The aging population has become a significant concern in many countries, including Malaysia. As a developing country, Malaysia is still struggling to provide better care for the elderly segment, which is increasing in number and demands distinctive attention, care, and treatment from both family and society. This study aims to examine the relationship between Perception of Health and Happiness, Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education, Quality Care, Proactive Environment, and Elderly Care Services in Aging care centers in Malaysia. A probability simple random sampling technique was utilized in distributing a survey-based questionnaire, and 328 responses were collected from entrepreneurs of both registered and non-registered aging care centers. The research model was assessed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling. The remarkable results of the research are: (1) Perception of Health and Happiness do not affect Quality Care and Proactive Environment. (2) Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education significantly affect the quality care and Proactive Environment. (3) Quality Care and Proactive Environment significantly mediate the relationship between Behavioral Attitudes, Health Promotion, and Education. (4) Quality Care insignificantly mediates the relationship between Proactive Environment and Perception of Health and Happiness. The findings revealed that Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education have a significant effect. Hence, the present study should further be strengthened to enhance the aging care of elderly care center services for the betterment of elderly care centers, especially those that are operated by entrepreneurs. The implication of the study is discussed in the paper.


Here we report a molecular mass amplifying strategy to construct a fluorescence anisotropy sensor for the detection of microRNA. Because fluorescence anisotropy is less affected by biological matrix interferences, the proposed method can be used directly for the detection of targets in tumor cell lysates without any tedious sample pretreatment, and a good linearity in the 10 pM to 0.5 nM range with a detection limit down to 3.4 pM was achieved. The results established that our method can be used to design fluorescence anisotropy sensors for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of miRNAs for early diagnosis of cancer.


Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are ubiquitously expressed, essential enzymes that ligate tRNA molecules to their cognate amino acids. Heterozygosity for missense variants or small in-frame deletions in five ARS genes causes axonal peripheral neuropathy, a disorder characterized by impaired neuronal function in the distal extremities. These variants reduce enzyme activity without significantly decreasing protein levels and reside in genes encoding homo-dimeric enzymes. These observations raise the possibility of a dominant-negative effect, in which non-functional mutant ARS subunits dimerize with wild-type ARS subunits and reduce overall ARS activity below 50%, breaching a threshold required for peripheral nerve axons. To test for these dominant-negative properties, we developed a humanized yeast assay to co-express pathogenic human alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS1) mutations with wild-type human AARS1. We show that multiple loss-of-function, pathogenic AARS1 variants repress yeast growth in the presence of wild-type human AARS1. This growth defect is rescued when these variants are placed in cis with a mutation that reduces dimerization with the wild-type subunit, demonstrating that the interaction between mutant AARS1 and wild-type AARS1 is responsible for the repressed growth. This demonstrates that neuropathy-associated AARS1 variants exert a dominant-negative effect, which supports a common, loss-of-function mechanism for ARS-mediated dominant peripheral neuropathy.


Primary cardiac tumours are quite rare. Only 7 cases were reported in a series of 12,000 autopsies, and its prevalence is less than 0.1% [1]. Malignant tumours account for approximately 15% of primary cardiac tumours, and sarcomas are the most common [2]. Cardiac sarcomas are quite rare and have been published as isolated case reports. Rhabdomyosarcomas account for 20% of overall cardiac sarcomas and are more prevalent in adults. Rhabdomyosarcomas most commonly originate from the ventricles. Echocardiographic (ECHO) findings can provide diagnosis, while electrocardiography and X-ray findings can be nonspecific [2]. In addition to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) is used for diagnostic purposes. Primary cardiac sarcomas cause death due to obstruction of blood flow through the heart. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for all primary cardiac tumours. Additional treatment options include chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the present report, a case of rhabdomyosarcoma in the left atrium is described.

Posteroanterior (PA) chest radiograph was performed in a 44-year-old female patient with congenital kyphosis, complaining of cough, shortness of breath and weakness. On subsequent ECHO, a 4.3 cm × 2.8 cm left atrial mass was detected beginning from the annulus of the anterior mitral leaflet and extending onto the anterior leaflet. The mass extended towards to the left ventricle inlet during each systole so that 2–3 degrees of mitral insufficiency occurred (Fig. 1A). On 19th January, 2011, the patient was operated on and a tumour was found in the left atrium with extensive infiltration into the atrial septum and adhesion of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve, which was slightly thickened. The tumour was resected together with part of the atrial septum, and the anterior mitral leaflet was preserved. The atrial septum was reconstructed, and the mitral valve was repaired. A safety margin was confirmed by frozen section technique. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed pleomorphic sarcoma, while immunohistochemical examination showed negative staining of the neoplastic cells with caldesmon, s-100 and cd-34. Additionally, desmin was focal positive, and smooth muscle actin was positive. The histopathological and the immunohistochemical findings were consistent with rhabdomyosarcoma (Fig. 2). There were no malignant cells on the surgical margins (R0 resection). No systemic involvement was found in thoracic MRI and abdomen CT imaging. On 28th February, 2011, an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen including ifosfamide 2500 mg/m2/day on days 1–3, mesna 2500 mg/m2/day on days 1–3 and doxorubicin 60 mg/m2/day on day 1 was administrated after complete resection. The patient received six cycles of chemotherapy under echocardiographic monitoring, and left ventricle ejection fraction (EF) was 60% on 18th January, 2011. Following the detection of left ventricle EF drop below 40% on the echocardiographic examination prior to the chemotherapy, doxorubicin was excluded from the combination chemotherapy due to the decrease of ejection fraction to the level of 40% on 25th February, 2011. Ifosfamide was commenced as a single agent after 28th February, 2011. Interval evaluation after six-cycles of chemotherapy with thoracic MRI, whole abdomen CT and ECHO showed no sign of disease. Fifteen months after diagnosis a newly appearing mass was seen in the ECHO, and palliative radiotherapy (total dose 6000 cGy) was administrated to the recurrent mass on 24th April, 2012 (Fig. 1B). Control ECHO was carried out after radiotherapy on 10th August, 2012, and a 44 cm × 14 cm mass-like appearance was found in the left atrium. In two-dimensional mode of ECHO, the mass was seen to be formed on the edge of the posterior leaflet and reached the base of the left atrium. Because the duration of relapse-free interval was longer than 6 months, the same chemotherapy regimen was planned. However, the patient did not accept chemotherapy treatment. Afterwards, it was decided to re-excite the recurrent tumour by the cardiovascular surgeons in the oncology council of the hospital. She was then operated on 5th August, 2012. Unfortunately, she died because of postoperative complications including renal and hepatic failure on 8th September, 2012.

Fig. 1

A) Preoperative ECHO revealed a large tissue mass in the left atrium. B) TEE (transoesophageal echocardiography) test showing recurrence of the mass lesion in the left atrium

Fig. 2

There is focal, strong positivity for desmin within pleomorphic large cells. Desmin expression confirms skeletal muscle differentiation (original magnification 20×)

The treatment options for cardiac sarcoma are summarised in Table 1. Surgery is recommended, if possible, for the treatment of tumours originating from the heart. The median survival has been reported as 6 to 12 months [3]. Although longer median survival times have been reported in patients that underwent complete surgical resection, recurrence and death are seen in the majority of patients. Low mitotic activity and receiving treatment are determined as two important factors that affect the survival rates in multivariate analyses [4]. There has been no randomised study conducted regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. Two retrospective series, in which anthracycline-based combination chemotherapies (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, vincristine, dacarbazine) were used, failed to demonstrate a significant contribution of adjuvant chemotherapy to the survival [5]. The contribution of adjuvant chemotherapy to the survival has been reported in studies with limited numbers of patients, of whom the majority had leiomyosarcoma [6]. Radiotherapy was rarely used, and the data is inadequate [7]. Non-cardiac adult rhabdomyosarcomas may have a better outcome with chemotherapy [8]. Cardiac transplantation may be attempted in patients with local disease, in whom surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been unsuccessful. Median survival was reported as 12 months in patients that underwent cardiac transplantation. In this series, recurrence was reported in only seven patients after the median of 27 months follow-up period [9]. Therefore, the importance of cardiac transplantation for the treatment of patients with malignant cardiac tumour remains unclear. In the present case, contrary to the ventricle-originated cases in the literature, rhabdomyosarcoma that originated from the left atrium has been reported. Complete surgical resection was performed. To date, there has not been any randomised prospective trial that supports the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy. However, the effectiveness of chemotherapy has been shown in two large retrospective series in non-cardiac adult rhabdomyosarcoma. Six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy was administered due to good performance status, younger age and the history of effective results from previous studies in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma originating from somewhere other than the heart. Although the efficacy of radiotherapy for treatment of cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma is not clear, similarly to the results of chemotherapy, the efficacy of radiotherapy for sites other than the heart were previously shown [10]. Thus, radiotherapy seems to be an alternative treatment option for cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma. The median overall survival of our patient was 20 months, which was superior to the survival of similar patients in the literature.

Table 1

Treatment options of cardiac sarcoma

Surgical resection, when possible, is the treatment of choice for all primary cardiac tumours in which effective palliation is possible with resection of malignant tumours. There is no consensus on adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Case reports indicate that certain histological subtypes may benefit from adjuvant therapy, although there is no standard chemotherapy regimen recommended. Studies on larger series are needed to illuminate these issues.


