This paper deals with a score–audio music retrieval task where the aim is to find relevant audio recordings of Western classical music, given a short monophonic musical theme in symbolic notation as a query. Strategies for comparing score and audio data are often based on a common mid-level representation, such as chroma features, which capture melodic and harmonic properties. Recent studies demonstrated the effectiveness of neural networks that learn task-specific mid-level representations. Usually, such supervised learning approaches require score–audio pairs where the score's individual note events are aligned to the corresponding time positions of the audio excerpt. However, in practice, it is tedious to generate such strongly aligned training pairs. As one contribution, we show how to apply the Connectionist Temporal Classification (CTC) loss in the training procedure, which only uses weakly aligned training pairs. In such a pair, only the time positions of the beginning and end of a theme occurrence are annotated in an audio recording, rather than requiring local alignment annotations. We evaluate the resulting features in our theme retrieval scenario and show that they improve the state of the art for this task. As a main result, we demonstrate that with the CTC-based training procedure using weakly annotated data, we can achieve results almost as good as with strongly annotated data. Furthermore, we assess our chroma features in depth by inspecting their temporal smoothness or granularity as an important property and by analyzing the impact of different degrees of musical complexity on the features.


This report summarizes the findings from an online stakeholder survey conducted for the ClientEarth strategic climate litigation programme. The survey was intended to provide an inception data point for the evaluation of Phase 2 of this programme by consolidating understanding of the impacts achieved in Phase 1 and gathering qualitative data on the expected outcomes of Phase 2. Respondents included both internal stakeholders at ClientEarth and partner organizations of various kinds. The survey was administered to 174 potential respondents with 65 completions (37% response rate).


Stu2p is a member of a conserved family of microtubule-binding proteins and an essential protein in yeast. Here, we report the first in vivo analysis of microtubule dynamics in cells lacking a member of this protein family. For these studies, we have used a conditional Stu2p depletion strain expressing alpha-tubulin fused to green fluorescent protein. Depletion of Stu2p leads to fewer and less dynamic cytoplasmic microtubules in both G1 and preanaphase cells. The reduction in cytoplasmic microtubule dynamics is due primarily to decreases in both the catastrophe and rescue frequencies and an increase in the fraction of time microtubules spend pausing. These changes have significant consequences for the cell because they impede the ability of cytoplasmic microtubules to orient the spindle. In addition, recovery of fluorescence after photobleaching indicates that kinetochore microtubules are no longer dynamic in the absence of Stu2p. This deficiency is correlated with a failure to properly align chromosomes at metaphase. Overall, we provide evidence that Stu2p promotes the dynamics of microtubule plus-ends in vivo and that these dynamics are critical for microtubule interactions with kinetochores and cortical sites in the cytoplasm.


The Passovoy defect is a recently characterized hemorrhagic diathesis. We describe a patient with a febrile illness, possibly from Epstein‐Barr (EB) virus, who acquired this defect transiently. Prothrombin time; assays for factors VIII, IX, XI, XII; and Fletcher (prekallikrein) and Fitzgerald (high molecular weight kininogen) factors were normal. No definite circulating inhibitor could be demonstrated. The transient Passovoy defect could possibly be ascribed to the infectious process or sulfisoxazole, which the patient had received.


The authors identify some variables associated with the adoption and continuation of contraception in Mexico. The focus is on determinants of choice of different methods as well as the impact of selected socioeconomic and demographic factors and the influence of institutions providing family planning services on choice of method. (ANNOTATION)


This paper presents a new Arabic sign language recognition using K-nearest Neighbor algorithm. The algorithm is designed to work as a first level detection upon a series of steps to bring the captured character images into actual spelling. The algorithm acts in a high performance execution which is exactly needed for such type of systems. K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm and feature extraction are the guidelines of the recognition system, because hand gestures is treated as a block of curves needed to be extracted in the best fit with a predefined character set in the knowledge base. The specific image preprocessing to form a new idea of histogram and a histogram transition table is formed as a hashed string of transformation of block histogram sequence using K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm. Preparing the knowledge base as a sequence of characters for one time and will and fast easily compared to detecting the character input.


We describe Co3 (Coherence Model of Cognitive Consistency), a computational model that we used to simulate attitudinal shifts toward various factors related to the Persian Gulf War. Co3 is based on "parallel constraint satisfaction," a mechanism that revises a set of attitudes so as to maximize overall coherence, with each attitude simultaneously influencing every other related attitude. The Gulf War provided a naturalistic case study for examining the dynamics of attitude change. A survey of attitudes toward U.S. military involvement was administered to 129 students at the University of California, Los Angeles, first during the initial two days of the war, and again two weeks later. At each time, support for U.S. military action was highly correlated (either positively or negatively) with factors indicative of attitudes toward pacifism, the legitimacy of U.S. intervention, isolationism, and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. A within-subject analysis revealed that shifts in support for the war were correlated with consistent shifts in all four of the major predictors, including those (e.g., pacifism) that would not seem to have been directly affected by events over the intervening time period. This pattern of attitude change demonstrates cognitive consistency. Co3 was used to model how a shift in one attitude due to external inputs (e.g., media reports) can trigger correlated shifts in related attitudes. Computational methods of the sort exemplified by Co3 may be useful in modeling various social psychological phenomena.


This paper reports about nine programs on women featured on QTV 11, the only channel on the free TV networks in the Philippines that devotes itself mainly to programs primarily for women. Using George Gerbner's Cultivation theory, the review looks at how the network seeks to contribute to women empowerment by presenting positive portrayals of them. This prevailing type of programs in a powerful medium like television gives QTV the leverage to assume the social responsibility of promoting and protecting women's welfare.


Teleoperation enables a user to perform tasks from a remote location. Hence, the user can interact with a long-distance environment through the operation of a robotic system. Often, teleoperation is required in order to perform dangerous tasks (e.g., work in disaster zones or in chemical plants) while keeping the user out of harm's way. Nevertheless, common approaches often provide cumbersome and unnatural usage. In this letter, we propose TeleFMG, an approach for teleoperation of a multi-finger robotic hand through natural motions of the user's hand. By using a low-cost wearable Force-Myography (FMG) device, musculoskeletal activities on the user's forearm are mapped to hand poses which, in turn, are mimicked by a robotic hand. The mapping is performed by a data-based model that considers spatial positions of the sensors on the forearm along with temporal dependencies of the FMG signals. A set of experiments show the ability of a teleoperator to control a multi-finger hand through intuitive and natural finger motion. Furthermore, transfer to new users is demonstrated.


In industrialized countries with a Western lifestyle, sensitization to perennial aeroallergens is strongly associated with asthma, whereas sensitization to seasonal aeroallergens is closely related to allergic rhinitis. Little is known, however, about the relation between skin test reactivity to aeroallergens and either asthma or rhinitis in mainland China. We studied 10,009 members of 2,544 families in Anqing (China) that were selected on the basis of physician-diagnosed asthma in at least two siblings. Generalized estimating equations were employed to study the association between skin test reactivity to aeroallergens and either asthma or rhinitis. After adjustment for age, sex, intensity of smoking, skin test reactivity to other aeroallergens, and household correlations, sensitization to dust mite was an independent predictor of both asthma (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.5, p = 0.008) and rhinitis (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.0 to 1.8, p = 0.04). Sensitization to mold was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1 to 2.3, p = 0.008), and sensitization to silk was an independent predictor of rhinitis (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1 to 2.2, p = 0.02). Although 46.9% of the study participants were sensitized to at least one allergen, only 3.5% of study subjects reported nasal symptoms consistent with rhinitis. Among asthmatic subjects, 6.2% reported nasal symptoms. Whereas sensitization to perennial aeroallergens was associated with asthma among families of asthmatic subjects in rural China, sensitization to silk was the strongest predictor of rhinitis in this population. Our findings also suggest that allergic rhinitis is far less common among asthmatic subjects in rural China than in asthmatic subjects in industrialized countries with a Western lifestyle.


Social rehabilitation process of drug users in terms of coaching in Lapas Narkotika (Narcotics Penitentiary) Class IIA Sungguminasa covered a) rehabilitation of social behavior which consists of mental and spiritual coaching, discipline, religious coaching, education, law enforcement, skills development, guidance and counseling, structured guidance and personality development, b) social rehabilitation in forms of legal actions such as remission and rewards or penalty against infringement, c) financial aspects concerning the operational cost of the penitentiary, and d) process of integration during mapeling (admission orientation), skills development and religious activities. On the other hand, the increasing number of inmate indicated that social rehabilitation programs in the narcotics penitentiary has not functioned optimally as a correctional institution. The process of social reintegration covers: a). prevention, b). therapeutic efforts, c). enforcement d). alternative efforts. Social reintegration undertaken in the Narcotics Penitentiary includes all parties ranging from officers, inmates and the public in order to prevent illicit trafficking or abuse of drugs in the penitentiary. Inhibiting factor in the development of the social rehabilitation efforts is the lack of infrastructure and human resources in specific field such as psychologist and counselor. Keywords: Coaching, Social Rehabilitation, Drug Users


Negative human wildlife interactions are often contingent on a species' spatial ecology and habitat use. Interaction outcomes can contribute to species imperilment and are exacerbated when the wildlife species suffers human persecution. Wildlife species that incorporate the spatial signatures of human activity into their landscape can avoid human contact and thus reduce their risk exposure. We used radio telemetry data collected between 2008 and 2015 to examine movements (e.g., habitat use and range fidelity) of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB) population located in coastal Beaufort County, South Carolina. We used LoCoH to estimate home ranges and a landscape classification that included anthropogenic activity-based patches to incorporate risk exposure to humans into EDB spatial ecology. Our observations of home-range size and configuration suggest that EDBs restrict their habitat use to areas with low human activity and actively avoid areas that increase exposure to risks. Specifically, EDBs avoided areas that, 1) lacked vegetative ground cover (avoidance of mowed, open spaces), 2) had high human activity, and 3) high vehicular traffic volume. The results of this study suggest that, within an anthropogenic landscape, EDBs incorporate risk into their spatial ecology. This information will aid efforts by natural resources personnel to monitor the EDB population and take preventative measures to reduce human-rattlesnake encounters.


