative influence of alcohol on the body, they exposed existing myths about its positive effects on humans, emphasized the role of drunkenness in the spread of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, and  demonstrated the  negative impact of the latter on children. They also illustrated various types of deviant behavior of people under the influence of alcohol intoxication, as the fate of children of alcoholics, in particular child prostitution, and further - prostitution in general, disorderly conduct and criminality. A special attention was paid to family and financial problems caused by drunkenness, etc. The author finds that on pages of the magazine not only a negative image of the alcohol-addicted people was created, but also ways to overcome this "social disease" were offered. In particular, one promoted activities of the workers' clubs, summer clubs in the gardens, reading-rooms, cinema, theaters, and teahouse; calls for a healthy lifestyle, physical education were made. At the same time, the Soviet government used the anti-alcohol campaign to achieve other political goals, in particular discreditation of the tsarist government, and the pre-revolutionary order at all, and dissemination of the negative image of the "NEP-men", within the framework of the anti-religious campaign. Key words: anti-alcohol campaign, Soviet power, Ukrainian SSR, 1920s, journal graphics, medical periodicals.


This paper introduces a cost-effective video demosaicking solution suitable for mobile phones with video capturing capabilities. The proposed solution is a spatio-temporal demosaicking scheme, which operates over three subsequent frames of the acquired video sequence. To rapidly demosaick the raw, color filter array (CFA), spatiotemporal video data our solution uses multi-stage processing concepts and builds on the principles of refined spectral modeling and self-adaptation to varying spatiotemporal characteristics. The proposed solution accommodates cost-effective considerations inherent in mobile phone imaging and produces a visually pleasing demosaicked video sequence.


Many fundamental low-rank optimization problems, such as matrix completion, phase retrieval, and robust PCA, can be formulated as the matrix sensing problem. Two main approaches for solving matrix sensing are based on semidefinite programming (SDP) and Burer-Monteiro (B-M) factorization. The former suffers from high computational and space complexities, whereas the latter may return a spurious solution due to the non-convexity of the problem. The existing theoretical guarantees for the success of these methods have led to similar conservative conditions, which may wrongly imply that these methods have comparable performances. In this paper, we shed light on some major differences between these two methods. First, we present a class of structured matrix completion problems for which the B-M methods fail with an overwhelming probability, while the SDP method works correctly. Second, we identify a class of highly sparse matrix completion problems for which the B-M method works and the SDP method fails. Third, we prove that although the B-M method exhibits the same performance independent of the rank of the unknown solution, the success of the SDP method is correlated to the rank of the solution and improves as the rank increases. Unlike the existing literature that has mainly focused on those instances of matrix sensing for which both SDP and B-M work, this paper offers the first result on the unique merit of each method over the alternative approach.


The cost and cycle time for determining the root cause of yield loss continues to increase as semiconductor technology scales down. A new technique, Axiom, helps yield and product engineers determine the root cause of loss directly from diagnosis results. Consequently, root-cause cycle time is dramatically reduced, resulting in a higher physical-failure analysis success rate and reduced costs.


This study analyzed the perceptions of society toward marriage Begawi Cakak Pepadun In
Village Communities in Lampung Sungkai at village Ketapang District South Sungkai.
Marital Begawi Cakak Pepadun in community Lampung Sungkai done with great cost, while
economic conditions in the village of Ketapang considered less capable but society still
perform marriages Begawi Cakak Pepadun as a way to preserve their tribal culture in general
and Lampung, Lampung Sungkai on especially. Public anticipate this condition by
performing simplification at some stage of marital Begawi Cakak Pepadun so they can still
perform marriages Begawi Cakak Pepadun although with a limited cost. This study aimed to
find out how the public perception of marriage in society Begawi Cakak Pepadun Lampung
Sungkai. To obtain and process the data received in the field, this study used qualitative
research with the object type of research community in the village of Lampung Sungkai
Ketapang, Object, as is observed in conditions or in a state of reasonable care and
naturalistically (natural settings). Data collection techniques using in-depth interviews are
also supported by observation and documentation in the field. Data analysis techniques used
in this research is data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions or verification. Source of
data information retrieved by Snowball sampling is a deliberate and determined the informant
toward the goals of this study so that more accurate data collected. The results show that the
simplification in the field of marriage Begawi Cakak Pepadun done to save costs but it also
causes the simplification of the young generation rates Lampung Sungkai not know how the
stages of marriage Begawi Cakak Pepadun Intar Padang way they should.
Keywords: Marriage, Simplification, Finance.


This study was conducted to examine the role of the hypothalamus in development of gonadotrophs, thyrotrophs, and mammotrophs up to the time of birth in the rat. The development of the in situ newborn pituitary (22 days post-coitus; dpc) was compared with the development of 12 and 15 dpc pituitary anlagen grown under the kidney capsule of an adult host or in organ culture for a time period equivalent to 22 days of gestation. Morphological development was evaluated by light microscopic histology and gonadotrophin immunocytochemistry. Functional development was analyzed by radioimmunoassay determination of luteinizing hormone, thyrotrophin, and prolactin content of the in situ, kidney capsule grafted, and organ-cultured pituitary. The results provide evidence that factors, perhaps blood-borne, play a significant role in pituitary development but that direct hypothalamic influences are of minimal importance in the development of gonadotrophs and mammotrophs. The fetal hypothalamus may play a significant role in stimulating high storage levels of thyrotrophin in the prenatal pituitary.


Floating-leaved rhizophytes can significantly alter net carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) exchanges with the atmosphere in freshwater shallow environments. In particular, CH4 efflux can be enhanced by the aerenchyma-mediated mass flow, while CO2 release from supersaturated waters can be reversed by the plant uptake. Additionally, the floating leaves bed can hamper light penetration and oxygen (O2) diffusion from the atmosphere, thus altering the dissolved gas dynamics in the water column. In this study, net fluxes of CO2 and CH4 were measured seasonally across vegetated [Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm.] and free water surfaces in the Busatello wetland (Northern Italy). Concomitantly, dissolved gas concentrations were monitored in the water column and N. lutea leaf production was estimated by means of biomass harvesting. During the vegetative period (May-August), the yellow waterlily stand resulted a net sink for atmospheric carbon (from 97.5 to 110.6 g C-CO2 m-2), while the free water surface was a net carbon source (166.3 g C-CO2 m-2). Both vegetated and plant-free areas acted as CH4 sources, with an overall carbon release comprised between 71.6 and 113.3 g C-CH4 m-2. On the whole, water column chemistry was not affected by the presence of the floating leaves; moreover, no significant differences in CH4 efflux were evidenced between the vegetated and plant-free areas. In general, this study indicates that the colonization of shallow aquatic ecosystems by N. lutea might not have the same drastic effect reported for free-floating macrophytes.