Recently, plasma-assisted combustion has become a potentially applicable technology in many combustion scenarios. In this paper, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma generator is designed to explore the effect of plasma on the CH4 oxidation process, and several properties of combustion are considered. First, in the presence or absence of plasma discharge, physical appearance of the flame is examined and analyzed. Second, the flame propagation velocity is calculated by the flame front extracted from the imaging data with the Bunsen burner method. Finally, the main molecular components and their intensity variation in the flame and the plasma zones are identified with an emission spectrograph to analyze the effect of active species on the combustion process. We also discuss the possible kinetic regime of plasma-assisted combustion. Experimental results imply that plasma discharge applied to the premixed CH4/O2/He mixture significantly raises the flame speed with equivalence ratios ranging from 0.85 to 1.10, with the flame speed improved by 17% to 35%. It can be seen that plasma can improve methane oxidation efficiency in the premixed fuel/oxidizer, especially at a low equivalence ratio.


Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) channels are homologues of Drosophila TRP channel first cloned in mammalian cells. TRPC family consists of seven members which are nonselective cation channels with a high Ca2+ permeability and are activated by a wide spectrum of stimuli. These channels are ubiquitously expressed in different tissues and organs in mammals and exert a variety of physiological functions. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) including phosphorylation, N-glycosylation, disulfide bond formation, ubiquitination, S-nitrosylation, S-glutathionylation, and acetylation play important roles in the modulation of channel gating, subcellular trafficking, protein-protein interaction, recycling, and protein architecture. PTMs also contribute to the polymodal activation of TRPCs and their subtle regulation in diverse physiological contexts and in pathological situations. Owing to their roles in the motor coordination and regulation of kidney podocyte structure, mutations of TRPCs have been implicated in diseases like cerebellar ataxia (moonwalker mice) and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The aim of this review is to comprehensively integrate all reported PTMs of TRPCs, to discuss their physiological/pathophysiological roles if available, and to summarize diseases linked to the natural mutations of TRPCs.


Introduction: The aim of this study was to review the chemical composition of propolis and its application in endodontics. Methods and Materials: For this purpose, keywords were searched on ScienceDirect, PubMed and World of Chemicals databases in order to find published papers from 1988 to February 2018. Results: There are many different compounds in propolis of different geographic regions; flavonoids are one of the most important agents which have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-allergic, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and antioxidant effects. According to the mentioned properties, propolis can be used as a canal irrigation solution as well as intracanal medicament in endodontic treatments. Studies have shown that propolis as a storage medium is capable of maintaining the vitality of the periodontal ligaments cells and also has the ability to inhibit osteoclastic activity due to one of the active compounds present in it. In vital pulp therapy, propolis can induce the production of tubular dentin and also decrease the inflammation of the pulp. Conclusion: Considering the propolis components like resin, pollen, vitamins, flavonoids and phenols; it can be used for various purposes in endodontics and would have a promising role in future medicine as well as dentistry.


Crashworthiness is the relative safety of vehicles in preventing injury and/or severe injury in crashes. Crashworthiness ratings for 1982-90 model vehicles were developed based on crash data from Victoria and New South Wales. Crashworthiness was measured by a combination of injury severity (of injured drivers) and injury risk (of drivers involved in crashes). Injury severity was based on over 22,000 drivers injured in crashes in the two States. Injury risk was based on over 70,000 drivers involved in crashes in New South Wales where a vehicle was towed away. The results measure the crashworthiness of the makes and models of vehicles, free from the effects of driver sex and speed zone differences between models. The analysis suggested that the different results were predominantly due to vehicle factors alone. The results are reliable in indicating the crashworthiness of the vehicles specified to the extent indicated by the error limits, and can be used to make reliable comparisons of the crashworthiness of pairs of models when the error limits do not overlap. However the results and conclusions are based on a number of assumptions and warrant a number of qualifications which should be noted.


A lacustrine carbonate sequence from Hawes Water, Lancashire, UK, has been studied using stable isotopic, lithological, pollen and mineral magnetic analysis. The data reveal four abrupt climatic oscillations in the Late‐glacial Interstadial leading up to the onset of the Loch Lomond Stadial. The data also point to climatic warming relatively early within the stadial, ca. 12 500 GRIP yr, prior to the onset of the Holocene. The oxygen isotope record is taken as a signature of climate forcing against which the response of the lake‐system can be monitored. By adopting this approach it is revealed that the response of the biological system to the rapid climatic oscillations is non‐linear and primarily a function of the antecedent conditions. A significant end‐Devensian isotopic excursion (A) is matched by only minor changes in the cold‐adapted floras and faunas. During the warmer interstadial, the response of the biological ecosystem (events B–D) is clearly influenced by thresholds: major changes in the catchment vegetation associated with relatively minor oscillations in the isotopic signature. The stratigraphical patterns reveal significant lag effects between the onset of climate deterioration and resulting changes in vegetation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Reduced dynamic and kinematic orbit determination results for the GOCE mission obtained with the GPS High Precision Orbit Determination Tools (GHOST) are compared with the operational GOCE Precise Science Orbit (PSO) product. Systematic biases of about 3 cm in the antenna offset vector relative to the center-ofgravity (CoG) are identified from the analysis. A CoG mismatch is indicated by comparison with satellite laser ranging (SLR) measurements.


The parameters of a wide-aperture nitrogen laser pumped by a generator with the inductive energy storage and a SOS diode opening switch or a generator with the capacitive energy storage are studied. The gas preionisation was performed by soft X-rays. The size of the active volume of the laser was 10×6×100 cm. The output energy and power obtained at the 337.1-nm C 3Πu — B 3Πg transition are maximal for electric-discharge nitrogen lasers. The output energy in the second positive system of nitrogen in the N2—SF6 mixture achieved 110 mJ for a peak power of 6 MW. Due to an increase in voltage across the laser gap in nitrogen mixtures with NF3, the generation of ~35-mJ, 100-ns pulses was obtained in the quasi-stationary stage of the discharge.


This study was conducted to understand the variation of suspended matters in coastal waters of Cheju Island. Water sampling was carried out at 22 stations along the coast of this island from March 1988 to November 1989. Analyzed and/or observed items were water temperature, salinity, total solids (TS), total dissolved solids (TDS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), and fixed suspended solids (FSS). Inter-relationships between wind velocity, precipitation and total suspended solids (TSS) were also investigated. More windy days prevail in winter season (December, January and February) in Cheju Island. Thirty-six points seven percent of total windy days of a year appeared in this season. The rate of windy days in spring was 27.3% and those in summer and fall were 17.9% each. From February to July, the heaviest precipitation was observed in the southeastern area and that from August to January was observed in the eastern part of this island. TS and TDS were firmly related with the fluctuation of salinity. Therefore, there were higher in spring and lower in summer. The highest TSS (7.73 mg/l) was observed in February and was the lowest (4.73 mg/l) in September. Annual mean value of TSS was 6.3mg/l. The highest VSS (2.03 mg/l) was observed in July and lowest (1.42 mg/l) in September. The percentage of VSS per TSS was 30.6 % in average that was not much higher level compared to the other polluted areas. This value became higher in summer (av. 34.17%) and lower in winter (av. 24.2 % ). Fluctuation of TSS was mainly related with the freshwater discharge, tidal action, and re-suspension of bottom sediments by the wind waves. Therefore, TSS concentration was low in summer and high in winter.


2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is recognized as a potent endocannabinoid, which reduces synaptic transmission through cannabinoid CB(1) receptors, and is hydrolyzed by monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) to arachidonic acid (AA), a cyclooxygenase substrate. We already reported that centrally administered MGL and cyclooxygenase inhibitors each reduced the intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered bombesin-induced secretion of adrenal catecholamines, while a centrally administered CB(1)-antagonist potentiated the response, indirectly suggesting bidirectional roles of brain 2-AG (stimulatory and inhibitory roles) in the bombesin-induced response. In the present study, we separately examined these bidirectional roles using 2-AG and 2-AG ether (2-AG-E) (stable 2-AG analog for MGL) in rats. 2-AG (0.5 μmol/animal, i.c.v.), but not 2-AG-E (0.5 μmol/animal, i.c.v.), elevated basal plasma catecholamines with JZL184 (MGL inhibitor)- and indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor)-sensitive brain mechanisms. 2-AG-E (0.1 μmol/animal, i.c.v.) effectively reduced the bombesin (1 nmol/animal, i.c.v.)-induced elevation of plasma catecholamines with rimonabant (CB(1) antagonist)-sensitive brain mechanisms. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated the bombesin-induced activation of diacylglycerol lipase α (2-AG-producing enzyme)-positive spinally projecting neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, a control center of central adrenomedullary outflow. These results directly indicate bidirectional roles of brain 2-AG, a stimulatory role as an AA precursor and an inhibitory role as an endocannabinoid, in the bombesin-induced central adrenomedullary outflow in rats.


The aim of the paper is to conduct an analysis of the degree of autonomy given to the Regions of Southern Italy in accordance to development programmers financed by European Cohesion Policy. The central issue concerns how Regions belonging to Southern Italy have adapted to EU Cohesion Policies and to the multilevel governance model they imply. The hypothesis advanced is that such Regions, during the periods of the latest budget cycles of structural funds (2000-2006 and 2007-2013), have suffered a reduction of institutional autonomy, and this has had a significant influence on the development strategies later adopted. The paper argues that Regional Policy carried out by EU has brought to a growing normative homogenization at the expense of territorial peculiarities and locally usable resources.


In this paper the authors argue that Indian water dispute settlement mechanisms are ambiguous and opaque. The authors distinguish analytically between situations where co-operation is possible, and situations of pure conflict, where the initial allocation of rights is at stake. In the latter case, a search for a negotiated solution may be futile, and quick movement to arbitration or adjudication may be more efficient. However, in India, the process is slow, and effectively binding arbitration does not exist. The entanglement of inter-state water disputes with more general centre-state conflicts and political issues compounds problems. The authors argue that these impacts can be reduced by a more efficient design of mechanisms for negotiating inter-state water disputes: some of the possibilities include a national water commission independent of daily political pressures, a federated structure incorporating river basin authorities and water user associations and fixed time periods for negotiation and adjudication.