Objective: Backward stair descent has attracted attention from the viewpoint of injury prevention. Previous studies have shown that knee extension moment is lower during the backward stair descent than during the forward stair descent. However, it remains unclear whether the bone-on-bone force at the tibiofemoral joint differs between the two stair descent methods. The purpose of this study was to estimate bone-on-bone forces at the tibiofemoral joint during forward and backward stair descent.
Methods: Six healthy young men participated in this study. The stair descents were performed in the forward and backward direction using a step-by-step pattern. The muscle tensions of the lower limbs were estimated based on the net joint moments and information provided by the electromyography. The bone-on-bone forces at the tibiofemoral joint were calculated based on the estimated muscle tensions and geometry of limbs.
Results: While the knee extension moments were significantly lower during backward stair descent than forward stair descent, the estimated bone-on-bone forces at the tibiofemoral joint in two different descending methods showed no significant difference. The quadriceps femoris tension during backward stair descent was significantly lower than that during forward stair descent.
Conclusions: The bone-on-bone forces reflect mechanical load to the articular surface. Thus, the results of this study suggested that the load of tibiofemoral articular surface remains unchanged between the forward and backward stair descent. However, backward stair descent might be a relevant method for reduction of quadriceps femoris tensions.


El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global phenomenon with significant phase propagation within and between basins. This is captured and described in the first mode of a complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) from the midnineteenth century through 1991. The global ENSO from the SSTA data, plus a linear trend everywhere, are subsequently removed in order to consider other global modes of variability uncontaminated by the intra- and interbasin effects of ENSO. An ordinary EOF analysis of the SSTA residuals reveals three non-ENSO modes of low-frequency variability that are related to slow oceanic and climate signals described in the literature. The first two modes have decadal to multidecadal timescales with high loadings in the Pacific. They bear some spatial similarities to the ENSO pattern but are broader, more intense at high latitudes, and differ in the time domain. A CEOF analysis confirms that they are not merely the phase-related components of a single mode and that all three modes are without significant phase propagation. The third mode is a multidecadal signal with maximal realization in the extratropical North Atlantic southeast of Greenland. It is consistent with studies that have documented connections between North Atlantic SSTA and the tropospheric North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). All three SSTA modes have midtropospheric associations related to previously classified Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns. The relationships between SSTA modes and tropospheric patterns are consistent with the ocean-atmosphere interactions discussed in previous studies to explain low-frequency climate oscillations in the North Pacific and North Atlantic sectors. The first three leading modes of non-ENSO SSTA are most related, to the tropospheric patterns of the Pacific North American, the North Pacific, and the Arctic oscillations (AO), respectively. The 500-hPa pattern associated with the third SSTA mode also bears similarities to the NAO in its Atlantic sector. This North Atlantic mode has a region of high, positive SSTA loadings in the Gulf of Alaska, which appear to be connected to the North Atlantic SSTA by a tropospheric bridge effect in the AO.


The thermoresponsive behavior of an elastin-based polymer can be altered by the polymeric macromolecular conformation. Thus, when the elastin basic amino acid sequence VPGVG is used as a pendant group of a poly(phenylacetylene) (PPA) its thermoresponsive behavior in water can be remotely detected through conformational changes on the formed helix. Circular dichroism at different temperatures shows an inversion of the first Cotton effect (450 nm) at 25.8 °C that matches with the cloud point temperature. The elastin-based side-chain poly(phenylacetylene) shows an upper critical solution temperature with low pH and concentration dependency, not expected in elastin-based polymers. It was found that the polymer self-assembles in water into spherical nanoparticles with hydrodynamic diameters of 140 nm at the hydrophobic state.


The authors examined the experimental effects of social context on everyday problem–solving performance by older, middle-aged, and younger adults. Participants were presented with six everyday problems constructed by framing two behavioral challenges in social contexts representative of the lives of older, middle-aged, and younger adults. As predicted, participants performed best when problems were situated in contexts representative of their own age group. Older adults also outperformed the other age groups on problems set in older adult contexts, suggesting that when problems are set in ecologically relevant contexts, one may not observe previously reported age-related declines in performance.


During the last 20 years the time relationships of the rapid heat changes in muscle and nerve have been the subject of exhaustive study, by Hill, Hartree, Meyerhof and many of their collaborators. The changes involved in such processes have turned out to be dependent both on physical factors and on the heat effects of a number of separate rapid chemical reactions. Hitherto, however, there seems to have been but little attempt, either by physical chemists or by physiologists, to study the time relationships involved in the heat effects of individual rapid chemical reactions themselves. Investigators, for instance, have contented themselves with measuring the total heat of such reactions, merely by mixing together in thermos flasks, or other suitable calorimeters, the reagents required, and by noting the temperature changes which ensue over the period subsequent to mixing. Since, as a rule, observations of this kind have to be extended over a period of some minutes in order to ensure that the heat liberated in the change is uniformly distributed through the calorimeter and its contents, no information is obtained as to whether the heat change under investigation is complete within say one minute or within the merest fraction of a second. Such information ought in certain cases to prove to be of great interest to chemistry, but of its importance in physiology when attempts are made to assess the role of separate chemical reactions in the rapid changes known to occur in muscle, nerve and blood there would seem to be no question. Recently a method has been worked out for this purpose, and a description of its experimental details and testings have been described fully above. It is sufficient to state here that the method has made it possible to mix together completely within a period of 0∙001 second or less the reagents, whose interaction it is desired to study, and to measure accurately the total heat evolved within a period of only 0·01 to 0·002 second after the reaction has been started by mixing the reagents. It has been shown that the total temperature change involved in such heat effects can be measured to an accuracy of 0·001°C., whilst in the case of "time" reactions in which the evolution or absorption heat takes place gradually over a period of 0·01 second or more the temperature changes between instants of time t 1 and t 2 can be determined almost to a further place of decimals, viz., 0·0001°C. to 0·0002°C. The present paper is of a preliminary kind and contains a description of the first applications of the method to the following rapid reactions: (α) the neutralisations of typical acids and bases (strong and weak); (β) the reactions of the simplest amino-acid, glycine, with acids, bases and buffers; (γ) the reactions of the blood proteins with acids and bases; and (δ) a single experiment on the reaction between carbon monoxide and haemoglobin. It was to be anticipated that of the above reactions only those of carbonic acid with bases, of bicarbonate with acid, and of haemoglobin with carbon monoxide, would fail to show completion of the heat change within 0·01 to 0·015 second. The experimental observations confirmed this expectation.


The aim of this work was to find out how repeated low doses of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and T-2 toxin would influen- ce the Chinese hamster and if the amplifying of these effects would occur with the application of both toxins together. The animals were treated with 10 ml/kg of 7% dimethylsulfoxid (DMSO) in the control group (C), 1.0 mg/kg of AFB1 in group A, 1.0 mg/kg of T-2 toxin in group T2, and 1.0 mg/kg of AFB1 + 1.0 mg/kg of T-2 toxin in group T2/A. All mycotoxins were dissolved in 10 ml/kg of 7% DMSO. These doses were administered intragastrically twice a week for a period of three weeks. General health condition, histological picture of some internal organs, some biochemical blood serum indicators of liver and kidney functions, and leucogram were monitored. No differences in prosperity or weight gains appeared during the course of the experiment. The histological examination did not show any changes in the investigated organs in any experimental group. On the contrary, differences were found in the biochemical blood serum profile. ALT and AST activities decreased significantly in T2/A group animals compared with the other medicated groups (T2 - 24.46 µkat/l; 45.18 µkat/l; A - 18.17; 41.84; T2/A - 4.74; 14.21). A similar decrease appeared in GMT activity as well, but it was significant only in comparison with the T2 group (T2 - 0.6 µkat/l; T2/A - 0.25). ALP activity was increased in the experimental groups compared with the control, significantly in the T2 group (C - 5.0 µkat/l; T2 - 6.92). LDH activity was lower in the T2 and T2/A groups, significantly when the T2/A group was compared with the A group (A - 94.05 µkat/l;; T2/A - 37.48). The cholesterol level was significantly increased in group A compared with the C and T2 groups. A smaller increase in the T2/A group was significant when compared with the T2 group as well (C - 3.05 mmol/l; T2 - 2.85; A - 3.59; T2/A - 3.27). Total and conjugated bilirubin concentrations decreased in group order A - C - T2 - T2/A, when differences among the A, T2 and T2/A groups were significant (T2 - 1.0 mmol/l; 0.36 mmol/l; A - 2.36; 0.85; T2/A - 0.69; 0.21). A glycemia decrease in medicated groups was significant in the T2/A group, while it approached a significant level in the T2 group (C - 10.46 mmol/l; T2 - 9.01; T2/A - 8.91). The main liver condition indicators seemed to be influenced by the T-2 toxin and AFB1 combination more than by individually applied toxins. We assume the amplification of the mycotoxin effects on proteosynthesis. The ALT activity especially was probably influenced more than in the additive manner. All the medicated groups showed a significant increase in the monocyte percent count (T2 - 9.8%; A - 9.62; T2/A - 8.85; C - 6.65). The differences observed in other leucocyte types were not significant. There were no differences in the effects of individual mycotoxins and their combination on the leucogram level.