This study focuses on the differences in family values, which is a cause of family dissolution and conflicts of marriage immigrant women. This study was conducted on 441 women in Vietnam. It was done to explore their family values. Specifically, the following were examined: the overall family values and martial status of Vietnamese women; differences in their family values by region (northern, central, southern). The survey questionnaire consists of the following content: `family perception`; `gender-role values`; `elderly parent support value`. The characteristics of family values of Vietnamese women are as follows. First, the scope of family perceived by them was relatively narrow. In particular, most of them didn`t perceive the parents of a spouse as a familymember. Second, in terms of gender-roles, they perceived men and women as equal and didn`t have strong perception of traditional gender roles. Third, they felt strongly about supporting elderly parents. The perception of supporting elderly parents is based on equal gender roles, instead of the paternalistic approach. They preferred financial support to living with parents. There were also differences in family values by region. Also, their values seemed to be the opposite of the ones well-known by region. In addition, their values were changing amid economic growth and modernization. Residents in Can Tho in the south - known to have open-minded Southeast Asian values - had the most patrilineal, traditional values with strong perception towards supporting elderly parents. Residents in Hanoi in the north - known to have heavy influence of Confucian culture - had non-traditional values with positive attitude towards liberal sex culture, divorce, and remarriage. Residents in Da Nang, a central region, had a mixture of northern and southern characteristics in terms of family values.


Lung cancer is a type of cancer with high mortality; its 5-year survival rate is at a low 14%. Related cytological tests include sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing and fine needle aspiration cytology test etc. From the test specimens in which sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing, and fine needle aspiration cytology were performed, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between cytology test and histology test. In the sputum test, sensitivity was 27.71% and specificity was 98.02%, and the bronchial brushing test showed sensitivity of 93.33% and a specificity of 91.3%. The bronchial washing test was a sensitivity of 53.7% and its specificity was 98.9%, and the fine needle aspiration cytology test showed sensitivity and specificity were 88.46% and 72.97%, respectively. In the specimens diagnosed as normal at the sputum test, malignant diagnosis was found in 21 specimens of bronchial brushing, 30 cases of bronchial washings and 37 cases of fine needle aspiration cytology specimens. In the specimens diagnosed as normal at the bronchial washing test, malignant diagnosis was found in 5 specimens of sputum, 7 specimens of bronchial brushin and 1 cases of fine needle aspiration cytology. One specimens found to be normal in fine needle aspiration cytology turned out to maligant in sputum test. The result of this research shows that, in diagnosis lung cancer, a test method of high sensitivity and specificity should be pursued. However, depending on the location and malignancy of the illness, diagnosis may not be obtained in some cases. Therefore, we conclude that the cytological tests performed for lung cancer testing such as sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing, and fine needle aspiration cytology should be carried out in a mutually complementary manner.


Everyday surveillance work is increasingly performed by non-human algorithms. These entities can be conceptualized as machinic flâneurs that engage in distanciated flânerie: subjecting urban flows to a dispassionate, calculative and expansive gaze. This paper provides some theoretical reflections on the nascent forms of algorithmic practice materializing in the Australian cities of Darwin and Perth, and some of their implications for urban relations and social justice. It looks at the idealization – and operational black boxing – of automated watching programs, before considering their impacts on notions such as 'the right to the city' and 'the right to the face'. It will argue that the turn to facial recognition software for the purposes of automating urban governance reconstitutes the meanings and phenomenology of the face. In particular, the fleshly and communicative physicality of the face is reduced to a measurable object that can be identified by a virtualised referent and then consequently tracked. Moreover, the asymmetrical and faceless nature of these machinic programs of recognition unsettles conventional notions of civil inattention and bodily sovereignty, and the prioritization given to pattern recognition renders them amenable to ideas/ideals from phrenology and physiognomy. In this way, algorithmic governance may generate not only forms of facial vulnerability and estrangement, but also facial artifice, where individuals come to develop tacit and artful ways of de-facing and re-facing in order to subvert the processes of recognition which leverage these modes of bio-power. Thus, the datafication of urban governance gives rise to a dynamic bio-politics of the face.


This study investigates whether there is a difference in the decision quality when Operating Room nurses use a computerized decision support system (CDSS) based on normative decision modeling as well as nurses' confidence in making decisions based on their own judgement and aided by a CDSS called Lightyear. Decision quality was measured as agreement with the decisions of a panel of experts in Operating Room nursing. A posttest quasi experimental design was used, with a non-random convenience sample of nurses randomly assigned into one control (unaided) and one experimental group (computerized decision support system). Of this study did not demonstrate a significant difference in decision quality between the control and experimental group. No relationship was found between demographic variables and quality of decision. Subjects in the control group presented a higher degree of decision confidence. Subjects in the experimental group, who had a higher score in the correct. response score showed a lower degree of confidence when making decisions with Lightyear. This study raises important methodological considerations about the need of further studies that evaluate the use of CDSS based on normative modeling where subjects might be allowed to evaluate its effectiveness using the software in its full potential.


The historic region of Bukovina, until 1918 a heavily multi-ethnic crownland of the Habs-burg monarchy that was divided in 1940, is constantly being recreated in the stories and memories of its former inhabitants. Despite the dynamics of violence during the "short twentieth century," the region serves as a central and primarily positive place of identifica¬tion for many groups. In this article, we explore the question of how, and under which cir-cumstances, this site of memory was designed, focusing on the stories of German and Pol¬ish resettlers. Specifically, we compare and analyze German and Polish interviews as well as written memoirs that were created between the 1950s and 2017. These stories reveal a distinct narrative pattern, what can be called "Bukovinian tolerance." While in the early years of the Cold War this narrative still contained certain elements of Habsburg-era "Bu-kovinism"—a sort of regional patriotism—the construct of tolerance and multi-ethnicity was reshaped within the context of the changing political situation in Europe in the post-1989 era and the E.U.'s integration of parts of the former Eastern bloc.


TOPIC
This paper reviews the current literature on the nursing care of inpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Information is included about the background and various features of BPD, and recent conceptualizations and predicted outcomes for BPD patients are provided. The effect of caring for patients with BPD on the nursing staff is discussed.

CONCLUSIONS
With proper education, support, and clinical supervision, the difficulties of caring for patients with BPD for the nursing staff can be reduced, and beneficial outcomes can be achieved for the staff and patients.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS
Patients with BPD can impact the entire multidisciplinary team. Understanding the dynamics of patients with BPD helps the staff to develop strategies to avoid splitting, acting-out behaviors, and negative impact on other patients and staff.


Accumulation of squalene in the CNS is observed after administration of tellurium and squalene has been proposed to be a mediator of tellurium encephaloneuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of squalene on the central and peripheral nervous systems in rat at the ultrastructural level. Squalene was administered at a dose of 20 g/kg body weight, once daily for 4 days, and the animals were sacrificed 7 days and 30 days after the initiation of the experiment. After 7 days a mild swelling of mitochondria and dilation of the Golgi complex cisterns in few neurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed. The swelling of astrocytes and their processes was also seen. Some myelin sheaths in the cerebral white matter were disintegrated. In the peripheral nervous system (the sciatic nerve), a damage of the Schwann cells, a destruction of the myelin sheaths, and lipid-like deposits between myelin lamellae causing a secondary compression of axons were present. Squalene administration caused a stimulation of fibroblast to synthesize collagen and an activation of macrophages in the perineurium. After 30 days, the lipid-like material was present in some neurons as well as in the myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. Endothelial cells were hypertrophic and a few demonstrated features of apoptosis. Endothelial cell hypertrophy caused a narrowing of vessel lumen associated with an aggregation of blood morphological elements. Disturbances in myelination and swelling of astrocytic processes persisted in the central nervous system. In the peripheral nervous system, lipid-like deposits were localized in some fibroblasts and extracellularly between the collagen fibers in the perineurium. In conclusion, our electron microscopic studies indicate that squalene produces characteristic pathological changes both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, these alterations differ in some aspects (changes in endothelia, accumulation of lipid-like material) from the known features of tellurium encephaloneuropathy.