This Note analyzes the current state of the civil law surrounding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and highlights a glaring flaw within the current practice of assigning liability to telephonic solicitors utilizing an automatic telephone dialing system (autodialer): solicitors can be subjected to liability even though their actions are not what Congress intended to prevent. Congress enacted the TCPA in response to unique consumer privacy and public safety concerns. For example, the use of an autodialer created a substantial likelihood that autodialers would call emergency services and could "seize" their telephone lines and prevent those lines from being utilized to receive calls from those needing emergency services. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the judiciary, however, have developed differing interpretations of the TCPA, which created unintentional dangers for businesses properly utilizing telemarketing strategies. These dangers that were left unresolved by the Supreme Court's ruling in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid. This fragmented interpretation and application of federal law within various jurisdictions has left callers liable to substantial fines, so long as they use a device that merely has the capacity to act as an autodialer—even if the device did not actually use autodialer functionality. Such a broad interpretation places a heavy burden on companies using technology that does not create the kind of harm against which the TCPA was meant to protect. To effectuate Congressional intent, this Note proposes that the FCC should issue a new interpretation of the TCPA by declaratory ruling that will attach liability to defendants who make use of autodialer functionality, not those who's devices merely have the capacity to do so. Alternatively, this Note proposes that either Congress amend the TCPA in a manner that better aligns with its goals, or the Supreme Court provide clarification to the lower courts as to how one acquires liability. This change will provide certainty and fairness to businesses, consumers, and the judiciary.


Objective The purpose of this study is to assess the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation of the Venice Family Clinic Medical Service Study Area (MSSA) 78.2z, a state-defined 14.8 square mile region composed of Santa Monica South, Mar Vista, Ocean Park, and Culver City, with a population of 78,796. It is proposed that there is an overall lack of primary care resources for the area's impoverished residents. Background The west side of Los Angeles is home to over 58,000 low-income uninsured men, women and children. Venice Family Clinic offers primary care to over 19,000 patients; 77% are uninsured, and 3,400 are homeless. Methods A cross-sectional study of physicians in MSSA 78.2z, and contiguous areas, was employed to quantify the number of physicians serving the low-income population. All primary care providers in 78.2z, and surrounding regions, were identified and mailed surveys, regarding hours of direct patient contact with low-income clients. Doctors who failed to return surveys are being phoned. Statistical information regarding the demographics of MSSA 78.2z was obtained from the US Census Bureau. Results The sample size was 439, with 23 physicians practicing in 78.2z. In 78.2z, the prevalence of primary care physicians treating poor patients is low, with an equivalent of only 2.0 doctors. The population provider ratio is 14,585:1. The study is in progress, with 43% of surveys completed. Conclusion There are inadequate primary care resources available for the low-income population of 78.2z, and extreme barriers to care exist in contiguous areas. According to these preliminary data, MSSA 78.2z meets most criteria for HPSA designation by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).


Objective Balint groups provide a safe space for clinicians to discuss difficult cases, with the aim of deepening the clinician-patient relationship and providing space for self-introspection and personal development. During this COVID-19 period, mental health clinicians need a platform to undergo professional supervision and peer learning sessions, which can be provided for by Tele-Balint sessions. This study aims to understand the workings of Balint groups in a multi-disciplinary team, through exploring the experience and perceptions of mental health clinicians in a tertiary obstetrics- and paediatrics-focused hospital in Singapore towards Tele-Balint groups, and examining if these groups can address their professional needs. Method A mixed-methods study was conducted. 26 mental health clinicians who had participated in Tele-Balint groups since March 2020 completed a semi-structured questionnaire, and 12 of them were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts was performed. Results Qualitative analysis revealed 5 themes. The first 4: professional and personal growth of clinicians, providing emotional support to clinicians, burnout in clinicians: what contributes and what helps, and psychological safety, address whether Tele-Balint groups meet clinicians' needs. The last theme, evolution of nature of Balint groups, addresses whether Tele-Balint groups meet clinicians' needs during the time of a pandemic. Conclusions Tele-Balint group participation was found to be beneficial in facilitating personal and professional growth, providing emotional support and preventing burnout, despite some limitations. Members should maintain flexibility towards the Balint process, in order to accommodate others who have differing needs, especially in a multi-disciplinary group.


Safe sanitation service is vital to a healthy life and promoting well-being. However, information on the proportion of households' access to safely managed sanitation services and its determinants in urban resource-limited settings is particularly scarce in Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine households' access to a safely managed sanitation service and its associated factors in Jimma, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was conducted on 782 households selected randomly. Household heads were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and facility conditions were assessed using an observation checklist. The proportion of households with access to sanitation services was presented in frequency and percentage. A binary logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the association between the explanatory and dependent variables. The study found that a significant proportion of households (87%) use unsafe sanitation services. The presence of a school-attending family member, a smaller family size, heads of households engaged in private work, wives engaged in employed work, a higher monthly income, and toilet age are all associated with access to safely managed sanitation. To ensure safe sanitation access in the setting, sanitation interventions should take into account household differences; prioritize sustainable sanitation technology options in newly built toilets; improve households' economic status; and expand job opportunities and education for mothers, which demands long-term policy interventions.


Obesity has a role in the development of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia which is characterized by the increase of adipose tissue mass due to an imbalance of energy intake and expenditure. Freeze-dried fruits are well known to possess antiobesity activity. In this study, we have evaluated the antiobesity activity of freeze-dried fruit (M. domestica, Canarium sp., and A. bilimbi) using CHOL, G6PDH, TG level, and Oil Red O assay. The viability of 3T3-L1 cell in the Canarium sp. freeze-dried in the concentration of 12.50 µg/ml has a higher value compared to M. domestica and A. bilimbi. The measurements of CHOL, G6PDH, TG level, and Oil Red O assay of the M. domestica freeze-dried in the concentration of 75 μg/ml has higher inhibitory activity compared to the Canarium sp. and A. bilimbi freeze-dried. In the CHOL assay, M. domestica freeze-dried has a higher value compared to A. bilimbi and Canarium sp. In the G6PDH assay, the freeze-dried of M. domestica has the value of 49.56%, Canarium sp. (45.22%), and A. bilimbi (47.13%), while in the Oil Red O assay, M. domestica has inhibition activity of 62.63%, A. bilimbi 50.01% and Canarium sp. 44.13%. The level of TG showed that M. domestica has higher activity with the value of 60.61%, A. bilimbi 57.54%, while Canarium sp. 55.03%. The freeze-dried of M. domestica in the concentration of 75 μg/ml has good inhibitory activity of lipid compared to A. bilimbi and Canarium sp.


This study presents the assessment and seasonal variation of wave energy along the southern coast of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Waters. For this purpose, the WAVEWATCH-III numerical model was used to simulate the Significant Wave Height in the study region over 25 years covering the time interval of 1991–2015. Wind field data input for the model was a combined dataset of Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform, Navy Global Environmental Model, and Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System. In general, the simulation results showed that there was a good potential of wave energy along the southern coast of Java and Bali with the value of higher than 20 kW/m. Furthermore, it was found that there were 12 points which were considered to be the most promising high wave energy potential spots along the near-shore coastal waters of the Java and Bali southern coast. There was a noticeable seasonal variation of wave energy along the study area associated with tropical monsoon climates, which led to the highest value in the period of June to August for about 40 kW/m and the lowest value in the period of December to February for about 20 kW/m. All the selected points for wave energy exhibited dominant wave propagation between northward and northeastward. Moreover, there was an evident increasing trend of wave energy with the peak value appearing in 2005 for all stations.


Purpose This study investigated risk factors for hyperechoic pancreas (HP) on ultrasonography (US) according to HP severity. Methods Between December 2008 and February 2014, 1,459 subjects who underwent abdominal US as part of health examinations were retrospectively included. Two radiologists assessed and categorized the severity of HP as normal, mild, moderate, and severe. Subjects were allocated to two groups as follows: fatty pancreas 1 (FP1; mild to severe HP) and fatty pancreas 2 (FP2; moderate to severe HP). Clinico-metabolic parameters such as the body mass index and blood test profile of subjects with normoglycemia and prediabetes/diabetes were compared (normal vs. FP1; normal or mild HP vs. FP2). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between HP, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and diabetes/prediabetes with adjustment for clinico-metabolic parameters. Results Of the 1,459 subjects, 71.2% and 40.4% showed HP and NAFLD on US, respectively. Normoglycemia and prediabetes/diabetes were present in 74.3% and 25.7% of subjects, respectively. Univariable analysis revealed that all the clinico-metabolic parameters were significantly associated with HP (all P<0.05). In the adjusted multivariable analysis, prediabetes/diabetes, NAFLD, age, and body mass index were significantly associated with HP with the FP1 and FP2 criteria. The independent factor with the strongest association with HP was NAFLD using the FP1 criterion (odds ratio [OR], 7.93; P<0.001) and prediabetes/diabetes using the FP2 criterion (OR, 6.96; P<0.001). Conclusion NAFLD and prediabetes/diabetes were associated with US-diagnosed HP. Moderate to severe HP was a better predictor of prediabetes/diabetes, suggesting that evaluating HP severity may be useful in clinical practice.