The paper presents the analysis of two groups of piles subjected to lateral loads incorporating the non-linear behaviour of soil. The finite element method is adopted for carrying out the parametric study of the pile groups. The pile is idealized as a one dimensional beam element, the pile cap as two dimensional plate elements and the soil as non-linear elastic springs using the p-y curves developed by Georgiadis et al. (1992). Two groups of piles, embedded in a cohesive soil, involving two and three piles in series and parallel arrangement thereof are considered. The response of the pile groups is found to be significantly affected by the parameters such as the spacing between the piles, the number of piles in a group and the orientation of the lateral load. The non-linear response of the system is, further, compared with the one by Chore et al. (2012) obtained by the analysis of a system to the present one, except that the soil is assumed to be linear elastic. From the comparison, it is observed that the non-linearity of soil is found to increase the top displacement of the pile group in the range of 66.4%-145.6%, while decreasing the fixed moments in the range of 2% to 20% and the positive moments in the range of 54% to 57%.


To find suitable farming management approaches in the semi-arid climate of Iran, we set up an experiment combining three farm management practices with four crop rotation systems over four growing seasons (two winter and two summer seasons), from 2018 to 2020. The three farm management practices comprised: intensive (IF, with inorganic inputs, removal of crop residues from the soil, and weeds chemically controlled), organic (OF, with organic inputs, a return 30% of crop residues in the soil, and weeds mechanically controlled), and integrated (INT, with mineral/organic inputs, return 15% of crop residues to the soil, integrated weed control). The four crop rotation systems were: fallow-wheat (F-W), maize-wheat (M-W), sesame-wheat (S-W), and mung bean-wheat (B-W). Treatment effects were assessed by chlorophyll (Chl) content, photosynthetic parameters, and wheat grain quality and quantity measurements. All management practices from the first to the second year resulted in increases in the total Chl content and post-anthesis photosynthesis (PAP). The total Chl content under INT was improved through a greater increase in Chl-b compared to Chl-a. Dry matter remobilisation (DMR) was higher under INT than under IF. The highest (39) and lowest (23) grain number per spike were obtained in IF under B-W and OF under F-W, respectively. B-W produced the highest grain yield (541.4 g m−2). The protein contents in farming with organic matter inputs were higher than that under IF. INT produced an optimum level of wheat yield despite a 50% reduction in chemical inputs, and this was achieved through the fast absorption of chemical elements at the beginning of growth, and having access—at the grain filling stage—to elements derived from organic matter decomposition, and through the utilisation of DMR. Our results indicate that implementing B-W and S-W under INT is a promising strategy for this region. However, the results need to be further evaluated by long-term experiments.


During the eighteenth century, several Swedish historians practiced a reasonbased form of criticism, above all when analysing the medieval period. This critical method entailed that events that seemed not to stand the test of reason, such as miracle stories, were not only seen as purely fictional but were also severely criticized as a symptom of the poor intellectual standards of the era. Previous research has seen this critical practice as an expression of Enlightenment thought. An investigation of five major historical works written during Sweden's so-called "Age of Liberty" (1719–1772) reveals that although this critical practice bears the indisputable mark of "Enlightenment ideas", it was also a late expression of an older form of criticism rooted in Lutheran theology. In Reformation thought, ecclesiastical miracles were criticized not primarily because they were untrue, but because of their connections with unwanted Roman Catholic forms of piety that threatened to entice people away from the "pure Evangelical faith". The investigation also shows that Swedish eighteenth-century historians understood miracles and the issue of Divine intervention in history in a more nuanced and diverse way than scholars have thought (Less)


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NF-E2-related factor 2-617 (NRF2-617) promoter region with the susceptibility to the risk of sepsis.

METHODS
In this case-control association study, 203 healthy controls and 174 patients with sepsis in Wenzhou Han population were enrolled and genotyped by DNA direct sequencing.

RESULTS
(1) The (CA+AA) genotype frequency was significantly higher in the sepsis group than in the control group (59.2% vs 46.3%, P = 0.012). (2) Compared with the general sepsis group, higher (CA+AA) genotype frequency was found in the severe sepsis group (47.5% vs 65.5%, P = 0.033) . However, no significant difference was shown in the (CA+AA) genotype frequency between the shock group and the non-shock group as well as between the death group and the non-death group (61.8% vs 57.1%, P = 0.221; 56.8% vs 66.7%, P = 0.258) . (3) The unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that the mutation of C to A at the gene promoter locus of Nrf2-617 was associated with the increased onset risk of sepsis (OR = 1.584, 95%CI 1.025-2.447, P = 0.038) and the severity of sepsis (OR = 0.453, 95%CI 0.233-0.878, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSION
The mutation of C to A at the gene promoter locus of Nrf2-617 may increase the onset risk of sepsis and organ failure in sepsis patients, while not associated with the incidence of shock and the prognosis of sepsis.


Health services research in rheumatology is producing important studies that have implications for the provision of care in a changing health care environment. This paper reviews studies relating to issues surrounding the delivery of care to patients, patients' access to medical care, how to provide more cost-effective medical care, and who should be providing medical care. The increasing use of managed medical care provides researchers with the opportunity to examine how changes in medical care delivery affect patient outcomes and the cost of the care that is provided. Policy makers need to be made aware of the research being conducted in health services so that they make informed policy decisions.


Objective To review studies evaluating clinically implemented image-guided cochlear implant programing (IGCIP) and to determine its effect on cochlear implant (CI) performance. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for English language publications from inception to August 1, 2021. Study Selection Included studies prospectively compared intraindividual CI performance between an image-guided experimental map and a patient's preferred traditional map. Non-English studies, cadaveric studies, and studies where imaging did not directly inform programming were excluded. Data Extraction Seven studies were identified for review, and five reported comparable components of audiological testing and follow-up times appropriate for meta-analysis. Demographic, speech, spectral modulation, pitch accuracy, and quality-of-life survey data were collected. Aggregate data were used when individual data were unavailable. Data Synthesis Audiological test outcomes were evaluated as standardized mean change (95% confidence interval) using random-effects meta-analysis with raw score standardization. Improvements in speech and quality-of-life measures using the IGCIP map demonstrated nominal effect sizes: consonant–nucleus–consonant words, 0.15 (−0.12 to 0.42); AzBio quiet, 0.09 (−0.05 to 0.22); AzBio +10 dB signal-noise ratio, 0.14 (−0.01 to 0.30); Bamford–Kowel–Bench sentence in noise, −0.11 (−0.35 to 0.12); Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit, −0.14 (−0.28 to 0.00); and Speech Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale, 0.13 (−0.02 to 0.28). Nevertheless, 79% of patients allowed to keep their IGCIP map opted for continued use after the investigational period. Conclusion IGCIP has potential to precisely guide CI programming. Nominal effect sizes for objective outcome measures fail to reflect subjective benefits fully given discordance with the percentage of patients who prefer to maintain their IGCIP map.


Abstract Centistidea acrocercopsi Ahmad & Pandey, sp. nov., C. cosmopteryxi Ahmad & Pandey, sp. nov., and C. tihamica Ghramh & Ahmad, sp. nov. are described as new to science. The genus Centistidea Rohwer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Miracinae) is recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia. Two species were reared from Acrocercops phaeospora Meyrick and Cosmopteryx phaeogastra (Meyrick) in India, while Centistidea tihamica was collected by Malaise trap in Saudi Arabia. Characters of these new species and their affinities with related taxa are discussed. Data on habitat, host records, and host plant species for all the parasitoid species are also provided.


The mammograms and histologic slides of 58 cases of atypical hyperplasia (AH) of the breast were retrospectively reviewed to determine the geographic correlation (direct, near, or remote) between mammographic abnormalities (if present) and the histologic findings. A direct mammographic-histologic correlation was found in 24 of the 58 cases (41%), near correlation in 15 (26%), and remote correlation in 19 (33%). Clustered microcalcifications were the most common mammographic abnormality that was directly correlated with AH at histologic examination. Atypical ductal hyperplasia was much more frequently associated with a direct mammographic-histologic correlation than was atypical lobular hyperplasia (48% vs 9%). The authors conclude that, although no pathognomonic appearance of AH was discovered, mammographic abnormalities similar to those of small cancers could be directly correlated with histologic findings in 41% of cases. Since AH has been shown to be associated with a five- to tenfold increased risk of subsequent invasive carcinoma, frequent clinical and at least yearly mammographic follow-up is suggested once AH is discovered.


A proposed continuum model of sandpile growth is able to demonstrate instantaneous long-range interactions and sudden collapses typical of real sandpiles. The model is shown to be equivalent to an evolutionary quasivariational inequality. In the limiting case of zero angle of repose the inequality describes water transport in a river network.


PFSA-based reinforced membranes are used today as the benchmark material for the electrolyte in PEMFCs. Although greatly improved relatively to their unreinforced version, they still suffer from aging and degradation during fuel cell (FC) operation. In this study we first performed proton NMR to characterize the different water populations in the pristine Nafion XL reinforced membrane. Then we used proton and fluorine NMR, FTIR and sorption measurements in order to qualitatively observe the differences induced in the membrane's chemical structure and properties by long term FC operation. Proton NMR is seen to be an adapted tool to quickly measure a signature that is correlated to the degradation state while FTIR can serve as a local probe of the chemical structure.