Central to Service-Dominant Logic is the proposition that the customer has become a co-creator of the value. This emphasises the development of customer‐supplier relationships through interaction and dialogue. However, research to date suggests that relatively little is known about how consumers engage in co-creation of value with the service provider. Thus, the present study develops a framework of the facilitators or antecedents of the co-creation of value for understanding and managing creation of value. The study examines the co-creation efforts ofthe customers of fashionable boutiques of a city and statistical techniques like CFA and SEM were used to analyse the data. Further, reliability and validity tests were also performed. Based upon a sample of 196 female customers, the study found that resource integration and composite expertise of customers and suppliers significantly influence customer participation, which in turn significantly predicts CCV. The study also discusses the managerial implications, limitations and future research agenda at the end.


Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells able to differentiate into chondrocytes, osteoblasts and adipocytes in a competitively balanced manner. MSCs play a role in the homeostasis of adipose tissue and joint tissues and provide potential for intervention in both obesity and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). Nutritional and pharmacological factors influencing the differentiation fate of MSCs are of interest. Objectives To test the impact of a mixture of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) used in osteoarthritis management (Oralvisc™, Bioiberica S.A., Palafolls, Spain) on the differentiation fate of multipotent cells. Methods Primary mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs), which like MSCs have the potential to differentiate into different mesenchymal cell types, were used as a model system. Post-confluent monolayer MEF cultures maintained in growth medium (non-stimulated conditions) or hormonally stimulated to differentiate into adipocytes were chronically exposed to a GAG mixture, its individual components or vehicle. In some experiments, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), a known inducer of chondrogenic differentiation of MEFs, was used for comparison. The impact on adipocyte appearance, gene expression of chondrogenic markers, and gene expression of metabolic and adipokine genes was studied. Results Exposure to the GAG mixture, but not its individual components, suppressed spontaneous adipogenesis of MEFs, as it prevented the appearance of lipid-filled cells and the expression of adipogenic marker genes (Pparg, Cebpa, Fasn) in the non-stimulated cultures. The GAG mixture and BMP2 elicited strikingly similar time-course changes in the expression of both chondrogenic-related genes, with an early transient induction of Pref-1 followed by a marked induction of aggrecan, and adipogenic-related genes, with a generalized down-regulation coincident with aggrecan gene induction. HA did not reproduce these effects. Exposure to the GAG mixture did not prevent hormonally induced adipogenesis, but changed gene expression of MEFs in the adipose state, triggering a down-regulation of lipogenic genes (Cebpa, Fasn), an up-regulation of oxidative metabolism-related genes (Ppargc1a, Mtco2), and a down-regulation of genes coding for two insulin resistance-related adipokines (resistin and retinol binding protein 4); again, these effects were not elicited by individual components of the mixture alone. Conclusions A GAG mixture can tip the adipogenic/chondrogenic fate balance of multipotent mesenchymal cells towards chondrogenesis and, under adipogenic conditions, favor the differentiation of adipocytes with a more favorable metabolic and secretory gene expression profile. Synergism between individual GAGs in the mixture is involved in these effects. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.5516


This research contributes to the ongoing debate about the value of business planning by focusing on one specific part of the business plan being Voice of the Consumer [VOC] and its effect on startup survival. In addition, it incorporates the impact of the potential moderators market maturity and entrepreneurs' experience. The goal of this research is to investigate how and under which conditions VOC could increase the chances of firm survival and growth. This is important because research on business planning is fragmented, and research on VOC didn't provide significant evidence on its influence on new firm survival. In addition to theoretical relevance, it will also be beneficial for future entrepreneurs to know how and under which conditions they could benefit from using VOC in their business plan, because there are also many other important time consuming tasks when creating a new business. Recently, an intense debate has emerged in entrepreneurship literature on the value of business planning. While results are fragmented, one thing both sides of the debate do agree upon is that business planning is a heterogeneous task (Englis et al., 2010). Therefore, the question shouldn't be if planning is beneficial for new firm success, but rather a more specific approach is required considering that different areas of the business plan could be more or less important depending on contextual factors (Gruber, 2007). VOC was chosen because customers can be a great input for planning and it could provide information about what customers value in a particular product or service. Englis et al. (2011) argue that many entrepreneurial firms focus on their technological capabilities and develop products that are taken to the market using a "push" strategy (Englis et al., 2010). This is in line with other authors such as Vohora et al. (2004) who argue that too much emphasis was placed on developing the technology and too little on identifying, accessing and targeting key customers in the value chain. Listening to potential customers can help the entrepreneur evaluate his initial idea and help to understand the true value of its opportunity. Data was collected from one of the oldest incubation programs from the University of Twente. Founded in 1984, this program has incubated more than 350 firms. The program consists of space provision complemented with scientific and business coaching designed for high-tech knowledge intensive start-ups. Of the 350 firms in our full sample, 113 firms' business plans have been fully analyzed. Of these business plans, 35 firms included the VOC. Data was collected from 2010-2012 using a standardized form. Analysis examined differences across the groups based on the propositions. In summary it can be concluded that market maturity is the most important moderating factor given the significant result of the propositions. Firm survival chances and growth are most likely to be increased when VOC is used by firms founded in an existing market. As expected, more information about customer preferences should be available in existing markets because potential customers are more easily identified and customers should be able to provide more detailed information about their
needs and preferences. These results confirm our proposition that the effect of using VOC would be more positive for firms founded in existing markets than for firms founded in new markets. This could be explained by the quality of the information (Gruber, 2007). Another conclusion is that VOC is less valuable for firms entering a new market because there is a higher degree of uncertainty and entering a new market is often associated with novel technologies that may not be easily understood (Englis et al. 2010). This is important because the creation of university spin off firms represent a potentially important but yet under developed option to create wealth from the commercialization of research (Vohora et al., 2004). Together with the high failure rates of new firms, it is important for researchers to understand which approach to firm creation increases the chances of success (Gruber, 2007).


A website is certainly a key component of any dental practice marketing plan. And search engine optimization, which enables your website to rank higher in search engine results, also is an important strategy. But the unsung hero in today's world of online marketing is most certainly the burgeoning field of online reputation management.


Many techniques for quantizing large sets of input vectors into much smaller sets of output vectors have been developed. Various neural network based techniques for generating the input vectors via system training are studied. The variations are centered around a neural net vector quantization (NNVQ) method which combines the well-known conventional Linde, Buzo and Gray (1980) (LBG) technique and the neural net based Kohonen (1984) technique. Sequential and parallel learning techniques for designing efficient NNVQs are given. The schemes presented require less computation time due to a new modified gain formula, partial/zero neighbor updating, and parallel learning of the code vectors. Using Gaussian-Markov source and speech signal benchmarks, it is shown that these new approaches lead to distortion as good as or better than that obtained using the LBG and Kohonen approaches.<<ETX>>


With the development of real-time business, the original traditional WMN has been difficult to satisfy the needs of the real-time business. This article is in support of this delay sensitive type under the background of real-time application business in WMN. This improved mechanism is proposing an pre-scanning algorithm focusing on the higher delay in WMN link layer scanning which based on traditional WMN link layer switching mechanism.