In spite of extensive experimentation with animals on the carotid sinus during the past decade, little is known of the function of this mechanism in man. The following cases are reported because they presented an opportunity to study the alterations in arterial tension which result in human beings when one carotid sinus is denervated. It is not my purpose here to review the entire literature on the subject of the carotid sinus.1A brief statement of the known anatomic and physiologic facts will suffice. The carotid sinus is a small bulbous enlargement of the internal carotid artery at its point of origin from the common carotid artery. It receives (in the dog) a nerve from the superior cervical sympathetic ganglion, which is always present, and a small variable nerve which may arise from the vagus (Hering2). Some investigators have described a small branch from the hypoglossal nerve to


OBJECTIVES
This report presents nationally representative estimates and trends for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among the U.S. household population aged 15-44. Data are presented for lifetime experience with HIV testing and HIV testing in the past year, including testing done as part of prenatal care.

METHODS
Data for this report come from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), consisting of 22,682 interviews with men and women aged 15-44, conducted from June 2006 through June 2010. The overall response rate for the 2006-2010 NSFG was 77%: 78% for women and 75% for men.

RESULTS
Among U.S. women aged 15-44, the percentage ever tested for HIV outside of blood donation increased significantly from 35% in 1995 to 55% in 2002, and to 59% in 2006-2010. Among men aged 15-44, the percentage ever tested outside blood donation fell from 47% in 2002 to 42% in 2006-2010. Within gender groups in 2006-2010, the proportions ever tested for HIV outside of blood donation were similar for Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons: roughly 6 out of 10 among women and 4 out of 10 among men. However, a higher percentage of non-Hispanic black women (75%) and non-Hispanic black men (61%) had ever been tested for HIV outside of blood donation. Based on 2006-2010 data, 21% of women were tested for HIV within the 12 months prior to interview, compared with 13% of men. While NSFG data cannot ascertain the temporal sequencing of risk-related behaviors and HIV testing, the data indicate that testing within the past year occurs more often among individuals reporting potential HIV risk-related behaviors.


This paper reports the development of fluorescent-linked immunosorbent paper-based assay for exosome detection. The paper-based device was fabricated with sandwich lamination for easy handling and was coated with exosome-specific antibody as a biosensing platform to detect exosome sample from the cell culture media. This assay employed fluorescent detection which is followed by tagging fluorophore-conjugated detecting antibody on exosome samples. The fluorescent readout was evaluated and quantified from image processing software. This assay can detect high concentration of exosome samples (~ 1010 exosome/mL). However, this assay has encountered various challenges. First, the exosome concentration prepared from cell culture media from cancer-derived ovarian and mesothelial cell lines may be insufficient to reach detectable range. Second, chemical contamination from exosome isolation kits may affect assay sensitivity. Therefore, assay optimization and minimizing chemical contamination are required which could enhance assay specificity and sensitivity.


The management of symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is surgical evacuation and prognosis in most cases is good. Tension pneumocephalus is the presence of air under pressure in the intracranial cavity. A case of tension pneumocephalus developing as a complication of burr hole evacuation of CSDH is illustrated. In this case, tension pneumocephalus was managed by reopening the wound and saline irrigation with a subdural drain placement. Considering this case report and after a careful review of the literature, the physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment of this complication are highlighted in the article.


The article analyzes the biographical tense of Thomas Mann's novella "Death in Venice" and its implementation in the texts of translations in the Russian and English languages. The analysis is based on the model of translation tense, developed by L. V. Kushnina and I. N. Khaidarova, which allows evaluating the level of harmony achievement in the reproduction of the temporal meanings from the German language into the English and Russian ones. The reproduction of novella biographical tense meanings in the original and in the translation by language means will be determined by the specificity of tense perception in the relevant linguistic cultures.


The purposes of this study were to learn whether children's beliefs about the legitimacy of aggression can be reliably assessed and whether these beliefs relate to children's everyday social behavior with peers, as well as their responses to hypothetical ambiguous provocation situations. Fourth- and fifth-grade students (n = 781) responded to a 16-item questionnaire designed to measure children's beliefs about the legitimacy of aggression. Children's behavioral orientation was assessed using two methods: (1) children's responses to ten hypothetical situations involving ambiguous provocation, and (2) peer evaluations of children's aggressive, withdrawn, and prosocial behavior. Results indicated that children's beliefs about the legitimacy of aggression were reliably measured. Furthermore, results from both measures of behavioral style showed that children who believed strongly in the legitimacy of aggression were more aggressive, less withdrawn, and less prosocial. The findings suggest that one focus of efforts to decrease children's aggression should be the modification of their beliefs about the legitimacy of aggressive actions.


Abstract Objective B-cell activating factor (BAFF) is implicated in SLE pathogenesis. Blocking BAFF signalling has contributed to reducing glucocorticoid dosage and preventing organ damage. However, clinical characteristics of patients who may benefit from this therapy are not yet fully elucidated. Therefore, we identified patients with high BAFF-bioactivity to investigate their clinical characteristics and BAFF-producing cells. Methods We established the reporter cell for BAFF and investigated the clinical characteristics of SLE patients with high BAFF-bioactivity. We identified BAFF-expressing kidney cells using publicly available scRNA-seq data and immunohistological analysis. SLE patients were stratified based on the bioactivity of BAFF and type-I IFN (IFN-I) to identify associated characteristic clinical manifestations. Results SLE patients, especially patients with LN, had significantly higher serum BAFF-bioactivity than healthy controls (HC) and non-LN patients. Additionally, single-cell-RNA-seq data and immunohistological analysis of kidney samples from LN patients revealed that BAFF is expressed in glomerular macrophages and mesangial cells. Notably, BAFF bioactivity was elevated in the urine of LN patients compared with that of non-LN patients, while no IFN-I bioactivity was detected in the urine. Furthermore, SLE stratification based on bioactivities of serum BAFF and IFN-I revealed the clinical characteristics of patients: high BAFF represented patients with LN and high IFN-I represented patients with blood and skin manifestations. Conclusions Monitoring urinary BAFF-bioactivity may be valuable in diagnosing LN. Furthermore, stratification based on serum BAFF and IFN-I bioactivities may allow the identification of appropriate patients for biologics targeting BAFF and IFN-I.


Throughout history, there has been the belief that diseases that affect the mouth, such as periodontal disease, can have an effect on the rest of the body. It is only very recently that scientists and clinicians have begun to provide an increasing body of scientific evidence suggesting that moderate untreated periodontitis may affect an individual systemically, and may contribute to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and preterm low birth weight. Birth weight is affected by multiple factors and is considered as an outcome of a complex multifactorial system. Periodontitis is a remote gram-negative infection that may play a role in low birth weight. Periodontopathic microorganisms and their products have a wide range of effects mediated through host cytokine production in target cells. Many combined animal studies and data supporting plausible biologic mechanisms suggest that periodontal infection has a negative impact on pregnancy outcome in some women.


The automotive industry is one of the South African industries that contribute to the manufacturing output and exports and plays important to the country's economic performance. However, the export volume from this industry depends on various economic factors that include foreign direct investment, domestic investment and exchange rate volatility. The current study aims to determine empirically these three variables on the export volume in the South African automotive industry. To achieve this objective, the authors applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, ECM and causality test on quarterly time series data from 2008 to 2021. The study findings reveal that in the long run, domestic investment has a dominant positive effect on exports from the automotive industry. However, while both domestic investment and exchange rate are inversely related to the export in the short run, foreign direct investment is positively significant to increase export levels. The study recommends, based on these findings, the implementation of strategies that enhance growth in domestic investment and cautious management of foreign direct investment as the latter is more effective in the short run. Additionally, the monetary policymakers should, in each policy introduced and implemented, aim for the stability of the domestic currency and its effect on exports, especially in the automotive industry.


Abstract. Recent constellations of small satellites, such as Planet's SkySats, offer new acquisition modes where very short videos or bursts of images are acquired instead of a single still image. Compared to sequences of multi-date images, these sequences of consecutive video frames yield a large redundancy of information within the range of seconds. This redundancy enables to increase the spatial resolution using multi-frame super-resolution algorithms. In this paper, we propose a novel super-resolution method based on a high-order spline interpolation model that combines multiple low-resolution frames to produce a high-resolution image. Moreover this method can be implemented efficiently on GPU to process entire images from real satellite acquisitions. Synthetic and real experiments show that the proposed method is able to recover fine details, and measurements of the resulting resolution indicate a gain of 10 cm / pixel with respect to Planet's SkySat standard imagery products.


This paper presents a novel approach for mental stress detection. In proposed system, three signals including Pupil Diameter (PD), Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) are analyzed using the soft computing techniques, and most relevant features are extracted from each one. Then, the optimized features are selected by using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and imported into the Fuzzy SVM (FSVM) to classify "stress" and "relaxation" states. In order to evaluate the performance of proposed system, a multimodal dataset consisting of pupil video, ECG and PPG signals are constructed; a Stroop color-word (SCW) test is designed to act as the stimulus to induce stress in healthy subjects. The experimental results demonstrate the physiological signals have great potential for stress detection, and the proposed system provides high classification performance.


The electric power sector has changed dramatically since the 1980s. Electricity customers are now demanding uninterrupted and high quality service from both utilities and authorities. By becoming more and more dependent on the voltage sensitive electronic equipment, the industry sector is the one which is affected the most by voltage disturbances. Voltage sags are one of the most crucial problems for these customers. The utilities, on the other hand, conduct cost-benefit analyses before going through new investment projects. At this point, understanding the costs of voltage sags become imperative for planning purposes. The characteristics of electric power consumption and hence the susceptibility against voltage sags differ considerably among different industry subsectors. Therefore, a model that will address the estimation of worth of electric power reliability for a large number of customer groups is necessary. This paper introduces a macroeconomic model to calculate Customer Voltage Sag Costs (CVSCs) for the industry sector customers. The proposed model makes use of analytical data such as value added, annual energy consumption, working hours, and average outage durations and provides a straightforward, credible, and easy to follow methodology for the estimation of CVSCs.