Motivated by an open problem from graph drawing, we study several partitioning problems for line and hyperplane arrangements. We prove a ham-sandwich cut theorem: given two sets of n lines in ℝ2, there is a line ℓ such that in both line sets, for both halfplanes delimited by ℓ, there are $\sqrt{n}$ lines which pairwise intersect in that halfplane, and this bound is tight; a centerpoint theorem: for any set of n lines there is a point such that for any halfplane containing that point there are $\sqrt{n/3}$ of the lines which pairwise intersect in that halfplane. We generalize those results in higher dimension and obtain a center transversal theorem, a same-type lemma, and a positive portion Erdős–Szekeres theorem for hyperplane arrangements. This is done by formulating a generalization of the center transversal theorem which applies to set functions that are much more general than measures. Back to graph drawing (and in the plane), we completely solve the open problem that motivated our search: there is no set of n labeled lines that are universal for all n-vertex labeled planar graphs. In contrast, the main result by Pach and Toth (J. Graph Theory 46(1):39–47, 2004), has, as an easy consequence, that every set of n (unlabeled) lines is universal for all n-vertex (unlabeled) planar graphs.


Midgut malrotation has a noticeable frequency among congenital anomalies and presents mostly as vomiting. We report a case of a five-year-old boy with recurrent attacks of bilious vomiting and mild epigastric colicky abdominal pain for a year. Midgut malrotation with Ladd's band and superior mesenteric vein (SMV) dilatation causing partial intestinal obstruction were diagnosed based on the clinical presentation, upper gastrointestinal (GI) barium follow-through study, computed tomography (CT) scan with and without IV contrast, and intraoperative findings. In the upper GI barium study, the duodenum was passing anteriorly, and the second and proximal third portions were persistently dilated with recurring to-and-fro type peristalsis, resulting in delayed passage through the third portion. In the abdomen and pelvis CT scan with and without IV contrast, the SMV was dilated, forming a venous collar around the third portion of the duodenum and causing partial obstruction. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a hugely dilated SMV trapped in the Ladd's band. Ladd's procedure was done besides releasing the SMV and widening the root of the mesentery. The postoperative follow-up was smooth, without any relapse of the previous symptoms. Midgut malrotation in the older age group is rare in itself because there are relatively few cases documented in this age range. We determined to present this case to raise awareness of knowledge concerning the diagnosis and timely management of this condition in order to prevent comorbidity. In addition, we realise that SMV dilatation is an uncommon correlation of the known condition, midgut malrotation, and hope to contribute to the literature.


OBJECTIVE: Due to the situation of growing poverty in the state of Minas Gerais and the tuberculosis' severity, a pathology associated with poor living conditions, it is necessary to study the incidence of new cases of this pathology so that public health measures can be taken to revert this scenario. So, the objective of this study is to evaluate the incidence of notified cases of tuberculosis in the state of Minas Gerais between 2015 and 2020. METHODS: The number of confirmed and notified cases of tuberculosis in the state of Minas Gerais from 2015 to 2020 was collected in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases of the IT department of the Brazilian Unified Health System (DATASUS), through the Tabnet system. Between 2015 and 2020, 24717 new cases of tuberculosis were reported in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. RESULTS: Regarding the year, 4053 occurred in 2015, 4071 in 2016, 4055 in 2017, 4214 in 2018, 4349 in 2019 and 3975 in 2020. CONCLUSION: For all of the foregoing, the great significance and need for attention focused on the prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis is highlighted.


Molecular competition is ubiquitous, essential and multifunctional throughout diverse biological processes. Competition brings about trade-offs of shared limited resources among the cellular components, and it thus introduce a hidden layer of regulatory mechanism by connecting components even without direct physical interactions. By abstracting the analogous competition mechanism behind diverse molecular systems, we built a unified coarse-grained competition motif model to systematically compare experimental evidences in these processes and analyzed general properties shared behind them. We could predict in what molecular environments competition would reveal threshold behavior or display a negative linear dependence. We quantified how competition can shape regulator-target dose-response curve, modulate dynamic response speed, control target expression noise, and introduce correlated fluctuations between targets. This work uncovered the complexity and generality of molecular competition effect, which might act as a hidden regulatory mechanism with multiple functions throughout biological networks in both natural and synthetic systems.


The effect of concurrent load on generalization performance in human contingency learning was examined in 2 experiments that employed the combined positive and negative patterning procedure of Shanks and Darby (1998). In Experiment 1, we tested 32 undergraduates and found that participants who were trained and tested under full attention showed generalization consistent with the application of an opposites rule (i.e., single cues signal the opposite outcome to their compound), whereas participants trained and tested under a concurrent cognitive load showed generalization consistent with surface similarity. In Experiment 2, we replicated the effect with 148 undergraduates and provided evidence that it was the presence of concurrent load during training, rather than during testing, that was critical. Implications for associative, inferential, and dual-process accounts of human learning are discussed.


From the results of the 28.6 Mc/s background survey of the cosmic radiation at Bangalore. a value of 2.37 is obtained for the spectral index. The significance of this value is briefly discussed. Regions where the index is different are ascribed to brighter belts of emission and absorbing ionized hydrogen clouds.


The red grape constituent resveratrol possesses cancer chemopreventive properties in rodents. The hypothesis was tested that, in healthy humans, p.o. administration of resveratrol is safe and results in measurable plasma levels of resveratrol. A phase I study of oral resveratrol (single doses of 0.5, 1, 2.5, or 5 g) was conducted in 10 healthy volunteers per dose level. Resveratrol and its metabolites were identified in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV. Consumption of resveratrol did not cause serious adverse events. Resveratrol and six metabolites were recovered from plasma and urine. Peak plasma levels of resveratrol at the highest dose were 539 ± 384 ng/mL (2.4 μmol/L, mean ± SD; n = 10), which occurred 1.5 h post-dose. Peak levels of two monoglucuronides and resveratrol-3-sulfate were 3- to 8-fold higher. The area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) values for resveratrol-3-sulfate and resveratrol monoglucuronides were up to 23 times greater than those of resveratrol. Urinary excretion of resveratrol and its metabolites was rapid, with 77% of all urinary agent-derived species excreted within 4 h after the lowest dose. Cancer chemopreventive effects of resveratrol in cells in vitro require levels of at least 5 μmol/L. The results presented here intimate that consumption of high-dose resveratrol might be insufficient to elicit systemic levels commensurate with cancer chemopreventive efficacy. However, the high systemic levels of resveratrol conjugate metabolites suggest that their cancer chemopreventive properties warrant investigation. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(6):1246–52)


UrbanWeb is a novel Web-based context-aware hypermedia platform. It provides essential mechanisms for mobile social computing applications: the framework implements context as an extension to Web 2.0 tagging and provides developers with an easy to use platform for mobile context-aware applications. Services can be statically or dynamically defined in the user's context, data can be precached for data intensive mobile applications, and shared state supports synchronization between running applications such as games. The paper discusses how UrbanWeb acquires cues about the user's context from sensors in mobile phones, ranging from GPS data, to 2D barcodes, and manual entry of context information, as well as how to utilize this context in applications. The experiences show that the UrbanWeb platform efficiently supports a rich variety of urban computing applications in different scales of user populations.


Background: We aimed to estimate lifetime cumulative risk of melanoma (CRM) in relatives of patients with melanoma by histology and age at diagnosis in patients and relatives. Methods: A population-based cohort of 238,724 first-degree relatives of 46,091 melanoma patients diagnosed in 1955-2010 in Nordic countries was followed for cancer incidence. Findings: The CRM (0-79 years) in first-degree relatives of a patient with superficial spreading (SSM), nodular (NM), or lentigo maligna (LMM) melanoma was quite similar, ranging from 2.5% to 2.9%, which represents about 2-fold increase over the general population risk. When one melanoma patient in the family was diagnosed before age 30, the CRM was 3.2%. When there were ≥2 melanoma patients diagnosed before age 30 in a family, CRM for relatives was 13.8%, 5.8% for diagnoses at age 30-59, and 4.8% for diagnoses at age 60 or older. Depending on age at diagnosis of same-sex twins (not known whether monozygotic or dizygotic), their CRM was 7.4-21.3%. Although no familial case of concordant histological types of acral lentiginous/desmoplastic/compound nevus/spindle cell melanomas or malignant blue nevus (MBN) was found, familial risks of discordant histological types of melanoma were interchangeably high for most of the types, e.g. higher risk of SSM when a first-degree relative had NM [standardized incidence ratios (SIR)=2.6, 95%CI=2.1-3.3, n=72] or ALM (4.0, 95%CI=1.5-8.8, n=6) and vice versa. There was a tendency toward concordant age at diagnosis of melanoma among relatives of melanoma patients. Interpretation: This study provides clinically relevant absolute and relative risk estimates for family members of melanoma patients by age at diagnosis in patients and relatives. Our finding may suggest that the role of genetic or environmental factors in the differentiation of histological types of melanoma is not as strong as its role in the development of melanoma as such. Citation Format: Mahdi Fallah, Eero Pukkala, Kristina Sundquist, Steinar Tretli, Jorgen H. Olsen, Laufey Tryggvadottir. Familial melanoma by histology and age guiding clinical genetic counseling: joint data from five Nordic countries. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1293. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1293


OBJECTIVE
To assess the influence of 2 single exercise sessions on blood pressure in sedentary normotensive individuals: one of resistive exercise training (circuit weight training) and the other of aerobic exercise training.

METHODS
Using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, this study assessed 25 individuals as follows: in a controlled situation at rest (ABPM 1); after resistive exercise training (ABPM 2); and after aerobic exercise training (ABPM 3). Resistive exercise training was performed as circuit weight training with an intensity of 40% of each individual's maximum strength. The aerobic exercise training was performed on a cycloergometer with intensity between 60% and 70% of the maximum heart rate (HR) reached during previous exercise testing.