There is a variety of components, which are subject to high wear and/or corrosion stress on the one hand and are used to transfer heat on the other hand. Two examples are drying cylinders in paper production and condensing boilers. Up to now there are no data available for the thermal design of thermal spray coated components except for some MCrAlY and thermal barrier coatings for turbine applications. Also guidelines for the optimization of thermally sprayed coatings concerning heat transfer including the effect on the wear resistance are missing. HVOF sprayed cermet coatings are widely used for combined wear and corrosion protection these days. In addition to WC-CoCr 86 - 10 4 and 75 Cr3C2 - 25 Ni20Cr conventional Ni5Al and Ni20Cr bond coats are evaluated concerning their thermal conductivity in the range between room temperature and 600 °C. Also the thermal contact resistance is determined depending on the substrate material: mild steel S355J2G3 (1.0570), grey cast iron GG25 (0.6025) and austenitic stainless steel X5CrNi18-10 (1.4301, AISI 304). The applied Laser- Flash method requires knowledge of the heat capacity, thermal expansion and density, which are determined before. HVOF spraying has only negligible influence on the heat capacity of WC-CoCr feedstock, as the temperature depending functions are almost identical. The use of spraying feedstock with average WC particle sizes of 800 nm, 3 µm and 5 µm permits to investigate the influence of the specific surface area of the hard phases both on the thermal conductivity and wear resistance. Furthermore the influence of the coating porosity is determined. In accordance to the drying cylinder application the wear resistance is determined by Taber-Abraser wear tests. Bond coats are produced by HVOF, HVCW and arc spraying and compared concerning microstructure and thermal conductivity. A comparison to the properties of electroplated hard chromium coatings is drawn.


This digital map database, compiled from previously published and unpublished data as well as new mapping by the author, represents the general distribution of bedrock and surficial deposits in the map area. Together with the accompanying pamphlet, it provides current information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the Grand Canyon area. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The scale of the source maps limits the spatial resolution (scale) of the database to 1:100,000 or smaller.


The article discusses new risks and new challenges in education, and also gives some recommendations on the restructuring of the training technique. The authors analyze how modern prefigurative society influences the formation of the life values in young people, which is totally different from the previous generation life values. Next, the authors explore the problems associated with the abundance of information in modern life, and highlight the 15 risks and challenges of today's education, which are the result of both changes in the mentality of students and an excess of information. Analyzing these challenges, the authors come to conclusion that the current generation of students requires new forms of academic work. The article suggests some methods for solving the modern educational challenges when teaching Russian as a foreign language: digest method, project method, use of social networks and instant messengers like WhatsApp. According to the authors, the advantages of the digestmethod are that this method allows the student to get a lot of information in a very quick and economical way. The use of digests helps to fill gaps in lingua-cultural knowledge of students and enhance their communicative competence. Statistical data obtained as a result of questioning 90 students before using the digest and after confirm the provisions stated in the article. The use of the projectmethod (Project Based Learning) has also proven itself in the training system. The authors talk about their work experience, when students are happy to prepare projects related to their future professional field, which involve searching the Internet for information on the topic, selecting, organizing and minimizing the material, and then creating Power Point presentations based on it. Such work makes students more creative, it teaches them "to grab" the most important information, as well as to structure, systematize and minimize the selected material, training logical and teamwork skills. Social networks (Facebook, VKontakte, etc.) and WhatsApp can also be used in the modern educational process, especially in the absence or lack of interactive facilities. The rapid exchange of small pieces of information (including video, audio and infographics) in a WhatsApp group or on a social network is, on the one hand, the best format for a modern students who are used to multitasking and unable to perceive large informational content, and on the other hand, corresponds to the habits of young people to prefer visual information. In the article authors give some examples how they use this way in the frame of teaching Russian as a foreign language.


Flashover on transmission and distribution line insulators occurs when the insulator's resistance drops to a critical level and causes frequent power outages. Thin layers of dust, salt, and airborne particles, gradually deposited on the surface of insulators, as well as humidity, form an electrolyte which causes flashover.  In this paper, a flashover prevention system using IoT technology and machine learning is proposed in order to reduce loss and increase power reliability. The system includes an IoT module, a service and clients. The IoT module prototype was installed at a distribution line pole located in Pracha-utit, Bangkok, Thailand and had collected data for thirty-four months. The data were pre-processed and split for the training process and evaluation. In this study, we built and compared four models including linear regression, polynomial regression, Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models. The results revealed that the LSTM model outperformed (R2=.931, RMSE= 530.74) the others.


Demands on the high by-pass ratio of modern civil engine, an increasing radial offset between the booster and the high pressure compressor highlights the importance of S-shaped gooseneck. A desirable balance between the length and the radial offset by optimizing inner-wall and outer-wall for gooseneck will save the length of low pressure rotor and improve the situation to deliver the flow through it.This paper presented a geometric modeling method which adopted polynomial curves to construct inner-wall and section area distribution for goosenecks. With the given boundary dimensions of gooseneck, the location of inflection point served as a variable to control the inner-wall curve, and the peak value and its location served as the other two variables to control the area distribution curve. A series of 3-D models were built from the baseline gooseneck model in order to analyze the relationships between the geometric parameters and the aerodynamic performance.The 3-D numerical simulation results indicated that the peak value of area distribution has the most important effects on the total pressure loss of gooseneck. An appropriate peak value of area distribution could be obtained by changing the normalized Mach number at peak point to weaken the flow separation near the outer-wall and after the struts. Inner-walls with large curvature near the entrance of gooseneck, and area distributions with an appropriate peak location, would improve the streamline of outer-wall and restrain the flow separation. Subsequently, the relationships between the geometric control variables and the total pressure loss were established.Moreover, taking the constructional blocking effects of struts into account, a series of simplified 2-D flow paths were modeled and the relationships were reestablished. The 2-D results indicated that the simplified model could also reveal the flow field near the inner-wall address the correct peak value. But the optimum peak location and the inner-wall inflection point were not consistent with the 3-D results due to the geometric changes on the outer-wall. The equivalent method will be further improved in the future research.Copyright © 2016 by ASME


Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is strongly overexpressed in multiple human solid tumours in response to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia). In tumours high CA-IX expression is closely associated with higher incidence of metastasis and poor prognosis. Hypoxic tumours are also less sensitive to classical chemo- and radiotherapy. The potential of CA-IX in cancer therapy has encouraged the search for potent and selective CA-IX inhibitors over recent years. We have evaluated a panel of novel aromatic sulphonamide inhibitors of CA-IX for their anti-metastatic potential and ability to enhance response to standard therapies. From an initial screen of 10 agents, the compound S4 (whose complete chemical structure will be disclosed at the time of the presentation) showed potent inhibition of cell migration and cell spreading under hypoxic conditions in MDA231 breast cancer cells. In MTT assays, the cytotoxicity to MDA231 cells exposure to S4 for 24 or 96 hours revealed an IC50 of 48 μM and 27 μM, subsequently. Under complete hypoxia for 24 hours (anoxia), S4 in the 33–100 μM range inhibited the migration of MDA231 cells and cell spreading on collagen and fibronectin coated coverslips. In vivo S4 was evaluated in mice bearing xenografts of breast or colon carcinoma tumours i.e. MDA-MB-231 or HCT116 tumours, respectively. MDA231 tumours were established within the mammary fat pad and HCT116 within the liver following intrasplenic injection. We investigated the effect of i.p. administration of S4 on primary tumour growth and on metastases formation in the lung. S4 was given at the maintenance dosage of 10 mg/kg on 5 days on 2 days off regiment for two whole cycles for the duration of the experiment. Ex vivo clonogenicity assays or counting of tumours in haematoxylin & eosin stained sections of lung indicated that S4 treatment reduced the number of viable cells that metastasised to the lung in both models. The primary tumour growth of MDA231 and HCT116 were not affected by the S4. T2-weighted MR imaging (Rare) was successfully used to identify and monitor the HCT116 tumour growth within livers. In preliminary in vitro studies using 3D-spheroid cultures, S4 appears also capable of enhancing chemo- and radiotherapy response. Clonogenicity assays showed that S4 was able to enhance the cytotoxic effect of the anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (10 μM) against FaDu spheroids by reducing the number of recovered colonies. S4 also enhanced cell death induced by a single dose of 10 Gy of radiation to FaDu spheroids. The precise mechanisms by which CA IX inhibition via S4 impacts on chemotherapy, radiation response and migratory phenotype is as yet unclear, but changes in pH environment, effects on proliferation, apoptosis and interplay with migratory machinery have all been associated with CA IX activity. We conclude that CA IX inhibition is an attractive therapeutic approach with multiple applications in the clinical setting. We acknowledge the financial support from the European Commission for the METOXIA program. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B222.


Graph convolutional neural networks (GCNs) operate by aggregating messages over local neighborhoods given the prediction task under interest. Many GCNs can be understood as a form of generalized diffusion of input features on the graph, and significant work has been dedicated to improving predictive accuracy by altering the ways of message passing. In this work, we propose a new convolution kernel that effectively rewires the graph according to the occupation correlations of the vertices by trading on the generalized diffusion paradigm for the propagation of a quantum particle over the graph. We term this new convolution kernel the Quantum Diffusion Convolution (QDC) operator. In addition, we introduce a multiscale variant that combines messages from the QDC operator and the traditional combinatorial Laplacian. To understand our method, we explore the spectral dependence of homophily and the importance of quantum dynamics in the construction of a bandpass filter. Through these studies, as well as experiments on a range of datasets, we observe that QDC improves predictive performance on the widely used benchmark datasets when compared to similar methods.


The High Field Laboratory for Superconducting Materials (HFLSM) and the Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory (TML) conducted in collaboration a case study on development of a 50 T-class hybrid magnet. To construct a high magnetic field magnet with compact and energy-saving design as well as with easy operation and maintenance, one has to develop high-strength NbSn strand cables, with maximized superconducting characteristics and which can withstand a large electromagnetic force over 500 MPa. For this purpose, the HFLSM has proposed and investigated the effect of repeated bending treatment (pre bending) on NbSn strands internally reinforced with CuNb stabilizer leading to significant enhancement of the critical current density. In this report we present our results on application of the pre bending effect to the development of high-strength strand cables. The designed prebent-strand cables are composed of three CuNb/Nb3Sn strands (3 times Phi =1.73 mm) and four stainless steel strands ( 4 times Phi =1.73 mm). High-strength CuNb/Nb3Sn strand cables have shown a stress limit of 552 MPa at 0.4% strain, and a critical current of Ic =1000 A at 18.5 T and 2.0 K. For such high-strength strand cables, a 20 T superconducting magnet with a room temperature bore (Phi =400 mm) consisting of five layers made of CuNb/NbSn and two layers of NbTi was designed. The coil parameters are: inner diameter Phi = 440 mm, outer diameter Phi = 1332 mm, coil height 1321 mm, inductance 350 H and magnetic stored energy 144 MJ at 908 A of the operation current. Winding of the coil was experimentally successfully simulated using dummy 3 + 4 strands cable composed of three Cu strands and 4 stainless steel strands with a similar design to the 3 + 4 strands superconducting cable presented above. The 20 T superconducting coil will be used as a 20 T outsert for a 25 T water-cooled resistive insert to obtain a 45 T hybrid magnet.


Progress of spectroscopic studies in soft-X-ray regime is discussed. From the first utilization of ES (Electron Synchrotron) in University of Tokyo, synchrotron radiation spectroscopy, especially in vacuum ultraviolet and soft-Xray region plays important rolls for the study of condensed matters. Not only the advanced synchrotron light source but also new detection methods have given us a lot of advantages in investigations especially in surface science. Recent trend in spectroscopy is combination with microscopy and time-resolved measurements. These show us the frontiers in intrinsic nature of matters.


Problem of sex in Javanese society seems to be taboo to talk, especially between parents to children. This research views the depiction and digs information about sex education in Javanese family in villages in DIY. The informants of this research are parents who have young adult children (male and female) in villages I Sleman, Bantul, Gunungkidul, and Kulon Progo. Information is gained through in-depth interview with the informants. Triangulation is used to keep the data valid. The research result shows that parents think that sex education is needed. Most of them think that sex education is best given by teachers in school, especially teachers of religions. Some think that children will understand by themselves automatically as they grow, perhaps from their friends or neighbors


Abstract : A dynamic simulation was conducted to provide an initial and limited investigation into the operational and procedural problems that may exist when intermittent positive control (IPC) is present within a terminal area air traffic control (ATC) system. The simulation was performed at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) and utilized the digital simulation facility (DSF). The test environment simulated a single Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor site and used the IPC algorithm provided by the MITRE Corporation. The results indicated that the algorithm tested at NAFEC adversely interacted with the present ATC system in a number of operational areas. Rather than remaining passive until required, IPC generated controller alerts and, at times, commands when controllers were following normal procedures and aircraft pairs were well outside ATC separation standards. These unnecessary alerts occurred most frequently between arrivals in the final approach area and between arrivals and departures in those areas where routes crossed. The arrival encounters usually involved high closure rates, and, in general, all encounters demonstrated that a lack of knowledge of ATC intent and a sensitivity to controller technique precipitated the premature IPC activity. Data indicated that significant reductions in the number of IPC messages generated could be achieved by reductions in IPC threshold parameters. Modifications to control procedures could produce similar reductions, but were not considered acceptable because of the tendency toward increased workload and reduced operations rates. A comparative analysis between an airborne collision avoidance system and IPC is provided.


The Euler's elastica energy regularizer has been widely used in image processing and computer vision tasks. However, finding a fast and simple solver for the term remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a new dual method to simplify the solution. Classical fast solutions transform the complex optimization problem into simpler subproblems, but introduce many parameters and split operators in the process. Hence, we propose a new dual algorithm to maintain the constraint exactly, while using only one dual parameter to transform the problem into its alternate optimization form. The proposed dual method can be easily applied to level-set-based segmentation models that contain the Euler's elastic term. Lastly, we demonstrate the performance of the proposed method on both synthetic and real images in tasks image processing tasks, i.e. denoising, inpainting, and segmentation, as well as compare to the Augmented Lagrangian method (ALM) on the aforementioned tasks.