The 2019 Annual General Meeting and Young Investigators' Forum of the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation / Société Canadienne de Recherche Clinique (CSCI/SCRC) and Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada / Association des Cliniciens-Chercheurs en Formation du Canada (CITAC/ACCFC) was held in Banff, Alberta on November 8-10th, 2019. The theme was "Positioning Early Career Investigators for Success: Strategy and Resilience". Lectures and workshops provided knowledge and tools to facilitate the attendees' development as clinician investigators. Dr. Jason Berman (President of CSCI/SCRC), Elina Cook (President of CITAC/ACCFC) and Drs. Doreen Rabi and Zelma Kiss (University of Calgary Organizing Co-Chairs) gave opening presentations. The keynote speakers were Dr. William Foulkes (McGill University) (Distinguished Scientist Award winner) and Dr. Andrés Finzi (Université de Montréal) (Joe Doupe Young Investigator Award winner). Dr. Robert Bortolussi (Dalhousie University) received the Distinguished Service Award for his work as the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical and Investigative Medicine and for being instrumental in the development of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program. This meeting was the first to host a panel discussion with Drs. Stephen Robbins and Marcello Tonelli from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Workshops on communication, career planning and work-life balance were hosted by André Picard and Drs. Todd Anderson, Karen Tang, William Ghali, May Lynn Quan, Alicia Polachek and Shannon Ruzycki. The AGM showcased 90 presentations from clinician investigator trainees from across Canada. Most of the abstracts are summarized in this review. Eight outstanding abstracts were selected for oral presentation at the President's Forum.


To obtain location info is the precondition for more and more applications. Reliable and accurate positioning for users requires a local replacement for satellite navigation. The ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse radio system is particularly suitable for such local systems. Indoor localization using multiple antenna time different of arrival (TDOA) estimation techniques and time-hopping impulse radio system and signals at the receiver perform a filtering matched to the antipodal pulse amplitude modulation (A-PAM) template sequence is concentrated on the paper. Transmitted pulses are distorted by receive antenna, other system components such as filters and amplifiers, and the multipath environment, so the challenge of realize high resolution depends on accurate time of arrival estimation at receiver antennas. The computer simulation gives localization results by means of RMS errors are 7.69 cm, 8.5 cm 35.11 cm under AWGN and IEEE 802.15.3a CM1, CM3 emulational indoor environments on a 10/spl times/10 meter square area.


Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has excellent potential in drug-resistance prediction. The MICs are essential indications of adding a particular antituberculosis drug dosage or changing the entire treatment regimen. ABSTRACT Defining the precise relationship between resistance mutations and quantitative phenotypic drug susceptibility testing will increase the value of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for predicting tuberculosis drug resistance. However, a large number of WGS data sets currently lack corresponding quantitative phenotypic data—the MICs. Using MYCOTBI plates, we determined the MICs to nine antituberculosis drugs for 154 clinical multidrug-resistant tuberculosis isolates from the Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control in Shenzhen, China. Comparing MICs with predicted drug-resistance profiles inferred by WGS showed that WGS could predict the levels of resistance to isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. We also found some mutations that may not be associated with drug resistance, such as EmbB D328G, mutations in the gid gene, and C−12T in the eis promoter. However, some strains carrying the same mutations showed different levels of resistance to the corresponding drugs. The MICs of different strains with the RpsL K88R, fabG1 C−15T mutations and some with mutations in embB and rpoB, had MICs to the corresponding drugs that varied by 8-fold or more. This variation is unexplained but could be influenced by the bacterial genetic background. Additionally, we found that 32.3% of rifampicin-resistant isolates were rifabutin-susceptible, particularly those with rpoB mutations H445D, H445L, H445S, D435V, D435F, L452P, S441Q, and S441V. Studying the influence of bacterial genetic background on the MIC and the relationship between rifampicin-resistant mutations and rifabutin resistance levels should improve the ability of WGS to guide the selection of medical treatment regimens. IMPORTANCE Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has excellent potential in drug-resistance prediction. The MICs are essential indications of adding a particular antituberculosis drug dosage or changing the entire treatment regimen. However, the relationship between many known drug-resistant mutations and MICs is unclear, especially for rarer ones. The results showed that WGS could predict resistance levels to isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. However, some mutations may not be associated with drug resistance, and some others may confer various MICs to strains carrying them. Also, 32.3% of rifampicin (RIF)-resistant strains were classified as sensitive to rifabutin (RFB), and some mutations in the rpoB gene may be associated with this phenotype. Our data on the MIC distribution of strains with some rarer mutations add to the accumulated data on the resistance level associated with such mutations to help guide further research and draw meaningful conclusions.


The paper deals with local buckling of a compressed single flange of thin-walled channel cold- formed columns and beams made of aluminum alloy. Material is described by means of the Ramberg-Osgood constitutive equation. Axial compression of the columns and beams undergoing bending is taken into consid- eration. A simple model of the member flange in the form a long beam elastically connected to the web is used to find the critical buckling stress. The governing differential equation is derived with the aid of the sta- tionary total potential energy principle. The tangent modulus theory is applied to find the critical buckling stress and buckling modes. Analytical formulas of the critical stress and buckling mode are positively verified by the FEM and FSM analysis of numerical examples.


This article describes txttool, a command that provides a set of tools for managing free-form text. The command integrates several built-in Stata functions with new text capabilities. These latter functions include a utility to create a bag-of-words representation of text and an implementation of Porter's (1980, Program: Electronic library and information systems 14: 130–137) word-stemming algorithm. Collectively, these utilities provide a text-processing suite for text mining and other text-based applications in Stata.


Formal hydroperfluoroalkylation of enones is achieved in a two-step process comprising conjugate hydroboration and subsequent radical perfluoroalkylation. The 1,4-hydroboration of the enone is conducted in the absence of any transition metal catalyst with catecholborane in 1,2-dichloroethane, and the generated boron enolate is in situ α-perfluoroalkylated with a perfluoroalkyl iodide upon blue LED irradiation in the presence of an amine additive. Both reactions proceed under very mild conditions at room temperature.


The authors discuss the development of a railway simulation system incorporating automatic model specification and automatic model generation techniques. The modeling environment features a GEM-like graphical user interface consisting of a layout editor and an icon editor. The model builder draws only the geometrical layout of a railway network section (e.g., a railway terminal) including the position of the signals, thus constructing a partial railway model. This graphical model consists of arcs representing tracks and nodes that represent junctions. The system assists in completing the specification of the model by automatically inferring the layout of the remaining control installations and the possible train routes through the network. Thus, by the end of this process the modeler has come up with a complete railway network data model stored in a database. The final stage of the project involves the development of a simulation code generator that will transform the stored data model to simulation code.<<ETX>>


Post-irradiation ageing effect on seed germinability and different morphological characters of Crotalaria saltiana were studied in the year of 2006. Germination percentage of Crotalaria saltiana seeds treated with different doses of gamma rays, aged for 32 years in moisture free condition showed remarkable variation. Plants grown from the treated seeds of all the doses showed diversity among themselves regarding their morphological characters. Such as plant height was found to reduce in lower doses and this character showed no such consistent result. Leaf irregularities such as, invaginated margin, inverted margin with blunt apex, leaf with bifurcated apex, small size and dented margin, etc. were recorded. Key words: Post-irradiation ageing effect, Morphological characters, Crotalaria saltiana . DOI:10.3329/jbs.v16i0.3747 J. bio-sci. 16: 89-93, 2008


Recent developments in higher-dimensional unified field theories have led to a great deal of interest in compact spaces admitting Einstein metrics. Almost all the physics literature on such spaces has been concerned with the very atypical case in which the space is homogeneous. The authors present a very simple construction of a wide class of inhomogeneous compact Einstein spaces with positive Ricci curvature found earlier by Berard-Bergery, (1982) which arise as certain 2-sphere bundles over an arbitrary Einstein-Kahler base space of positive Ricci curvature. Solutions on complete non-compact manifolds also exist, with negative or zero Ricci curvature.


Objectives: This study measured cervical length (CL) of asymptomatic women with twin pregnancies at 14-16 and 21-24 weeks of gestation and assessed whether the difference between measurements is predictive of preterm delivery (PTD). Methods: This retrospective, cohort study included patients with two consecutive CL, measured with transvaginal sonography at 14-16 weeks of gestation (CL1) and 21-24 weeks of gestation (CL2). Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographic, medical and delivery data. PTD was defined as delivery prior to 37+0 weeks of gestation. CL1, CL2 and the change between scans were evaluated and correlated with PTD. Results: Among 103 twin gestations, 76 (73.7%) women delivered at term and 27 (26.3.) had PTD. CL1 was not a good predictor of PTD (4.2 ± 0.57 cm in PTD group vs 4.1 ± 0.67 cm in term group P = 0.32). The correlation between CL change and PTD was not significant (0.47 ± 0.09 cm in PTD group VS 0.28 ± 0.08 in TERM groupP = 0.2). The correlation between CL change and delivery after 38 weeks was not significant (0.13 ± 0.07 in 38+ group vs 0.34 ± 0.04 in 37-38 weeks group P = 0.3). Baseline characteristics and perinatal outcomes between term and preterm deliveries were similar. Conclusions: Sonographic measurement of CL at 14-16 weeks gestation and the difference between CL in the first and second scans were not reliable predictors of PTD in asymptomatic women with twin pregnancies and in addition cannot be used to predict delivery after 38 weeks.