RESULTS
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) values during 24 hours and during subperiods of wakefulness and sleep showed no statistically significant variations when the results obtained at rest were compared with those of ABPM2 and ABPM3, and when the results of ABPM2 were compared with those of ABPM3. The mean heart rate during 24 hours and in the wakefulness period showed significant increases (P<0.05), when ABPM2 was compared with ABPM3.

CONCLUSION
A single session of resistive exercise training in normotensive individuals was sufficient to cause significant reductions in blood pressure levels after exercise in the period of sleep. The session of aerobic exercise training in these same individuals was more effective in significantly reducing blood pressure levels.


The main objective of the present study is to prepare and evaluate in vitro sustained release tablets to improve the bioavailability, reduce the number of doses and to increase patient compliance for the treatment of Zollinger Ellison syndrome and peptic ulcer disease. The tablets were prepared by direct compression method using carbopol 934 and xanthan gums, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose as polymers. The tablets were evaluated for their micromeritic properties and in vitro release as well as by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The data showed FTIR and DSC results indicate that the drug was compatible with the polymers used. Among all formulations F2 showed the most suitable sustained release properties with 99.65% of drug release at the end of 12 h. The results indicated that a decrease in release kinetics of the drugwas observed by increasing the polymer concentration. The release data was fitted to various mathematical models such as, Higuchi, KorsmeyerPeppas, First-order, and Zero order to evaluate the kinetics and mechanism of the drug release. From this studies it sis concluded that the Tablets prepared with xanthan gum were revealed that increase in the concentration retards the drug release and can be used as a sustained release delivery system for Esmoprazole.


The aims of this study were to determine the effects of konjac glucomannan (KGM), a water-soluble dietary fiber from Amorphophallu konjac C. Koch, on the cytotoxicity and DNA damage of fecal water-treated Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, and to compare these effects with those of inulin, oligofructose (FO), cellulose and no fiber diet. In addition, the possible mechanisms by which dietary fibers modulated the toxicity of feces were investigated. Seven-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly allocated to consume an AIN-93 diet that contained no dietary fiber (FF) or 5 % (w/w) KGM, inulin, FO, or cellulose for 3 weeks. Fresh feces were collected during days 18 - 21. Our results indicated that the survival rate (%) of fecal water-treated Caco-2 cells was similarly enhanced by each dietary fiber as compared with that of FF group, respectively. The inhibition of fecal water-induced DNA damage of Caco-2 cells was in the descending order of inulin> FO> cellulose, KGM group. Cellulose significantly exerted a bulk effect, while KGM, inulin and FO significantly increased the ratio of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in feces, respectively, as well as the ferrous ion-chelating ability of fecal water, respectively. Therefore, this study suggests that KGM, inulin and FO may reduce the toxicity of fecal water mainly by increasing the fecal probiotics and ferrous ion-chelating activities while cellulose may act mainly by increasing the fecal bulk. FF: fiber free FO: oligofructose KGM: konjac glucomannan.


5‐Aminolevulinic acid is a new‐generation photosensitizer with high tumor specificity. It has been used successfully in the diagnosis, treatment, and screening of urological cancers including bladder cancer; specifically, it has been used in photodynamic diagnosis to detect tumors by illuminating the lesion with a specific wavelength of light to produce fluorescence in the lesion after administration of 5‐aminolevulinic acid, in photodynamic therapy, which induces tumor cell death via production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, and in photodynamic screening, in which porphyrin excretion in the blood and urine is used as a tumor biomarker after administration of 5‐aminolevulinic acid. In addition to these applications in urological cancers, 5‐aminolevulinic acid–based photodynamic technology is expected to be used as a novel strategy for a large number of cancer types because it is based on a property of cancer cells known as the Warburg effect, which is a basic biological property that is common across all cancers.


In the context of the transition to a new technological structure and the formation of an export-oriented economy, the achievement of sustainable agricultural development is inextricably linked with the search for new forms, methods, and mechanisms to stimulate the development of the investment potential of agricultural production. The study aims to assess the contribution of investment potential to improving the efficiency of agricultural production and to develop innovative policy measures to stimulate its development. The theoretical aspects of the development of investment potential have been developed. The role of foreign investment in agriculture in increasing the productivity of the industry and meeting the needs of the industry for various resources has been substantiated. The specificity of the provision of investment resources in agriculture has been studied. An empirical assessment of the multiplier effect of investments was carried out using a pool of indicators. Based on the proposed private indicators, an integral indicator for assessing the effectiveness of the investment potential of agricultural production was calculated. A typology of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation has been carried out on the contribution of investment potential to innovative development and growth of export potential; groups with a low, medium and high level of development are identified. The article proposes measures to stimulate innovative development based on expanding the forms of interaction and methods of investment policy, science, and agribusiness in the context of framework conditions, project, and institutional measures. The practical significance of the results of the study is to improve the methodology for assessing the level of development of investment potential and increase the efficiency of agricultural production based on improving government support measures at all stages of the innovation process.


More than just selling, a city must be constructed as an image formation process, which is formed from a mental map created by local people that produces an original identity to make a good branding. This research aims to reveal a new element of city identity and produce a mapping process of forming a strong city identity based on the advantages of the city that can be used in perfecting the concept of city branding. The result shows that the natural appearance in this study refers to the appearance of the river and the surrounding area called "RIVERINE" which means the area around the river. These elements also become the identity of Palembang and can be one of the elements to construct a concept of city branding. The research's state-of-the-art findings are the new element to constructing the city identity of Palembang by revealing the role of the new element of city identity construction. Revealing


Unconfined fuel aerosols known as fuel air explosives (FAE) are detonable in nature over a wide range of fuel concentrations in air. The fuel aerosols are formed by dispersing the fuel in air by explosive means and detonated using a suitable initiator charge leading to the generation of a high impulse blast. For weapon applications, the designers aim for higher lethal area for damaging soft targets. Theoretical estimations have shown that aerosols of lower height to diameter ratio (H/D) produce higher blast pressures at longer distances, thereby enhancing lethal area. However, there is no experimental data available in the open literature to validate the theoretical findings. In this study two approaches were followed to generate detonable aerosols of different H/D, viz.; use of different burster charge loadings for a given fuel container known as canister and fuel quantity and use of different size canisters for the same fuel quantity and burster charge loading. The aerosols formed by a given size of canister and 4.2 kg propylene oxide with different burster charge loadings having similar H/D values and blast performance. In the second approach, a canister with lower H/D containing 18.5 kg propylene oxide generated aerosols of lower H/D and higher blast performance at longer distances as compared to that of a canister with higher H/D with the same fuel quantity. The better canister fragmentation and fuel dispersion observed for the canister of lower H/D has been attributed to the better utilization of burster charge energy as evident from theoretical estimation of the time period for completion of the burster charge detonation and shock wave travel to canister wall. The experimentally observed initial velocity of fuel dispersion was found to be in well agreement with the theoretically estimated values. The results indicate tailorability of blast performance for a given quantity of fuel by choosing the canister H/D.


Abstract While ocean current and winds certainly play a major role in guiding the trajectories of free-floating icebergs, the direct effect of atmospheric surface pressure gradients can also have an important influence on the trajectories of large icebergs whose horizontal dimensions are sufficiently great to span synoptic systems. This effect is examined as a way of understanding why icebergs B15A, B15J, B15K, and C16 became "trapped" in a limited region immediately north of Ross Island for a period of several years, without being grounded. This limited region is otherwise flushed annually by summer surface winds and currents; thus the delay of the northward drift of the large icebergs (particularly B15A and B15J) defied expectation. The best explanation for this unexpected iceberg behaviour is that the large volcanic massifs on Ross Island create a quasi-permanent surface pressure anomaly patterned as a dipole, with high pressure in the area upwind of the island (an area appropriately called Windless Bight), and low pressure in the downwind area of the iceberg parking lot. The surface pressure regime experienced by two icebergs B15A and B15K is estimated using Automatic Weather Station observations and Global Positioning System receivers deployed on their surfaces to explain why they remained trapped. Breakdown of the atmospheric pressure gradients allowed them to eventually escape from the region to the north-west.


Acetaminophen (APAP) is known to cause centrilobular hepatic necrosis under overdose conditions. This is thought to be mediated via the P450-generated reactive intermediate N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). Initially, NAPQI is detoxified by conjugation with glutathione (GSH), but once GSH is depleted, NAPQI reacts more extensively with hepatic proteins leading to hepatocellular damage. The P450 isoforms thought to be responsible for APAP hepatotoxicity in humans are CYP2E1, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4, and thus, we have investigated the effect of murine Cyp1a2 on APAP hepatotoxicity using Cyp1a2 knockout mice (Liang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 1671-1676, 1996). Doses of 250 mg/kg were markedly hepatotoxic in these mice, and surprisingly, deaths only occurred in the knock-out and heterozygote mice over a 24-h period after dosing. Furthermore, there were no significant differences among survivors of any genotype in serum ALT concentrations, a well correlated indicator of APAP hepatotoxicity in mice. Finally, no differences were observed in the urinary metabolites excreted ove the 24-h period, including those derived from GSH conjugation of the major reactive metabolite NAPQI. Consistent with the effects on hepatotoxicity and metabolism, 2 h after hepatotoxic doses (500 mg/kg, i.p.) of APAP no significant differences were observed in total whole liver homogenate nonprotein thiol concentrations among the three genotypes even though hepatic thiols were decreased compared to control animals (> 90%). In addition, when the liver cytosol and microsome samples were examined by immunoblotting for the presence of APAP-protein adducts using a specific antiserum, there were no observable differences in either the intensity of staining or in the spectrum of adducts formed between APAP-dosed mice of any genotype. The cumulative data suggest that Cyp1a2 doses not play a significant role in APAP hepatotoxicity in these mice.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To examine emotional support given by nurses to family members in the acute phase after a working-aged patient's stroke based on nurses' and family members' experiences.