Non-Hodgkin lymphoma with concurrent pregnancy produces management dilemma regarding obstetrical aspect and chemoradiation for the disease itself. Successful pregnancy outcome depends upon several factors. Stage of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at presentation, gestational age at the time of diagnosis, response to chemotherapy, presence of compression symptoms or systemic B symptoms, concomitant obstetric complications emerging during antenatal follow-up, teratogenic /developmental defects of the unborn baby and its sequel, cardiotoxicity of Doxorubicin in particular are among the various factors affecting management and prognosis of each case. This case report delineates the management of a patient diagnosed as Non- Hodgkin's lymphoma at 18 weeks of gestation with a successful foetal outcome and ultimate demise of the patient from progressive disease eight months after delivery. DOI: 10.3329/bjog.v24i1.6324 Bangladesh J Obstet Gynaecol , 2009; Vol. 24(1) :27-31


Objective: To report a case of ziprasidone- and lithium-induced neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Case Summary: A 47-year-old white male with a history of schizoaffective disorder was admitted to the hospital due to an exacerbation of severe mania. He had been taking lithium 450 mg twice daily and divalproex sodium 750 mg/day. On hospital day 2, ziprasidone 80 mg twice daily was added, and as-needed doses of intramuscular ziprasidone 20 mg and lorazepam 2 mg were used for agitation. On day 6, the patient developed hyperthermia (39.4 °C), elevated creatine kinase 26 000 units/L and white blood cell (WBC) count (20.7 × 103/μL), myoglobinuria, hypotension (68/40 mm Hg), altered mental status, and tachypnea (28 breaths/min). This case is notable for the absence of muscle rigidity, which presents in greater than 90% of patients with NMS taking traditional antipsychotics. Discussion: This case of ziprasidone- and lithium-induced NMS is of probable cause, as determined by the Naranjo probability scale. The patient presented with symptoms consistent with NMS 4 days after initiation of ziprasidone and lithium. The majority of NMS cases present with the core features of hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, and elevated CK levels. Other frequently seen symptoms include altered mental status, tachypnea, tachycardia, elevated WBC count, hypotension, diaphoresis, and myoglobinuria. Our patient presented with 2 of the core symptoms, but did not develop muscle rigidity at any time. NMS criteria include muscle rigidity as one of the major presenting symptoms. Recent literature suggests that perhaps NMS due to novel antipsychotics presents with less muscle rigidity than is seen with traditional agents due to their lower affinity for the dopamine D2 receptor. Conclusions: This case illustrates that NMS due to the novel antipsychotic ziprasidone may present with many of the core symptoms of the syndrome, but possibly less muscle rigidity than is seen with traditional agents.


This paper explains about basic working principles, implementation problems, and experimental results of a new power factor correction (PFC) topology. In this proposed topology, a totem-pole boost PFC circuit that works under interleaved critical-conduction-mode (CRM) condition is presented. The circuit is developed towards high efficiency, high performance, lowcost, simple control scheme, and low conducted electro magnetic interference (EMI) PFC circuit. The application is targeted toward middle power applications that normally employs continuous or non-bridgeless interleaved boost converter.


In this paper, we focus on the parallel communication cost of multiplying a matrix with its transpose, known as a symmetric rank-k update (SYRK). SYRK requires half the computation of general matrix multiplication because of the symmetry of the output matrix. Recent work (Beaumont et al., SPAA '22) has demonstrated that the sequential I/O complexity of SYRK is also a constant factor smaller than that of general matrix multiplication. Inspired by this progress, we establish memory-independent parallel communication lower bounds for SYRK with smaller constants than general matrix multiplication, and we show that these constants are tight by presenting communication-optimal algorithms. The crux of the lower bound proof relies on extending a key geometric inequality to symmetric computations and analytically solving a constrained nonlinear optimization problem. The optimal algorithms use a triangular blocking scheme for parallel distribution of the symmetric output matrix and corresponding computation.


BACKGROUND
this study analyzed prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of primary thyroid lymphoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
data were retrospectively collected for 87 patients (53 stage I and 34 stage II) with median age 65 years. Fifty-two patients were treated with single modality (31 with chemotherapy alone and 21 with radiotherapy alone) and 35 with combined modality treatment. Median follow-up was 51 months.

RESULTS
sixty patients had aggressive lymphoma and 27 had indolent lymphoma. The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 74% and 71%, respectively, and the disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 68% and 64%. Univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor size, stage, lymph node involvement, B symptoms, and treatment modality were prognostic factors for OS, DFS, and local control (LC). Patients with thyroiditis had significantly better LC rates. In multivariate analysis, OS was influenced by age, B symptoms, lymph node involvement, and tumor size, whereas DFS and LC were influenced by B symptoms and tumor size. Compared with single modality treatment, patients treated with combined modality had better 5-year OS, DFS, and LC.

CONCLUSIONS
combined modality leads to an excellent prognosis for patients with aggressive lymphoma but does not improve OS and LC in patients with indolent lymphoma.


The prognosis of patients with relapsed Early Thymic Precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) remains poor. Unlike B cell Precursor-ALL (BCP-ALL), there are no approved targeted therapies for ETP-ALL. Recent studies have identified a consistent expression of CD38 on the blasts of patients with T-ALL (both ETP-ALL and non ETP-ALL). Pre-clinical studies indicate that CD38 expression persists on the blasts of T-ALL even after receipt of conventional chemotherapy. These findings make CD38 an attractive targetable surface protein for patients with relapsed refractory T-ALL. We were the first to describe the clinical use of daratumumab in a patient of ETP-ALL, with relapsed disease post allogeneic transplant. We describe here the long term outcome of this patient more than 3 years after starting single agent daratumumab.


Abstract: Recently, increasing attention has been drawn to the potential diabetogenic effect of atypical antipsychotics. The goal of this prospective study is to evaluate the early effect of olanzapine and risperidone treatment on pancreatic β-cell function in atypical-naive schizophrenic patients. Twenty-six subjects were assigned randomly to therapy with olanzapine or risperidone for 14 days. The metabolic parameters were quantitatively assessed by using the intravenous glucose tolerance test. The levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin, lipid profiles, and leptin were also assessed. There were no significant within-group changes in weight or body mass index for both groups after 2 weeks of treatment. The levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin, cholesterol, or leptin did not change in both groups. The triglyceride level significantly increased in olanzapine group. Glucose disappearance rate and insulin sensitivity did not change in both groups. Insulin secretion significantly decreased in olanzapine group. After 2 weeks of olanzapine treatment, schizophrenic patients decreased insulin secretory response to a hyperglycemic challenge. The results of this study support the hypothesis that olanzapine might directly impair pancreatic β-cell function.


Introduction:
 Multiphase CT-Angiography (mCTA) can provide dynamic parenchymal hemodynamic information, including proper microvascular 'blood pool' assessment. Our objective was to determine which ASPECTS scoring method between non-contrast CT (NCCT), and delayed phase blood pool assessment on mCTA best predicted final infarct. This can contribute to decision making for endovascular therapy.