The assumption.that the internal energy of a molecule is randomised on a time scale short compared to the reaction time is at the heart of modern theories of unimolecular reaction. In applying such theories it is necessary to decide the volume of phase space in which the energy is assumed to be randomised. The question of whether the Krotational quantum number is conserved impacts on that choice. The conceptual sequence from experimental spectra, through analysis, and interpretation in terms of K relaxation is described below. At low resolution, intramolecular vibrational energy randomisation results in the broadening of the features of infrared absorption spectra. At high resolutim in bound systems, such broadened features are revealed to be clumps of discrete lines, each of which is a transition to a molecular eigenstate. Since the discrete lines can be assigned by spectroscopic means, the erroneous assignment by a contractor of the U. S. Government under contract No. W-31-104ENG-38. Accordingly, the U. S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royaltvfree license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so. for of inhomogeneous broadening to rate processes can be avoided. Each clump of eigenstates is characterised by its dilution factor, interaction width, and effective level density. Examples include the infrared spectra of ethanol and 1-butyne in the 3 micron region. The interpretation of molecular eigenstate spectra involves several conceptual stages: (1) identification of the bright state which would be prepared by the coherent excitation of a certain section of spectrum, (2) evaluation of the rate of energy transfer out of the bright state, (3) use of ,the rotational quantum number dependence of the spectra and the trends among related systems to deduce the mechanisms by which the bright state is coupled to the bath, and (4) modelling the spectra with random matrix calculations in order to determine the average coupling parameters for anharmonic coupling and x, y, and z-type Coriolis interactions. The random matrix simulations provide the opportunity to address the title questions.. The simulations focused particularly on rotationally-mediated vibrational relaxation and were constrained to obey the rotational quantum number dependence of the Coriolis interaction. For ethanol, when the system is prepared with a specific K quantum number, one finds that K is not conserved but neither is the population completely randomised among the 21+1 available K states even at long times. The time needed for the final '(non-random) distribution among K-states to be achieved is typically on the.order of a nanosecond even though the energy leaves the bright state an order of magnitude more quickly. w


Hegel's integration of the concept of Life in the Logic has long been disputed and rejected by many scholars. The most common objection was that it seemed counterintuitive to integrate an empirical phenomenon such as Life into a Logic that, in fact, ought to present an immanent development of pure concepts. Hegel was often accused of bringing empirical considerations into his Logic in order to develop his logical account of Life. Consequently, there has been a great discussion about the question as to whether a Logic is an appropriate place for this concept—a discussion that did not occur with respect to other categories in Hegel's Logic. Now, in contemporary literature on Hegel, there is a surge of genuine interest in Hegel's logical account of Life, accompanied by the insight that the concept of Life plays an important and indispensable role in Hegel's philosophy. However, what this role is precisely is a controversial issue.


Education about self-management is critical for improving the lifestyles of diabetic patients. Medical nutritional therapy is especially important to keep blood glucose levels in the normal range. Several studies report that education involving cooperation with patients to actually improve lifestyle habits, as opposed to lecture-based education, was more effective in controlling blood glucose level as well as improving eating behavior. This review examines the current status and the effects of medical nutritional therapy and practical training in Korea and abroad. The findings of this review suggest that practical education involving hands-on training should be used as an essential treatment method of diabetic patients.


Abstract Past research highlights the importance of considering the sequelae of physical abuse in the context of other risk factors and possible exacerbating circumstances. The present research examines the relative, unique, and interactive effects of physical abuse, sociocultural disadvantage, and cumulative negative life events. Multiple measures and data sources were used to assess the socioeconomic circumstances, exposure to recent negative events, and social, cognitive, and affective adjustment of 19 physically abused and 49 nonabused elementary school-age children. Results indicated that abuse strongly independently predicted problems in children's adjustment with peers, self-perceptions, and depression. Abuse was also related to increased behavioral problems at home and at school, though this relation abated and even reversed itself as social disadvantage increased. Cumulative negative events independently predicted negative self-perceptions and, for girls, increased depression. Socioeconomic hardship was independently related to children's cognitive maturity. In addition, socioeconomic disadvantage qualified the relation between negative events and children's adjustment to peers, such that increased negative events were related to lower peer adjustment among less disadvantaged children but increased peer adjustment of children with more disadvantage. These results support calls for a more contextualized approach to examining the developmental outcomes of physical abuse, one that considers multiple risk factors simultaneously.


The giant flares of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) have long been proposed to contribute to at least a subsample of the observed short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In this paper, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the high-energy data of the recent bright short GRB 200415A, which was located close to the Sculptor galaxy. Our results suggest that a magnetar giant flare provides the most natural explanation for most observational properties of GRB 200415A, including its location, temporal and spectral features, energy, statistical correlations, and high-energy emissions. On the other hand, the compact star merger GRB model is found to have difficulty reproducing such an event in a nearby distance. Future detections and follow-up observations of similar events are essential to firmly establish the connection between SGR giant flares and a subsample of nearby short GRBs.


Background Overwork has become the common for some employees in China. The 'Healthy China 2030' plan mandates prevention of excessive overtime, making serious overwork was not advocated. Meeting new regulations requires clarification of the factors influencing overwork; however, Chinese researchers have not thoroughly examined 'overwork' and few proven models are available for addressing its relationship to job demands, job resources, and workaholism. Methods This study analysed these factors and overwork among employees in Chinese companies. A total of 1047 employees completed the Workers Fatigue Accumulated Degree by Self-Diagnostic Questionnaire (WFAD-SQ) for Assessment of Workers' Accumulated Fatigue to measure the degree of overwork; Workaholism Battery (WorkBAT) was applied to evaluate workaholism; the Job content qualifications (JCQ) were adopted to survey job demands–resources. Results Structural equation modelling (SEM) verified the effects shown, indicating job resources significantly negatively affect and job demands positively affect overwork. Workaholism demonstrated a significant intermediary role between job demands-resources and overwork. The SEM results indicate job demands-resources have both direct and indirect effects on overwork, and task demands, psychological requirements, and colleague support are the primary positive protective predictors for overwork. Conclusions The findings indicate the importance of employers strictly enforcing overtime rules, ensuring staffs' rights for rest, and establishing harmonious working relationships between employees.


The photodissociation dynamics of the hydroxymethyl radical (CH2OH, CH2OD, and CD2OD) following excitation to the 3s and 3p(x) Rydberg states is studied using time-sliced velocity map imaging of hydrogen photofragments. Dissociation takes place on the ground potential energy surface reached via conical intersections from the excited states, and formaldehyde and hydrxymethylene are identified as reaction products. The major product, formaldehyde, has a bimodal internal energy distribution. The largest fraction has high kinetic energy (KE), modest rotational excitation, and vibrational excitation mainly in the CO stretch and the CH(D)2 deformations modes (scissors, wag, and rock). The minor fraction has lower KEs and a higher rovibrational excitation that is unresolved. A bimodal internal energy distribution in the formaldehyde fragment has been predicted by Yarkony [J. Chem. Phys. 2005, 122, 084316] for a conical intersection along the O-H bond coordinate. The hydroxymethylene product state distributions depend strongly on the nature of the excited state. In dissociation via the 3s state, the hydroxymethylene products have broad rovibrational state distributions and are produced at low yield. As suggested by Yarkony, they may be produced in the same dissociation events that give rise to low KE formaldehyde. In these events, the bound region of the PES is sampled following the conical intersection along O-H(D). The hydroxymethylene yield is low near its threshold and increases slowly with excitation energy to the 3s state, but its internal energy distribution remains broad and the contributions of the cis- and trans-isomers cannot be resolved. The mechanism changes markedly when exciting to the 3p(x) state. The hydroxymethylene products have less rotational excitation and show separate contributions of cis- and trans-isomers. The trans-isomer is found to be a minor product relative to the higher-energy cis-isomer, as predicted by Yarkony for conical intersections along the C-H coordinate. It appears that the efficiency of dissociation via conical intersections along the O-H and C-H coordinates depends on the initial excited state. While the O-H conical intersection seam (vertical cone) provides an efficient route to the ground state following excitation via the 3s or the 3p(x) Rydberg states, conical intersections along the C-H bond coordinate (tilted cone) are sampled more efficiently via 3p(x) excitation and proceed through different dynamics. The energy separations between formaldehyde and hydroxymethylene and between the cis- and trans-isomers of hydroxymethylene are determined experimentally for all the investigated isotopologs and are in good agreement with theory.


We have investigated the interaction of thimerosal, a widely used antiseptic and preservative, with the human erythrocytic GST T1 (glutathione-S-transferase T1). This detoxifying enzyme is expressed in the erythrocytes of solely the human species and it displays a genetic polymorphism. Due to this polymorphism about 25% of the individuals of the caucasian population lack this activity ("non-conjugators"), while 75% show it ("conjugators") (Hallier, E., et al., 1993). Using our newly developed HPLC-fluorescence detection assay (Müller, M., et al., 2001) we have profiled the kinetics of enzyme inhibition in erythrocyte lysates of two individuals previously identified as "normal conjugator" (medium enzyme activity) and "super-conjugator" (very high activity). For the normal conjugator we have determined a 2.77 mM thimerosal concentration to inhibit 50% of the GST T1 activity. In the case of the super-conjugator a 2.3 mM thimerosal concentration causes a 50% inhibition of the enzyme activity. For both phenotypes a 14.8 mM thimerosal concentration results in residual enzyme activities equal to those typically detected in non-conjugator lysates. Thus, sufficiently high doses of thimerosal may be able to change the phenotypic status of an individual--at least in vitro--by inhibition of the GST T1 enzyme.