BACKGROUND
The number of patients with stroke is increasing globally. There is a lack of knowledge about the emotional support of family members during the acute phase of working-aged stroke victims. To be able to provide high-quality nursing care during this phase, we need information about emotional support from family members' and nurses' perspective.

METHOD
Using a Glaserian grounded theory approach, the study was conducted using open interviews with family members and group interviews with nurses. Data were collected between 2012-2013.

RESULTS
In this study, emotional support is identified as Caring Interaction. The changed life situation and diverse feelings aroused by the stroke are the starting point of providing emotional support to family members. It is important that the nurses notice family members' need for support at the right time, use their intuition and respond appropriately.

CONCLUSIONS
The patient's family members are important when providing holistic nursing care for the whole family. As well as providing emotional support, high-quality nursing interventions enhance the care of family members. This study provides an explanation of the interaction process between family members and nurses. It helps family members and nurses to better understand each other. Although the data were collected 5 years ago, it is assumed that the interaction between family members and nurses has not changed during these years remarkably.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
According to the experiences of family members and nurses who participated in this research, emotional support manifests in Caring Interaction. Being aware of body language and behaviour of family members, nurses can better interact with them.


The quality of pig carcasses, meat and pork products is reflected by different dimensions: economic (commercial value), technological (processing ability), sensory (appearance, texture, flavour, etc.) and nutritional (nutrient supply meeting human nutritional requirements). Each of these dimensions is described by several indicators, evaluated by different methods (physical, biochemical, etc.). One objective of the TREASURE project was to characterise the intrinsic quality of traditional pork products from diverse European local pig breeds and production systems. To harmonise the evaluation of quality within the project, a single tool based on common indicators and methods for quality assessment was developed. A "toolbox" for quality was established considering, for each main product (carcass, subcutaneous fat, fresh loin, green ham, dry ham, other dry products), the main quality dimensions (economic, technological, sensory, nutritional, etc.) and within each, the individual indicators (e.g. backfat thickness, intramuscular fat content, TBARs level, pH 24 h, colour parameters (L* a* b*), sensory tenderness, processing yield, NaCl content, etc. leading to a total of about 80 indicators) along with assessment of the method. The inventory of quality dimensions and indicators was drawn from our expertise, the scientific literature, and the Animal Trait Ontology for Livestock (ATOL) database. Measurement methods were chosen based on our expertise and the literature, including a recent "Handbook of reference methods for meat quality assessment" produced within the FAIM COST action. This "Pork Quality" toolbox is a generic tool that can help stakeholders from a variety of pork chains evaluate the quality of pork and pork products.


Abstract Background: CAH is a common genetic disorder usually diagnosed in early childhood. However, when it is detected in adulthood, different approach and treatment strategies need to be undergone as their needs are generally different from those of children with CAH. Case presentation: A 49-year-old male with a past medical history of recurrent urinary tract infections was admitted to the hospital with sepsis and was treated with antibiotics. CT abdomen during admission showed an incidental finding of markedly enlarged bilateral adrenal hyperplasia with an 8x5.5x5.8 cm left adrenal mass, as well as two ovaries and a uterus. Upon further history, the patient said he knew that he was born with abnormal genitalia and had a prolonged stay in the hospital immediately after birth and had surgery of his genitals at the age of six months. He was always told by his family that he is a female, although he never felt it, and he continued to identify himself as a male throughout his life. He only had one menstrual period at the age of thirteen. He participates in sexual activities as a male but was never able to have a normal sex life. He also gave a history of salt cravings, where he consumes dry salt. He was not taking any home medications. On examination, the patient had a male voice, a beard, male body hair distribution, no breast. The genital exam revealed labia majora, no labia minora. The rest of his examination was unremarkable. Work up for CAH revealed normal range plasma metanephrines and DHEA. But ACTH, androstenedione, 17-OH progesterone were all elevated (90.4 pg/ml, 2737 ng/dl, and 24191 ng/dl respectively) and levels were all higher after Cosyntropin stimulation test. He was found to have primary adrenal insufficiency with a maximum cortisol level of 13.3 mcg/dl after the stimulation test. He was started on oral Hydrocortisone and was closely followed by endocrine after discharge where long-term treatment plans were discussed and our patient decided that he wants to continue his life as a male, and was evaluated by Urology as well as OBGYN for left adrenalectomy and hysterectomy with bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy that was successfully performed a month later. Pathology of his left adrenals showed adrenocortical hyperplasia without evidence of malignancy. Patient was educated about lifelong corticosteroid treatment and that he would need to start testosterone replacement therapy to keep his male characteristics. Conclusion: When children with CAH lose follow up and don't receive treatment early in life, they can develop gender dysphoria, and their approach as adults become more challenging and it needs a multidisciplinary team to treat, address their needs and detect complications of prolonged adrenal stimulation. Additional research to the natural history and optimal interventions is needed to improve outcomes as these cases are not encountered frequently in clinical practice.


In this paper, we investigate the machine learning based strategies for dynamic channel selection in Cognitive Access Points (CogAPs) of WLANs. We employ Multi-layer Feedforward Neural Network (MFNN) models that utilize historical traffic information from network environment for learning the influence of spatio-temporal-spectral factors on the network and then predicting future traffic loads on each of the channels. Based on the future traffic loads, CogAP chooses the best channel for serving wireless clients. An important factor is the time scale of traffic prediction. We construct three kinds of traffic predictors that predict traffic at different time scales: MLP (Minute Level Prediction), MILP (Minute Interval Level Prediction), and HLP (Hourly Level Prediction) schemes and study their prediction accuracy. Experiment results show that MFNN predictors perform better than traditional autoregressive models in terms of prediction accuracy. In addition to accurate prediction, another factor that influences the design of cognitive network channel selection is the impact of channel selection strategy on the transport layer performance. We, therefore, conduct performance studies on the TCP throughput achieved on the above mentioned cognitive channel selection strategies. The MFNN predictors will also help CogAP to find and switch to the optimal channel, leading to a higher and more sustained throughput.


OBJECTIVE To understand the professional and psychosocial factors that influence physician antibiotic prescribing habits in the inpatient setting. DESIGN We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 inpatient physicians. Interviews consisted of open-ended questions and flexible probes based on participant responses. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and reviewed for accuracy and completeness. Data were analyzed using emergent thematic analysis. SETTING Two teaching hospitals in Indianapolis, Indiana PARTICIPANTS A total of 30 inpatient physicians (10 physicians-in-training, 20 supervising staff) were enrolled in this study. RESULTS Participants recognized that antibiotics are overused, and many admitted to prescribing antibiotics even when the clinical evidence of infection was uncertain. Overprescription was largely driven by anxiety about missing an infection, whereas potential adverse effects of antibiotics did not strongly influence decision making. Participants did not routinely disclose potential adverse effects of antibiotics to inpatients. Physicians-in-training were strongly influenced by the antibiotic prescribing behavior of their supervising staff physicians. Participants sometimes questioned their colleagues' antibiotic prescribing decisions, but they frequently avoided providing direct feedback or critique. These physicians cited obstacles of hierarchy, infrequent face-to-face encounters, and the awkwardness of these conversations. CONCLUSION A physician-based culture of prescribing antibiotics involves overusing antibiotics and not challenging the decisions of colleagues. The potential adverse effects of antibiotics did not strongly influence decision making in this sample. A better understanding of these factors could be leveraged in future efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in the inpatient setting. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(9):1065–1072


My contribution focuses on discussing the knowledge Roman non-medical authors had of medical literature. My research suggests that the medical authors known and cited belong mainly to the classical and Hellenistic age. The occasions or reasons for an intellectual in antiquity to turn his attention to medical texts were mainly twofold: to bolster a philosophical or ethical claim, and to confirm medical theories.


ABSTRACT A crisis of representation has precipitated a surge in support for populist radical right (PRR) parties that challenge the existing model of representative democracy. Simultaneously, institutional reforms across Western Europe have sought to improve the input-legitimacy of local democracy with a proliferation of direct and participatory democratic methods. This paper investigates the extent to which PRR parties advance a populist democratic agenda when in leadership of the executive at the local level of government. Previous work on the subject of PRR parties in power has neglected the sub-national perspective, despite the increasing congruence between populist demands for a more direct linkage of politics to the people and this institutional environment. An exploration of three cases of PRR party-led local government in Italy, Austria and Switzerland enables a comparison of their governing behaviour, its ideological content and democratic consequences, through qualitative content analysis of referendums, policies and council resolutions. This paper finds they do little to promote popular sovereignty through participatory forms of governance at the expense of representative democracy in local government. However, when in local government environments with higher executive autonomy, PRR parties emphasise a more direct (plebiscitarian) linkage between the executive and the 'people', who are increasingly represented in nativist terms.


Using sunlight to facilitate and promote valuable chemical reactions is an ideal solution to the challenge of meeting future energy demands. Our group aims to address fundamental questions concerning surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-mediated interfacial electron transfer (ET) in order to develop new materials and strategies for efficiently converting solar energy to chemical energy. In this talk, I will show how we unambiguously reveal the mechanics of plasmon-mediated electron transfer (PMET) in Au/TiO2 heterostructures under visible light (λ > 515 nm) during in situ operation. I will further discuss how we directly probe the relaxation dynamics and energetics of the transferred "effective hot electrons" that participate in photocatalytic reactions. I will explore some strategies for manipulating "hot electrons" for the rational design and construction of a new class of multi-component solar photocatalysts for efficiently producing H2 from water.


There is increasing awareness of the need for effective communication in health care, particularly with people who face a frightening diagnosis and an uncertain future for themselves or someone close to them.