 Hypothesis:
 ASPECTS on delayed phase blood pool analysis would best predict final infarct score.

 Methods:
 Patients with TICI 0, 2b, or 3 reperfusion who met criteria for thrombolysis and endovascular therapy were included. ASPECTS scores were calculated on admission NCCT. Blood pool ASPECTS were calculated as discrete areas of hypodensity on delayed phase mCTA. Baseline scores were compared to final infarct score on follow-up CT/MRI. Sensitivities and specificities were calculated and then stratified by brain region to determine the most predictive method.

 Results:
 Fifty-three patients were analyzed (25/53= TICI 0, 10/53= TICI 2b, 15/53= TICI 3). Delayed phase blood pool mCTA showed similar sensitivities for ganglionic regions and improved sensitivities for supraganglionic regions. Delayed phase blood pool analysis of mCTA showed improved specificity in ganglionic regions over NCCT (Table 1, Figure 1).

 Conclusion:
 In conclusion, blood pool assessment on delayed phase mCTA has the capability to identify additional at risk tissue beyond that defined by NCCT.


Polymer brushes are frequently used as surface-tethered antifouling layers in biosensors to improve sensor surface-analyte recognition in the presence of abundant non-target molecules in complex biological samples by suppressing nonspecific interactions. However, because brushes are complex systems highly responsive to changes in their surrounding environment, studying their properties remains a challenge. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is an emerging method in this context. In this mini review, we aim to elucidate the potential of EIS for investigating the physicochemical properties and structural aspects of polymer brushes. The application of EIS in brush-based biosensors is also discussed. Most common principles employed in these biosensors are presented, as well as interpretation of EIS data obtained in such setups. Overall, we demonstrate that the EIS-polymer brush pairing has a considerable potential for providing new insights into brush functionalities and designing highly sensitive and specific biosensors.


It is shown that statistical mechanics is applicable to isolated quantum systems with finite numbers of particles, such as complex atoms, atomic clusters, or quantum dots in solids, where the residual two-body interaction is sufficiently strong. This interaction mixes the unperturbed shell-model (Hartree-Fock) basis states and produces chaotic many-body eigenstates. As a result, an interaction-induced statistical equilibrium emerges in the system. This equilibrium is due to the off-diagonal matrix elements of the Hamiltonian. We show that it can be described by means of temperature introduced through the canonical-type distribution. However, the interaction between the particles can lead to prominent deviations of the equilibrium distribution of the occupation numbers from the Fermi-Dirac shape. Besides that, the off-diagonal part of the Hamiltonian gives rise to an increase of the effective temperature of the system (statistical effect of the interaction). For example, this takes place in the cerium atom, which has four valence electrons and which is used in our work to compare the theory with realistic numerical calculations.


We describe the Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH) code, a block-adaptive-mesh code for multi-material radiation hydrodynamics. The implementation solves the radiation diffusion model with a gray or multi-group method and uses a flux-limited diffusion approximation to recover the free-streaming limit. Electrons and ions are allowed to have different temperatures and we include flux-limited electron heat conduction. The radiation hydrodynamic equations are solved in the Eulerian frame by means of a conservative finite-volume discretization in either one-, two-, or three-dimensional slab geometry or in two-dimensional cylindrical symmetry. An operator-split method is used to solve these equations in three substeps: (1) an explicit step of a shock-capturing hydrodynamic solver; (2) a linear advection of the radiation in frequency-logarithm space; and (3) an implicit solution of the stiff radiation diffusion, heat conduction, and energy exchange. We present a suite of verification test problems to demonstrate the accuracy and performance of the algorithms. The applications are for astrophysics and laboratory astrophysics. The CRASH code is an extension of the Block-Adaptive Tree Solarwind Roe Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) code with a new radiation transfer and heat conduction library and equation-of-state and multi-group opacity solvers. Both CRASH and BATS-R-US are part of the publicly available Space Weather Modeling Framework.


Regional blood flow in the liver, pancreas and kidney was measured under conditions of profound hypothermia associated with total circulatory arrest, to determine whether cardiopulmonary bypass with pulsatile flow would improve the blood flow in these visceral organs in comparison with nonpulsatile flow. Using 56 adult mongrel dogs, total cardiopulmonary bypass was carried out to induce hypothermia and 40 min of total circulatory arrest was performed at 20 degrees C. After total arrest, the temperature was raised to 35 degrees C. With pulsatile flow, a decrease of the regional blood flow in the liver, pancreas and kidney was prevented during cooling, especially at 20 degrees C before total circulatory arrest. Moreover, regional renal blood flow recovered rapidly with pulsatile flow after total arrest at 20 degrees C, while after arrest with nonpulsatile flow blood flow in the kidney could not be measured in the cortex and was significantly lower in the medulla. In summary, pulsatile flow improves the hepatic, pancreatic and renal blood flow and, referring to our previous experiments, protects the function of these organs during cardiopulmonary bypass associated with profound hypothermia and total circulatory arrest.


Antibiotic and antagonistic effects of primary and secondary forms of Photorhabdus luminescens , a symbiotic bacterium of an entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis indica (RCR) were investigated in vitro against plant pathogens and beneficial microorganisms. An inhibition zone assay on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium revealed that the primary form completely inhibited all plant pathogenic fungi, viz. , Aspergillus flavus , Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani and tested secondary form completely inhibited the growth of F. solani and partially inhibited A. flavus and failed to inhibit R. solani . However, dual culture assay on nutrient agar (NA) in both forms completely inhibited the growth of the bacterial pathogen, Xanthomonas punicae . The forms of P. luminescens did not inhibit the mycelial growth of entomopathogens viz., Metarhizium anisopliae , Verticillium lecanii and Nomuraea rileyi but inhibited the growth of bacterial bioagents Rhizobium sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens . The present study indicates that P. luminescens can be effectively used in the management of these plant pathogens.


We report direct evidence for deprotonation of a lysine side chain buried in the hydrophobic core of a protein, demonstrating heteronuclear 1H-15N NMR data on the Lys-66 side chain amine (Nzeta) group in the delta-PHS/V66K variant of staphylococcal nuclease. Previous crystallographic study has shown that the Lys-66 Nzeta group is completely buried in the hydrophobic core. On the basis of double and triple resonance experiments, we found that the 1Hzeta and 15Nzeta chemical shifts at pH 8.0 and 6 degrees C for the buried lysine are 0.81 and 23.3 ppm, respectively, which are too abnormal to correspond to the protonated (NH3+) state. Further investigations using a model system suggested that the abnormal 1H and 15N chemical shifts represent the deprotonated (NH2) state of the Lys-66 Nzeta group. More straightforward evidence for the deprotonation was obtained with 2D F1-1H-coupled 1H-15N heteronuclear correlation experiments. Observed 15N multiplets clearly indicated that the spin system for the Lys-66 Nzeta group is AX2 (NH2) rather than AX3 (NH3+). Interestingly, although the amine group is buried in the hydrophobic core, the hydrogen exchange between water and the Lys-66 Nzeta group was found to be relatively rapid (93 s(-1) at -1 degrees C), which suggests the presence of a dynamic process such as local unfolding or water penetration. The partial self-decoupling effect on 15Nzeta multiplets due to the rapid hydrogen exchange is also discussed.