Background: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) is a potent mitogen, whereas IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) binds and inhibits IGF1. High circulating IGF1 and low IGFBP3 are associated with increased risk of several cancers. Here we examined relations of those serum levels with the risk of hepatoma in a prospective case-control study nested in the JACC Study. Methods: A baseline survey was conducted from 1988 to 1990 and 39,242 subjects donated blood samples. Those who had been diagnosed as hepatoma were regarded as cases for nested case-control studies. Ninety-one cases and 263 controls are eligible for the present analysis. A conditional logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for incidence of hepatoma associated with serum IGF1 and IGFBP3 levels. Results: Both IGF1 and molar ratio of IGF1/IGFBP3 were not correlated with the risk of hepatoma. After adjustment for hepatitis-viral infection, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol intake, higher molar difference of (IGFBP3 - IGF1) was associated with decreased risk of hepatoma (p for trend Conclusions: Molar difference of (IGFBP3 - IGF1) might associate inversely with the incidence of hepatoma. Citation Format: Yasushi Adachi, Masanori Nojima, Mitsuru Mori, Yasutaka Matsunaga, Noriyuki Akutsu, Shigeru Sasaki, Takao Endo, Youichi Kurozawa, Kenji Wakai, Akiko Tamakoshi. Free IGFBP3 and the risk of liver cancer in a nested case-control study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4306.


The absorption of low concentration SO2 in flue gas by using the module of liquid-containing microporous membrane which is made up of hollow fiber and citric acid−sodium citrate buffer solution was investigated. The absorption efficiency of hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes by using the concept of dynamic contact angle was mainly studied. The influences on absorption efficiency from absorption time, flowrate of gas phase, SO2 concentration of gas phase, air pressure, citrate concentration, pH value of solution as well as the generation of sulfate radical in absorption solution were examined. The results indicate that the hydrophobic hollow fiber membrane is better than hydrophilic membrane, the absorption efficiency decreases with increasing absorption time, gas phase flowrate, gas phase SO2 concentration and air pressure, the absorption rate and capacity of SO2 can be improved by increasing the citrate concentration, the absorption efficiency can be improved by increasing the pH value of citrate solution, the concentration of SO4 2− in absorption solution increases linearly with the absorption time at a rate around 0.192 g/(L⋅h).


: Fulvestrant is recommended for the hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients progressed during or after prior endocrine delineate which subgroup of patients will specially benefit from fulvestrant-based combination therapy is warranted.


Transparent and conductive film based electronics have attracted substantial research interest in various wearable and integrated display devices in recent years. The breakdown of transparent electronics prompts the development of transparent electronics integrated with healability. A healable transparent chemical gas sensor device is assembled from layer-by-layer-assembled transparent healable polyelectrolyte multilayer films by developing effective methods to cast transparent carbon nanotube (CNT) networks on healable substrates. The healable CNT network-containing film with transparency and superior network structures on self-healing substrate is obtained by the lateral movement of the underlying self-healing layer to bring the separated areas of the CNT layer back into contact. The as-prepared healable transparent film is assembled into healable transparent chemical gas sensor device for flexible, healable gas sensing at room temperature, due to the 1D confined network structure, relatively high carrier mobility, and large surface-to-volume ratio. The healable transparent chemical gas sensor demonstrates excellent sensing performance, robust healability, reliable flexibility, and good transparency, providing promising opportunities for developing flexible, healable transparent optoelectronic devices with the reduced raw material consumption, decreased maintenance costs, improved lifetime, and robust functional reliability.


Desmosomes are morphologically and biochemically defined cell‐cell junctions that are required for maintaining the mechanical integrity of skin and the heart in adult mammals. Furthermore, since mice with null mutations in desmosomal plaque proteins (plakoglobin and desmoplakin) die in utero, it is also evident that desmosomes are indispensable for normal embryonic development. This review focuses on the role of desmosomes in vivo. We will summarize the effects of mutations in desmosomal genes on pre‐ and post‐embryonic development of mouse and man and discuss recent findings relating to the specific role of desmosomal cadherins in skin differentiation and homeostasis.


The 4-H Thriving Model predicts that participation in high-quality 4-H programs helps youth thrive and that thriving youth achieve key developmental outcomes, thus illuminating the process of positive youth development in 4-H. This paper provides an update on the 4-H Thriving Model, with particular attention to model modifications based on additional research. The paper then describes the formation of the Advancing the 4-H Model Task Force, a 3-year project chartered by the national 4-H Program Leaders Working Group (PLWG). The paper describes how the work of the task force will support efforts related to the professional development of 4-H youth development professionals and volunteers, replication of and further research on the 4-H Thriving model, and organizational alignment across the national 4-H system.


Health education programs for the general public have long been a popular and widely used policy tool to prevent disease and improve well-being. While a large literature has examined the effects of such programs on health outcomes, the effective modes of delivery of health education---particularly in developing countries---have received much less attention. This short paper considers two practicable yet largely unexplored avenues for implementing health education interventions: (1) using videos---a low-cost and easily scalable delivery channel; and (2) providing participants with a pay-for-performance cash reward for post-program health literacy. Employing a randomized field experiment in India, I find that video-based health education successfully increased health knowledge. Importantly, these gains persist almost one year later and correspond with more nutritious diets. At the same time, pay-for-performance incentives generally do not appear to boost the efficacy of health education. These insights contribute to our knowledge of what works for health education in low-income settings, so that better health education initiatives can be crafted for more meaningful impact.


The equivalent diffuse double layer (DDL) thickness in clay-electrolyte systems is a very useful parameter for analyzing the engineering behavior of clays under different environmental conditions. The equivalent DDL thickness is generally assumed to be equal to the characteristic (Debye) length. The present work examined critically the applicability of characteristic length to define equivalent DDL thickness under various clay-surface and pore-fluid conditions. A critical analysis is presented of the changes in the equivalent DDL thickness and characteristic length under the influence of different clay-surface and electrolyte properties. The equivalent DDL thickness was found to be smaller than the characteristic length for a wide range of surface and pore-fluid parameters normally encountered in engineering practice. An accurate and simple power relationship was developed to predict the equivalent DDL thickness from the characteristic length, which is applicable to a wide range of clay-electrolyte systems.


Infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine have been used to obtain qualitative information on the nature of the interaction of pyridine with different rhodium catalysts supported on palygorskite and silica. Based on these data, qualitative definitions of the adsorption sites of these catalysts have been deduced. The catalysts were prepared with natural palygorskite, and palygorskite dehydrated in vacuo at 150°C and 400°C. In this way, catalysts were obtained that had different water contents and, therefore, different acidities. Lewis-bound pyridine was detected by infrared spectroscopy from room temperature to 500°C. The greatest acidity was found in a catalyst prepared with the palygorskite support dehydrated at 150°C before preparation of the catalyst. With this catalyst, strongly hydrogen-bound pyridine was observed when evacuation was carried out at temperatures between 150°C and 300°C. Catalysts prepared with the palygorskite support pretreated at 400°C did not exhibit strongly hydrogen-bound pyridine, and Lewis acidity decreased significantly. As expected, hydrogen-bound pyridine was also detected for rhodium supported on silica. However, it was desorbed at temperatures below 150°C. The results of the acidity studies follow the same pattern as those for 1 -hexene double-bond migration under hydrogénation reaction conditions.


The salient features of the imaginary part of the frequency-dependent permittivity 2 of trigonal Te are interpreted in terms of the transitions between the band triplets. The interpretation is based on the self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Slater calculation where the optical matrix elements are treated rigorously. The agreement with the experimental 2 is close. The role of the transitions from the s-bonding triplet in the higher energy region of 2 is clarified. The uppermost p-lone-pair triplet plays the dominant role in the formation of the 2 spectra, especially for the perpendicular component. The contribution from the p-bonding triplet falls into the energy region 4-10 eV and it is mainly responsible for the anisotropy of 2 here.


To the Editor:—A recent paper reported experiments, using laboratory rats, on the effect of intraamygdala infusion of a -aminobutyric acid type A antagonist on propofol-induced amnesia for inhibitory avoidance training, as well as on expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein in the hippocampus. This work may elucidate the neural mechanisms of the amnestic effects of propofol, as well as the neurobiological mechanisms of general anesthesia and memory more generally. The experiments reported in this paper required stereotaxic neurosurgery to implant cannulae aimed at the basolateral amygdala, and rats were subsequently euthanized for determination of activity-related cytoskeleton-associated protein levels or histologic verification of cannula placement. The authors used chloral hydrate in both procedures; for surgical anesthesia in the first and euthanasia in the second. Chloral hydrate is not a suitable drug in either case. Chloral hydrate is regarded by many to produce hypnosis and not anesthesia. It does not provide analgesia and causes marked respiratory depression at doses required for surgical anesthesia. Apart from its inadequate anesthetic properties, 20% chloral hydrate is extremely irritating and therefore unsuitable for intraperitoneal use. It is associated with ileus in rats, as well as peritonitis and gastric ulcers. Its use by intraperitoneal injection for survival surgery is not recommended. Thus, it is not the most refined choice of agent for the surgical procedure in which cannulae are chronically implanted to make drug infusions into the amygdala. The authors also used a higher dose of chloral hydrate for euthanasia. However, chloral hydrate is not an acceptable agent for euthanasia according to the guidelines of the American Veterinary Medical Association†; its use for this purpose has been proscribed for some time. There are no scientific justifications for using chloral hydrate for these experiments, as many other agents would be more suitable for both surgical anesthesia and euthanasia without interfering with the experimental endpoints. Indeed the chloral hydrate-induced hypoxemia which must occur during euthanasia as respiration becomes depressed†, may compromise the experimental aims in terms of measuring protein and messenger ribonucleic acid levels of an activityrelated protein. The noxious stimulus of an intraperitoneal irritant is not only inhumane, but if it leads to peritonitis the rats will be abnormal at the time of testing. It seems that chloral hydrate has traditionally been used to provide anesthesia where the avoidance of agents with known receptor interactions is desirable. But it is likely that chloral hydrate has unknown receptor interactions. Therefore choosing a different agent whose receptor interactions are better characterized could be beneficial, not only in terms of animal welfare but also in terms of data interpretation. The publication of this paper in ANESTHESIOLOGY concerns us, because the standard of laboratory animal anesthesia used in this research is not acceptable.


Travel Mode Identification with Smartphone Sensors by Xing Su Advisor: Hanghang Tong Personal trips in a modern urban society typically involve multiple travel modes. Recognizing a traveller's transportation mode is not only critical to personal context-awareness in related applications, but also essential to urban traffic operations, transportation planning, and facility design. While the state of the art in travel mode recognition mainly relies on large-scale infrastructure-based fixed sensors or on individuals' GPS devices, the emergence of the smartphone provides a promising alternative with its ever-growing computing, networking, and sensing powers. In this thesis, we propose new algorithms for travel mode identification using smartphone sensors. The prototype system is built upon the latest Android and iOS platforms with multimodality sensors. It takes smartphone sensor data as the input, and aims to identify six travel modes: walking, jogging, bicycling, driving a car, riding a bus, taking a subway. The methods and algorithms presented in our work are guided by two key design principles. First, careful consideration of smartphones' limited computing resources and batteries should be taken. Second, careful balancing of the following dimensions (i) user-adaptability, (ii) energy efficiency, and (iii) computation speed.


Nonstoichiometric ZnO with an excess of Zn atoms (ZnO:Zn) has a long history of use as a green/monochrome phosphor in electron-excited vacuum fluorescent and field emission displays. The advent of ultraviolet lasers and light emitting diodes presents the possibility of photoexciting the highly efficient, defect-related green emission in ZnO:Zn. Here we study experimentally the time-integrated quantum efficiency and the time-resolved photoluminescence decays of both near band edge and defect emissions in unannealed (ZnO) and annealed (ZnO:Zn) nanoparticles under femtosecond excitation. A comparison of results using one-photon excitation (excitation primarily near the particle's surface) versus two-photon excitation (uniform excitation throughout the particle's volume) elucidates how the quantum efficiencies depend on material properties, such as the spatial distributions of radiative and nonradiative defects, and on optical effects, such as reabsorption.


Overall participation rates in physical activity across the UK have remained relatively static since the mid 1980s, with attendant causes for concern about the inequality of participation rates amongst various target groups that may be worthy of specific investigation. Behaviour change models from the fields of leisure studies, consumer behaviour and social psychology offer conceptualisation of a notion of exchange underpinning the expectancy-value process, noting that, in order to facilitate a voluntary exchange there needs to be a value proposition that induces action and/or motivates effort from the consumer. It is therefore reasonable to assume that such value expectations will also influence health behaviour intentions.

This paper therefore aims to offer a more developing understanding of the drivers, constraints and experiential consumption values underpinning participation in physical activity. Results suggest that, rather than focusing on the social and altruistic values of behavioural changes, and given that the functional value of participation is already well-known (if not always acted upon) through social marketing campaigns' educational efforts and through the media, it may be worth policymakers and leisure service providers focusing more on highlighting the emotional benefits to be gained, especially when targeting women to increase their participation in physical activity


Child labour does not only prevent children from acquiring the skills and education they need for a better future, it also perpetuates poverty and affects national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity and potential income. Withdrawing children from child labour, providing them with education and assisting their families with training and employment opportunities contribute directly to creating decent work for adults. The Consolidated Report of Child Labour in Fiji provides an overview of the processes, key findings and recommendations of the Child Labour Research Surveys, supported through the TACKLE Project, in five sectors in Fiji, including the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Survey, Street Children in Child Labour Survey, Child Labour Survey in Rural Agriculture Communities, Child Labour Survey in Informal and Squatter Settlements, Child Labour School-based Survey.


Abstract The National Environmental Data Referral Service consists of a series of records of atmospheric datasets. The nature, characteristics, and name of the holder of the data is indicated, but no actual data are included. Records are maintained in an easily accessible computer-searchable form, so that a rapid assessment of date availability for a particular problem is possible. A description of the type of information available and suggestions for developing an efficient search strategy are presented.


Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is a water-soluble polymer, which is widely used in various fields such as food additives, textiles, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In this study, hydrogel was prepared from CMC by using calcium chloride as a crosslinking agent. Optimization of the reaction was done through investigation of four different parameters which had different percentage of CMC (w/v), percentage of calcium chloride (w/v), reaction time and temperature. The gel content and swelling properties of the CMC hydrogel were studied. The highest gel content was 85.33% at 7% of CMC (w/v) with 2% of calcium chloride (w/v) in 24 hours reaction time at room temperature. The gel content increased with the increasing concentration of CMC and CaCl2. This was due to the higher number of functional groups of COO- that were available in more concentrated CMC which could crosslink with CaCl2 to give higher gel content. Increasing the percentage of CaCl2 will increase the electrostatic attraction between anionic charges of polymer chains and multivalent cation (Ca2+) that leads to increase in ionic crosslinking of CMC. The swelling properties of CMC hydrogel showed that the optimum degree of swelling was 45.33 (g/g). The swelling capacity of the hydrogel in water decreased with the increase of the gel content of CMC hydrogel. This could be due to the increase in the degree of crosslinking of the CMC hydrogel.


A new process has been developed to reduce excess sludge production, in which both excess sludge digestion and wastewater treatment are conducted simultaneously in the same aeration tank. The ozonation enhances biological degradation of the activated sludge, which is decomposed in a subsequent biological treatment. A considerable amount of biomass is mineralized biologically in proportion to the amount of recirculated biomass from the ozonation stage to the biological stage. It was observed that the amount of excess sludge is reduced to nearly zero when 1.2 kg/m 3 -aeration tank volume of biomass is recirculated in a day from the biological stage to the ozonation stage at a BOD loading of 1.0 kg/m 3 /d. A biomass concentration of 4200 mg/L was maintained at 1.0 kg-BOD/m 3 /d without drawing excess sludge for 6 weeks of experimental period under ozone dose of 0.05 g-O 3 /g-SS and recirculation rate at 0.3 d −1 . Only a limited difference in the effluent quality was observed between the new process and the conventional activated sludge process.


This paper introduces a problem-oriented notation within the IEC 61499 syntax to be used for creating formal closed-loop models of cyber-physical automation systems. The proposed notation enables creation of a comprehensive tool-chain that can combine design, simulation, formal verification and distributed deployment of automation software. The proposed notation allows for definition of non-deterministic transitions in ECC of basic function blocks of IEC 61499.The tool chain includes an IEC 61499 compliant engineering environment, fb2smv converter of functions blocks to SMV code, the NuSMV model-checker and utilities for interpreting counterexamples.


This guide provides information on the life and works of Butch Baldassari, a well-known bluegrass mandolin player and former Blair instructor.


We show that the holonomy of the supercovariant connection of IIB supergravity is contained in SL(32, ). We also find that the holonomy reduces to a subgroup of SL(32 − N) (⊕N 32−N) for IIB supergravity backgrounds with N Killing spinors. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions for a IIB background to admit N Killing spinors. A IIB supersymmetric probe configuration can involve up to 31 linearly independent planar branes and preserves one supersymmetry.


The transition to a secure low-carbon system is raising a set of uncertainties when planning the path to a reliable decarbonised supply. The electricity sector is committing large investments in the transmission and distribution sector upon 2050 in order to ensure grid resilience. The cost and limited flexibility of traditional approaches to 11 kV network reinforcement threaten to constrain the uptake of low-carbon technologies. This paper investigates the suitability and cost-effectiveness of smart grid techniques along with traditional reinforcements for the 11 kV electricity distribution network, in order to analyse expected investments up to 2050 under different DECC demand scenarios. The evaluation of asset planning is based on an area of study in Milton Keynes (East Midlands, United Kingdom), being composed of six 11 kV primaries. To undertake this, the analysis used a revolutionary new model tool for electricity distribution network planning, called scenario investment model (SIM). Comprehensive comparisons of short- and long-term evolutionary investment planning strategies are presented. The work helps electricity network operators to visualise and design operational planning investments providing bottom-up decision support.


The incidence of diabetes mellitus shows an increasing prevalence today. This condition is influenced by the lack of knowledge of clients in the management of Diabetes Mellitus. Efforts to increase knowledge can be done through education using media and effective methods. The use of audiovisual media is believed to be the most effective media in conveying information. Education in this study used audiovisual media that was applied in conjunction with the demonstration method. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of education with audiovisual media and demonstration methods on the ability to do foot exercises in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the work area of KerengBangkirai Health Center, Palangka Raya. The research method used was a quasy experiment with one group pre and post-test design. The sampling technique was done by purposive sampling as many as 30 peoples. The results showed that there were differences in knowledge and ability to do foot exercise before and after the education which was shown from the results of the paired t-test obtained p-value = 0,000 <a = 0.05. Foot exercise education with audiovisual media and demonstrations had an effect on the ability to do foot exercise in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the working area of Kereng Bangkirai Health Center.


This research introduces an instrument for performing quality control on aromatic rice by utilizing feature extraction of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) method. Our proposed system (DNose v0.2) uses the principle of electronic nose or enose. Enose is a detector instrument that work based on classification of the smell, like function of human nose. It has to be trained first for recognizing the smell before work in classification process. The aim of this research is to build an enose system for quality control instrument, especially on aromatic rice. The advantage of this system is easy to operate and not damaging the object of research. In this experiment, ATMega 328 and 6 gas sensors are involved in the electronic module and PCA method is used for classification process.