#### Communication problems when dealing with incurable and life threatening disease

Recent research suggests that most patients wish to know their diagnosis and the progress of treatment and disease. This may conflict with health professionals' need to protect their patients and retain an optimistic message even when the outlook is very poor.

Effective communication depends not only on the professionals but also on patients and carers. Language may be ambivalent, leading to genuine misunderstandings, and the needs of patients and carers do not always match. This may lead to health professionals feeling as though they are "pig in the middle" as they try to meet the needs of their patient and those of relatives.

Recommended manner of breaking bad news

When communicating with patients and relatives about incurable and life threatening disease, health professionals should remember to give attention to the environment and the physical comfort of all concerned. Standing in a corridor or a waiting room is unsatisfactory for everyone. Taking a patient or relative to a "quiet room" to discuss painful and difficult issues has the advantage of signalling the importance of the meeting and the fact that the news may be bad. Many patients, however, prefer to be in their own bed space, with the illusion of privacy given by drawn curtains. This is because the bed and surrounding space is the patient's territory, where he or she feels most in control.

Bad news cannot be broken gently, but it can be given in a sensitive manner and at the individual's pace. Many patients are well aware of the seriousness of their situation, and this may be …


Hardware impairments (HWI) in transceivers have been found to cause severe performance degradation in wireless relay networks. However, literature investigating their impact on networks with imperfect channel estimation (ICE) is limited. In this paper, the impact of HWI on channel estimation error (CEE) and their combined impact on the performance of amplify-and-forward variable-gain (AF-VG) two-way relay network (TWRN) and one-way relay network (OWRN) have been investigated. The expressions for equivalent signal-to-noise plus distortion-and-error ratio (SNDER) and a closed-form expression for the exact analysis of outage probabilities (OP) are derived by taking a Rayleigh block fading channel. In addition, the combined impacts of HWI and CEE on outage performance of TWRN and OWRN systems for low and high transmission rates are evaluated. For further insights, we perform asymptotic analysis of OP and observe irreducible outage floors which act as fundamental performance limits. This SNDER ceiling acts as an upper limit for practical transmission rates. From this we infer that at high transmit powers, HWI and CEE are largely responsible in elevating the outage floors. Finally, the derived results are validated using Monte Carlo simulations.


DNA methylation is an important epigenetic control mechanism that in many fungi is restricted to genomic regions containing transposons. Two DNA methyltransferases, Dim2 and Dnmt5, are known to perform methylation at cytosines in fungi. While most ascomycete fungi encode both Dim2 and Dnmt5, only few functional studies have been performed in species containing both. In this study, we report functional analysis of both Dim2 and Dnmt5 in the plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. Our results show that Dim2, but not Dnmt5 or the putative sexual-cycle related DNA methyltransferase Rid, is responsible for nearly all DNA methylation. Single or double DNA methyltransferase mutants did not show altered development, virulence, or transcription of genes or transposons. In contrast, Hp1 and Dim5 mutants that are impacted in chromatin-associated processes upstream of DNA methylation are severely affected in development and virulence and display extensive transcriptional reprogramming in specific hypervariable genomic regions (so-called lineage-specific (LS) regions) that contain genes associated with host colonization. As these LS regions are largely devoid of DNA methylation and of Hp1- and Dim5-associated heterochromatin, the differential transcription is likely caused by pleiotropic effects rather than by differential DNA methylation. Overall, our study suggests that Dim2 is the main DNA methyltransferase in V. dahliae and, in conjunction with work on other fungi, is likely the main active DNMT in ascomycetes, irrespective of Dnmt5 presence. We speculate that Dnmt5 acts under specific, presently enigmatic, conditions or, alternatively, acts in DNA-associated processes other than DNA methylation.


Streams and riparian ecosystems are a particularly valuable resource in the arid to semi-arid Great Basin, supplying water for agriculture and domestic uses, forage for livestock, and habitat for diverse aquatic and terrestrial organisms. In upland watersheds of the central Great Basin, many of the streams and riparian ecosystems have been severely degraded (Chambers and Miller 2004b; Chambers and others 2004a). A primary cause of this degradation is ongoing stream incision (downcutting) that occurs during episodic high flow events (Miller and others 2001, 2004). Meadow complexes (areas with shallow water tables that are dominated largely by grasses and carices) are at especially high risk of degradation because they often occur in hydrologic and geomorphic settings that are susceptible to stream incision (Chambers and others 2004a, 2004b; Germanoski and Miller 2004; Jewett and others 2004). In many cases, streams have been isolated from their original floodplains, and there have been significant changes in channel pattern and form. As the channels have incised, the base level for groundwater discharge has been lowered, resulting in deeper water tables. Because riparian vegetation depends on groundwater availability, there have been changes in the structure and composition of meadow ecosystems (Wright and Chambers 2002; Chambers and others 2004a, 2004b). The net effect has been a decrease in the aerial extent of the riparian corridor and a loss of meadow ecosystems.


Recent studies by the University of London SE Asia Group have established a link between the tectonic development of eastern Borneo from the northern part of the Makassar Straits through to the Celebes Sea. Gravity surveys integrated with onshore and offshore structural studies in eastern Kalimantan indicate that the northern Makassar Straits Basin is of extensional origin. It is interpreted as a region of highly attenuated continental crust or oceanic crust in the basin axis at the present day. Gravity modeling suggests that the extension occurred in early middle Eocene times. This timing of extension is consistent with the age of the formation of the Celebes Sea to the north: sea-floor magnetic anomalies and dating of pelagic sedimentary rocks drilled by the Ocean Drilling Program demonstrate that the Celebes Sea formed by sea-floor spreading which commenced in early middle Miocene times. The spreading axis in the Celebes Sea aligns with the axis of the northern Makassar Straits basin. Comparison of the age and stratigraphic history of the Celebes Sea Basin with West Philippine Basin strongly suggests that these basins had a common history in Eocene times and probably formed by backarc extension. Plate tectonic models for SE Asia based on a synthesis of structural, stratigraphic and palaeomagnetic data from the region show an evolving spreading centre which stretched from the Northern Makassar Straits, through the Celebes Sea Basin to the West Philippine Basin in mid to late Eocene times. Eocene extensional basin formation, eastern Borneo.


The purpose of the study is to select a new cheap, effective alternative natural suspending agent
for pharmaceutical suspensions. Comparative study between the Leucaena Latisiliqua seed gum
and known gums like Tragacanth, Acacia were done. Leucaena Latisiliqua seed was boiled and
the seed gum was extracted with acetone, dried and powdered. Then its phytochemical
investigation, swelling index was determined. Different type of zinc oxide suspensions using
Leucaena Latisiliqua seed gum, Tragacanth, Acacia were prepared and effect of type and
concentration of suspending agent on sedimentation volume, viscosity and particle size were
studied. The phytochemical test showed the presence of less common sugar. The zinc oxide
suspension prepared in batches containing Leucaena gum, compound tragacanth, acacia and the
result showed that sedimentation volume, viscosity, and the particle size were found directly
proportional to the concentration of suspending agent and inversely proportional to the flow
rate. The suspending ability of the suspending agents were in the order of Leucaena Latisiliqua
gum > Compound Tragacanth >Acacia. From the results, it was concluded that the gum of
Leucaena Latisiliqua can be employed as stabilizer and thickener of choice when high viscosity
is desired.


PURPOSE
We aimed to determine the prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), including symptomatic (ie, heart failure [HF]) and asymptomatic LVSD in adult lymphoma survivors (LSs) after autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (auto-HCT) and to identify risk factors for LVSD in this population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
All LSs treated with auto-HCT as adults in Norway from 1987 to 2008 were eligible for this national cross-sectional study. Asymptomatic LVSD was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50% by echocardiography, and HF was defined according to current recommendations. The results in LSs were compared with those found in an age- and sex-matched (1:1) control group.

RESULTS
We examined 274 LSs (69% of all eligible survivors); 62% were men, the mean (± standard deviation) age was 56 ± 12 years, and mean follow-up time from lymphoma diagnosis was 13 ± 6 years. The mean cumulative doxorubicin dose was 316 ± 111 mg/m(2), and 35% of LSs had received additional radiation therapy involving the heart. We found LVSD in 15.7% of the LSs, of whom 5.1% were asymptomatic. HF patients were symptomatically mildly affected, with 8.8% of all LSs classified as New York Heart Association class II, whereas more severe HF was rare (1.8%). Compared with controls, LSs had a substantially increased LVSD risk (odds ratio, 6.6; 95% CI, 2.5 to 17.6; P < .001). A doxorubicin dose ≥ 300 mg/m(2) and cardiac radiation therapy dose greater than 30 Gy were independent risk factors for LVSD.

CONCLUSION
LVSD was frequent and HF more prevalent than previously reported in LSs after auto-HCT. Our results may help to identify LSs at increased LVSD risk and can serve as a basis for targeted surveillance strategies.


INTRODUCTION: The correlation among shoulder pain, abnormal physical examination and ultrasonography is controversial in the occupational scenario. OBJECTIVE: Establish the association between pain, physical examination and ultrasounds in workers of a pharmaceutical industry. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred workers were invited to take part in the study and submitted to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 93 were included. All enrolled patients gave written informed consent, and had a physical examination performed by one of the authors. Ultrasound examination was performed, at the latest one month of the physical examination, by an experienced operator who was blind to the clinical setting. RESULTS: There was statistical correlation between pain and clinical maneuvers in 57 shoulders for supraspinatus tendon (SE) (P = 0,000) and no correlation with biceps tendon maneuvers (P > 0,05). In the comparison between clinical findings and ultrasonography, the maneuvers of Neer, Hawkins and Jobe had statistical association (P < 0,05). The association between pain and altered ultrasonography was statistically significant (16 among 57 individuals with pain, with P < 0,05), but there was significant false-positive ultrasound findings in asymptomatic shoulders (7 individuals). CONCLUSION: The precise diagnosis is a complex process, which requires the association of clinical and occupational anamnesis, accurate physical examination and ultrasonography performed by an experienced operator.