The study explored fathers' perceptions of and their role in preparing their preschool child for mainstream education. The role of fathers in providing conditions for optimal development of children is often overlooked. This exploratory study incorporated semi-structured interviews with nine fathers residing in Cape Town, South Africa. Audio recordings were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Three thematic categories were identified: perceptions of school readiness, external feedback that guides fathers' perspectives of school readiness; and roles and responsibilities regarding school readiness. The findings suggested that, in general, fathers lacked knowledge about school readiness and child development. Fathers' beliefs about school readiness were often informed by their subjective experiences. The feedback from professionals was acknowledged as a primary source of information about school readiness. External facilitation of school readiness happens across numerous contexts pertaining to the individual, family, and school. Fathers were regarded as important role players across these contexts. It emerged that fathers' roles remain undervalued and their ability to participate is diminished owing to their limited knowledge, gendered patterns to child rearing, and the lack of engagement with school systems.


PurposePerson-centred care is a fundamental component of any service. This case study aims to explore the delivery of person-centred care in the voluntary sector, discussing how integrating support can be achieved to benefit individuals. It identifies challenges, best practice and learning that can be applied across sectors and promotes further enquiry.Design/methodology/approachThis case study is the result of a service audit at a mental health charity. The findings are a blend of reflections, observations and examples from service delivery, synthesised with national policy to provide evidence of best practice and processes that enable person-centred care.FindingsA focus on need not diagnosis, creating accessible and inclusive services, employing dual trained practitioners, having a varied skill mix along with holistic self-assessment tools are all enablers for integrated person-centred support. Multi-agency assessment frameworks, collaboration across services, cross-agency supervision and a shared vision for integration and person-centred care support services to coordinate more effectively. Barriers to integrated person-centred support include complex physical and mental health needs and harmful risk and safeguarding. The diversity of the voluntary sector, a lack of resources along with complex and competitive funding also hinder integration.Originality/valueThis case study provides a valuable insight into the voluntary sector and shares its findings to enhance best practice. It aims to promote interest and invites further research into health and social care delivery by the voluntary sector. As this delivery continues to increase, it is vital to examine the interface between the voluntary and statutory sector. Through better understanding and further research across all sectors, the author can identify how they can achieve person-centred outcomes and deliver the national policies.


The identification and quantification of 20 different polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the fly ash from a pressurized fluidized bed (PFB) air gasification system based:on hot gas filtering were determined by GC-MS analysis. A comparison was made on the basis of the results from two different sets of experiments with varied gasifier feedstock. The first set included four experiments with pure wood biomass as the gasifier fuel. In the second set a mixture of biomass and 10 wt % textile waste was used. The comparison showed that the distribution of the PAHs in the fly ash was strongly dependent on the gasifier feedstock but that the operational parameters, such as pressure and air/fuel ratio, showed minor effects. The relative content of the heavier compounds was larger for the pure biomass: experiments, while the lighter compounds became predominant in the case of the mixtures. The study showed that the decisive parameter influencing the formation was the structure of each PAH rather than its molecular weight. Thermal decomposition of the added textile resulted in the formation of phenylic radicals. The excessive occurrence of such intermediates/compounds favored the formation of the simple structured PAHs with relatively low molecular weights. The largest contribution of the textile was to PAHs consisting of two benzene rings with at least one C-C bond between, such as dibenzofurane, fluorene, and biphenyl. Formation of the PAHs consisting of two joined benzene rings, such as naphthalene and 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, was also strongly affected by the textile addition. The smallest effect of the mixing was observed in the contents of the heavier compounds consisting of more than three benzene:rings. The differences in the relative concentrations of same compounds, such as phenanthrene and triphenylene, can be explained in the terms of their reactivity. (Less)


The acquisition of mammalian endothermy is poorly constrained both phylogenetically and temporally. Here, we inferred the resting metabolic rates (RMRs) and the thermometabolic regimes (endothermy or ectothermy) of a sample of eight extinct synapsids using palaeohistology, phylogenetic eigenvector maps (PEMs), and a sample of 17 extant tetrapods of known RMR (quantified using respirometry). We inferred high RMR values and an endothermic metabolism for the anomodonts (Lystrosaurus sp., Oudenodon bainii) and low RMR values and an ectothermic metabolism for Clepsydrops collettii, Dimetrodon sp., Edaphosaurus boanerges, Mycterosaurus sp., Ophiacodon uniformis and Sphenacodon sp. A maximum-likelihood ancestral states reconstruction of RMRs performed using the values inferred for extinct synapsids, and the values measured using respirometry in extant tetrapods, shows that the nodes Anomodontia and Mammalia were primitively endotherms. Finally, we performed a parsimony optimization of the presence of endothermy using the results obtained in the present study and those obtained in previous studies that used PEMs. For this, we assigned to each extinct taxon a thermometabolic regime (ectothermy or endothermy) depending on whether the inferred values were significantly higher, lower or not significantly different from the RMR value separating ectotherms from endotherms (1.5 ml O2 h−1 g−0.67). According to this optimization, endothermy arose independently in Archosauromorpha, Sauropterygia and Therapsida. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.


Several recent studies have provided evidence that good diabetes control is important to prevent diabetic retinopathy. However, some groups of patients develop diabetic retinopathy despite good control and others escape retinopathy despite poor control. This suggests the role of genetic factors in susceptibility to retinopathy. This article reviews the role of genetic factors in determining diabetic retinopathy.


Nowadays, across the Energy Industry, there is no longer any discussion on the 'Return of Investment' for using drones for specific use cases such as Asset Integrity Inspections.
 Given the time saving, the amount of data gathered, the better use of resources and worker safety benefits, using drones for several fields of application is a 'no brainer' for Eni.
 In the last years Eni interest in using drones raised, paying now more and more attention to new fields of application such as HSE, Security, Seismic and Logistics in order to support several needs.
 New Hardware and Software allows performing new types of operations as listed below, but not limited to:
 Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Fully autonomous operations. Light Material transport Long range pipeline surveillance Emissions detection
 In order to achieve above targets Eni put in place several processes:
 A continuous market trends analysis in order to identify technologies, providers and services to perform new types of operation in a proper and safe manner. Analysis results are shared inside Eni and between Eni HQ and ENI Business Units with the aim to improve internal know – how. A continuous communication between Eni HQ and Eni Business Units allows identifying technologies to design in-house because of not satisfied by the market. Development of new competence and skills. Thanks to new technical competences inside Eni LOGIS Aviation competence center, Eni improves day by day the knowledge of national and international regulatory system and the collaboration with local Aviation Authorities. Release of internal regulatory documents based on international regulatory system, to define rules, guidelines and procedures with the aim to manage, standardize, support and guarantee safe, healthy and secure UAS Operations. Issue of dedicated feasibility study with cost/benefits/constraints evaluation Technical acceptance document for service providers
 In light of above, Eni looks to use drones in the workplace just like any other 'tool', don't just think of drones in terms of what we see today but think about tomorrow with interest on combination between UAS and Artificial Intelligence and UAS and IOT.
 The implementation of UAS operations to several fields of application and in autonomous manner can really change the way to operate in O&G industry. This will facilitate not only operations at height but also operations offshore and in remote areas, with an improvement of safety for both operators and assets, reducing time and costs.