A technique is presented whereby queueing network models and generalized stochastic Petri nets are combined in such a way as to exploit the best features of both modeling techniques. The resulting hierarchical modeling approach is useful in the solution of complex models of system behavior. The authors have chosen two examples from the recent literature to illustrate the power and scope of this technique. They also demonstrate how folding of the generalized stochastic Petri net models for these two examples is useful in obtaining efficiently solvable, approximate models (bounding models). >


Energy from renewable sources is globally a very important issue. In order to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many countries enact laws for enhancing the consumption of renewable energy sources. Sooner or later traditional non-renewable energy sources would have to be replaced with alternative energy sources that are already used in developed countries. According to the European Commission (2018), the EU is already a global leader in the sustainable use of natural resources within an efficient bio-economy. The wood pellet industry is becoming more important and the use of wood pellets is increasing as one of the most important contributors to the renewable energy goals of the EU. Wood pellet is an environmentally acceptable product and its production contributes to desirable rural development and sustainable approach to the management of timber resources. This paper focuses on the market of wood pellets used for heating, pinpointing differences in consumers point of view, and drafting the possibilities of future consumption enhancement. Results revealed a relatively low use of wood pellets in all the three surveyed markets. The highest share of consumers of wood pellets came from the areas with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Such households were mostly over 20 years old. The most important factors to decide to use such source of energy were space (required for the heating system) followed by price of wooden pellets.


Reaction of iodosylbenzene with CuI complexes (2a,b) occurs with hydroxylation in the ortho position of one pyridine nucleus; CuIIIO species are postulated.


The certificates for the insurances are medical testimonies based on this principle: the truth, all the truth, nothing but the truth. They must give to the insurance the informations which are essential for building the patient's file, but they must respect the rules of ethics and the laws concerning the protection of privacy and the patient's rights. The certificate giving the description of the traumatic lesions is essential in all the procedures but the physician must know what to write and to whom this document must be delivered. In common law, where the victim must prove the lesions and their traumatic origin, the certificate is due to the patient himself. In industrial accidents, the specific law of 10 April 1971 dictates the contents of the several certificates: report of the lesions, recovery, review. In personal insurance, the law concerning the patient's rights teaches the limits of the information and to whom it must be given. The certificate is a service and a right of the victim; it must be quite relevant.


The mean mass transport induced by surface gravity waves is investigated theoretically for a deep, rotating ocean with a constant eddy viscosity. The waves are periodic in time and have amplitudes that grow or decay slowly in space. The analysis is based on a Lagrangian description of motion, and the results are valid to second order in the wave steepness. An equation for the wave-induced mean Lagrangian mass transport in the oceanic surface layer is derived. It is demonstrated that there are two sources for the mean mass transport: (i) the form drag associated with the fluctuating wind stress normal to the wave slope and (ii) the horizontal divergence of the mean wave momentum flux. Using a spectral formulation for the wave amplitude, applications related to general ocean circulation models are discussed.


A double aortic arch is described in an 8-week-old female Siamese cat. In this case a vascular ring anomaly consistent with a double aortic arch is described in a cat. Stridor and dysphagia were noted in the cat. Radiography showed an esophageal dilation, with constriction at the fifth intercostal space. At necropsy, the esophagus and trachea were constricted at the base of the heart. The cause of the constriction of both the esophagus and trachea was a vascular ring formed by well-developed right and left aortic arches. The ascending aorta divided into two asymmetrical arches. The right aortic arch was larger than the left. The origin of the major arteries from the aortic arches were anomalous.


OBJECTIVE
Two main approaches to the interpretation of cognitive test performance have been utilized for the characterization of disease: evaluating shared variance across tests, as with measures of severity, and evaluating the unique variance across tests, as with pattern and error analysis. Both methods provide necessary information, but the unique contributions of each are rarely considered. This study compares the 2 approaches on their ability to differentially diagnose with accuracy, while controlling for the influence of other relevant demographic and risk variables.

METHOD
Archival data requested from the NACC provided clinical diagnostic groups that were paired to 1 another through a genetic matching procedure. For each diagnostic pairing, 2 separate logistic regression models predicting clinical diagnosis were performed and compared on their predictive ability. The shared variance approach was represented through the latent phenotype δ, which served as the lone predictor in 1 set of models. The unique variance approach was represented through raw score values for the 12 neuropsychological test variables comprising δ, which served as the set of predictors in the second group of models.

RESULTS
Examining the unique patterns of neuropsychological test performance across a battery of tests was the superior method of differentiating between competing diagnoses, and it accounted for 16-30% of the variance in diagnostic decision making.

CONCLUSION
Implications for clinical practice are discussed, including test selection and interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record


A green method is developed to increase the yield and quality of bio-oil by ultrasonic pretreatment of biomass followed by in situ catalytic upgrading of bio-oil over metal (Cu, Fe and/or Zn)/γ-Al2O3. It is found that the yield of bio-oil is increased up to 10 wt% after cedar is pretreated by ultrasound before pyrolysis. Various metals (Cu, Fe and Zn) are loaded on γ-Al2O3 and applied for upgrading the bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of pretreated cedar. It is found that the catalysts promote the conversion of oxygenated compounds into aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. In particular, production of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene is favored. The best catalytic activity is achieved by using 2.5 wt% Zn/γ-Al2O3 with a maximum hydrocarbon yield of 80.3%. The catalyst is reused for up to four cycles. The results show that the catalysts after regeneration by calcination at 550 °C for 30 min exhibit long-term stability for upgrading of bio-oil.


The modern idea of education is social effiCiency. That rh~ most terrible war in the history of the worklj-, just over, and that it ,has ended in the right way, is generally con{:eded by all intelligent people. That America has done her full share' toward winning the victory is also granted. That muoh credit-. is given the doughJboys for their undaunted courage and most efficient work, is' very gr3lt'ifying to all true Americans. While much praise is given our leaders, yet we recognize Vhat the battles we re la,gely fought and won by the mcn-t in the trenches. The American soldiers in the trenche.., as well as the officers, are largely products »f our public schools. Of rhis we .may be justly proud. Would the teachers in the public sohool-, of America he presuming should they reach out and 'Claim a morsel of comfort and a mile of the glory for helping prepare the men 1\:110 have proved themselves so capable of meetingvevery emergency-men who have been. S(~ thoroughly "weighed in the balance and '/101' found wanting"? Our school svstem has been characterized as "a broad high\~ay open to all." 11 has been said rhat "Our American schools reflect the true spirit of democracy. The outstanding virtue in our organizaeion lies in the fact that "I" door. 6f opportunity is continually open." Does it 'not mean much to keep the door of . opportunity Ilung wide open and to point",: the \\.Qy.? Would .this not be a training .n alertne-,s and adaptability ,0 much needed an-I used bv a soldier? Does it not mean more to train s~·' as to reflect the true spirit of democracy? Have not the American soldiers been .br';ad in their symparbies, untiring in their efforts. . to minist~r to the welfare. and cornfor;-, of other."? Have not our men risen to all . occasions in a -rnost honorable manner: Without que-tion our soldiers have had these virtues. ~Iay not our public xchools take unto themselves a part of the credit? TIle children of today are laying foundations and building fpr the manhood of tomorrow. The conservation of food, nhe bhrift stamp movement, the Red Cross work, all are doing their part in the development of character. The American children have contributed generously to these various activities. The child who refrains from a dish of ice cream or a stick of candy that he may save his pennies to bu: thrifr-stamps or to send to vhe suffering Belgian ·childrCJI. or the chiJd wilD .eat, sparingly of the "sweet-." ~o that the men in the war mav have. the 'nec~'saries of life. b making the gift that blesses both the giver and the receiver. The trainm~ In patriotism, in assuming responsibilitv and in' the forming of.. habits of thrift and i;ulu,tn i\ ill certainlv he felt in thc bu-r ne-« 'world f.f the future. The schools l f America are the "Nurseries" for such work.· January 16, 1919


Background There are no current disease-modifying treatments for Huntington's disease (HD). Further analysis of previously curated HD-associated datasets using updated annotations and integration of multiple datasets could highlight therapeutic targets: however, with the increase in size and complexity of both dataset and annotation sources, obtaining biologically useful information is a difficult task. Aims We investigated methods to characterise modules of co-expressed genes derived using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in human HD brain. We then applied these modules to uncover parallels between human disease and mouse model phenotypes in HD. We further tested for enrichment of HD genetic modifiers in these modules. Methods A customised g:Profiler service re-annotated WGCNA modules using human HD, neuropathologically normal, mouse HD models and Alzheimer's disease datasets. P-values were calculated using cumulative hypergeometric mid-P tests and adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate. Jaccard and overlap coefficient algorithms filtered to highlight significant terms and remove redundant ones. Consensus WGCNA networks were built between datasets containing human and mouse samples and datasets associated with different neurodegenerative conditions. Modules were tested for enrichment of the Genetic Modifiers of HD genome wide association study. Results HD-associated modules from WGCNA performed in human brain expression data were found to be significantly enriched in pathways including regulation of isotype switching which involves recombination and thus DNA cleavage and repair, and mRNA 3'-end processing (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Integration of multiple data sources sheds light on HD biology. Our modifications to g:Profiler increase the statistical validity of the annotations while aiding biological clarity. Support Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics