The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the initial diabetes education process, the impact on children and their parents and parental satisfaction with the care received one and two years subsequent to the child's diagnosis. In order to seek a deeper understanding for how the diabetes team's initial education process works from admission to discharge among families with a child newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, three diabetes teams from three different paediatric hospitals, two county hospitals and one university hospital were interviewed through focus groups interviews (Paper I). In Paper II, 10 mothers and 8 fathers were individually interviewed to describe their perceptions of the initial diabetes educational process when their child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. A qualitative method was used and the interviews were analysed with two different types of content analysis, inductive and deductive. In order to describe and compare the disease impact on parents and children respectively, data were collected focusing parents' HRQOL one and two years subsequent to the child's diagnosis (Paper III and IV) and children's experiences of diabetes-specific HRQOL (Paper III), children's experiences of diabetes-specific family support (Paper IV) and parents' satisfaction with the care received (Paper III and IV). The results of the interviews showed that the goal for the diabetes education is to achieve self-care for the child and their parents. The education is aimed to guide the child and parents towards self-help whereby the diabetes team immediately after the child's diagnosis provides the child and their parents with knowledge and skills about the disease and how to manage the child's treatment. Furthermore, the diabetes team tries to get an overall picture on each family by focusing on their daily life before the child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in order to optimize the new situation for the family. Parents experienced that the educational process was overall satisfactory. However, they wanted the education to be more adapted to each individual family to help them in their everyday life. They described the education process as almost a type of knowledge overload according to a rigid schedule and that there was no time for feeling grief and sadness. Parents felt that it was a difficult task to manage the child's disease and at the same time continue their normal family life. The results from Paper III and IV showed that both parents' HRQOL were affected at diagnosis and one and two years subsequent to their child's diagnosis. The results also showed that mothers were especially emotionally affected during the first two years after the child's diagnosis and they also had a higher degree of worry than fathers. Both children between 5-7 years and their parents estimated a higher degree of worry after one year than the children between 8-18 years and their respective parents did. After two years there was no relationship between how children experienced parental support and their HbA1c value. Parents were overall satisfied with their child's healthcare both at diagnosis and one and two years subsequent to the child's diagnosis. The findings from this thesis can elucidate the understanding of how it is to live with type 1 diabetes from the both the child's and their parent's perspective the first years subsequent to the child's diagnosis. By reflecting on the findings, the diabetes teams may more clearly increase the focus on each family's individual needs at diagnosis to further develop the education process to be more adapted to the individual family and thereby promote the transition to home. To further elucidate the disease effects on parents, and especially mothers, longitudinal interview studies need to be carried out with both mothers and fathers. Furthermore, it is also important to highlight children's experiences from their perspectives as well as their siblings. (Less)


Irin Dewan *1, , Swarnali Islam Khandaker 2 and Md. Sohel Rana 1 Department of Pharmacy , Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Technology Research Laboratory , Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh ABSTRACT: Glibenclamide is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent designed intended for the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In certain conditions conventional drug release pattern is not suitable similar to Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and many more diseases, this present study has taken a challenge to formulate controlled release microspheres by using different polymers. An effort has been given to prepare controlled release microspheres along with Ethyl cellulose, Eudragit RS/RL100 and Methocel K15, 100M by using non-aqueous emulsion solvent evaporation method. UV-Spectrophotometric was applied to assay the drug content and in vitro dissolution studies according to USP paddle method and was carried out in Phosphate Buffer (pH 7.4) for 8 hours. The in-vitro release kinetics was studied in different mathematical release models. The best data fitted with the highest correlation coefficient (R2) for microspheres was obtained for Korsmeyer release model. The maximum and minimum release of drug was observed 90.99% and 71.98%. Percent of Actual drug entrapment varied from 7.89% to 15.36% and percent of Drug entrapment efficacy varied from 69.23% to 98.21%. The SEM, FTIR and DSC studies used to of confirmed good spheres and smooth surface as well as interaction along with drug and polymer. Different biochemical tests have done on albino rats which showed good results and it also proved that formulations have given sustained release effects. In-vitro-in vivo studies showed that Glibenclamide microspheres might be a good candidate as sustained drug delivery system for treating type II diabetic.


The process of colonizing any arthropod species, including vector mosquitoes, necessarily involves adaptation to laboratory conditions. The adaptation and evolution of colonized mosquito populations needs consideration when such colonies are used as representative models for pathogen transmission dynamics. A recently established colony of Anopheles darlingi, the primary malaria vector in Amazonian South America, was tested for genetic diversity and bottleneck after 21 generations, using microsatellites. As expected, laboratory An. darlingi had fewer private and rare alleles (frequency < 0.05), decreased observed heterozygosity, and more common alleles (frequency > 0.50), but no significant evidence of a bottleneck, decrease in total alleles, or increase in inbreeding compared with field specimens (founder population). Low-moderate differentiation between field and laboratory populations was detected. With these findings, and the documented inherent differences between laboratory and field populations, results of pathogen transmission studies using this An. darlingi colony need to be interpreted cautiously.


Rice is known as an Asian crop because 90% of global rice production and consumption takes place in Asia. It is the staple food for about 50% of the world population and 75% of the people living in developing countries. Pakistan is the 11th rice producer in the world and 5th largest exporter. Comparative economic efficiency of Transplanted (TRP) and Direct Seeded (DRS) rice production in Pakistan needs evaluation. This study analyzed the economic efficiency of TRP) and DRS producers in rice producing districts of Punjab. Primary data was collected from major rice producing areas of Punjab, Pakistan and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) was run in order to estimate the profit efficiency of rice producers. The results revealed that on average profit efficiency of TRP rice farmers and DRS farmers was 57% and 83%, respectively. Hence, there are opportunities to improve economic and technical efficiency as well as the rice production profitability through adopting improved farming practices, optimal use of inputs and production techniques. The results also demonstrated that socio-economic factors of rice producers also significantly influence the profit efficiency of rice producers. Therefore, the efficiency of rice producers can also be improved through education and enrichment of extension services in the rural areas.


Tankmixing herbicides with fungicides could improve production efficiency and reduce application costs. A total of six field trials were conducted from 2012 to 2014 in Ontario to study the tolerance of winter wheat to herbicide (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl/mefenpyr, prosulfuron + bromoxynil and fluroxypyr + MCPA ester) plus fungicide tankmixes (pyraclostrobin/metconazole, tri-floxystrobin/propiconazole, azoxystrobin/propiconazole and picoxystrobin) applied alone and as a tankmix. At 1 WAT, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl/mefenpyr applied alone or in tankmix with tri-floxystrobin/propiconazole or azoxystrobin/propiconazole fungicides caused minimal visible injury (up to 1.3%) in winter wheat but caused no significant injury when applied as a tankmix with pyraclostrobin/metconazole or picoxystrobin fungicides. There was no effect on visible injury in winter wheat with other herbicide and fungicide tankmixes. Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl/mefenpyr applied alone with no fungicide reduced winter wheat height 3% but had no adverse effect on height when tankmixed with fungicides evaluated. Prosulfuron + bromoxynil or fluroxypyr + MCPA ester herbicides applied alone with no fungicide or tankmixed with pyraclostrobin/metconazole, tri-floxystrobin/propiconazole, azoxystrobin/propiconazole and picoxystrobin fungicides had no adverse effect on winter wheat height. There was no adverse effect of herbicide plus fungicide treatments on winter wheat yield. Co-application of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl/mefenpyr, prosulfuron + bromoxynil and fluroxypyr + MCPA ester herbicides with pyraclostrobin/metconazole, tri-floxystrobin/pro- piconazole, azoxystrobin/propiconazole and picoxystrobin fungicides could provide winter wheat growers with a single-pass treatment for the control of weeds and diseases.


Effective cooling of electronic components plays an important role in system design and efficiency. In this study, the effects of using the flow routing plate in cooling printed circuit boards have been investigated. For this purpose, effects of the flow routing plate on the laminar mixed convection heat transfer from protruded heat sources at the side walls of the horizontal channel, were investigated numerically. The air was used as cooling fluid, and protruded heat sources were equipped as rows into the rectangular channel with insulated walls. Numerical investigations were carried out for different plate inclination angles at different Reynolds and modified Grashof numbers. It is observed that the using of flow routing plate increases the heat transfer at different ratios by comparison to the case without plate and enhances the cooling conditions for all values of parameters in the analyses. The highest heat transfer enhancement occurred at values where Reynolds number (Re) was Re = 1000 and plate inclination angle (α) was α = 60 °.The results obtained during the numerical analyses are presented in detail in the form of graphics for the row averaged Nusselt number, heater temperatures, velocity vectors, and temperature contours.


Objective: China has made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation. However, with the change in economic development and age structure, the population stricken by poverty due to medical expenses and disability accounted for 42.3% and 14.4% of the total poverty-stricken population, respectively. The efforts to reduce the catastrophic health expenditure among Chinese residents are not optimistic. Poverty alleviation efforts might only focus on the people who are currently poor but ignores the increase in poverty that may occur. Accordingly, it is crucial to accurately pinpoint the characteristics of people who are about to become poor due to illness. Therefore, we prospectively analyzed the incidence of impoverishment by medical expense at the provincial, family, and different medical insurance scheme levels to identify the precise groups that are vulnerable to medical-related poverty.Method: This study obtained the data from the Chinese government's Fifth National Health Service Survey for 2013. This survey is conducted every five years and has the most nationally representative sample obtained through a multi-stage, stratified, and random sampling method. To clean the data, we excluded incomplete records and those with logic errors, leaving 93,570 households (273,626 people) for the final sample. The method recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) was adopted to calculate impoverishment by medical expense, and logistic regression was adopted to evaluate its determinants.Results: The poverty rates in western region had much higher poverty rates than the other two regions, and the eastern region had the lowest. The rate of medical impoverishment (MI) was higher in the western region (7.2%) than that in the central (6.5%) and eastern (5.1%) regions. Compared with people enrolled in other medical insurance schemes, those enrolled in the Medical Insurance for Urban Employees Scheme (UE-BMI) and a mixture of schemes had better capacity to deal with the burden brought by diseases. The New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS)was associated with the highest rate (9.1%) of MI cases. A comparison of the MI groups revealed that the top three diseases associated with MI were malignant tumor, congenital heart disease, and mental disease. Households with members suffering from NCDs, and with members who were inpatients were all more likely to suffer from MI. NCMS-enrolled households had greater exposure to the risk of MI, at 1.84 times that of UE-BM-enrolled households. Poorer households were 15.8 times more likely to suffer from MI than richer households.Conclusion: The joint roles of economic development, health service utilization, and welfare policies result in medical impoverishment for different regions. Poverty and health service utilization are indicative of households with high incidence of medical impoverishment. Chronic diseases lead to medical impoverishment. The inequity existing in different medical insurance schemes leads to different degrees of risk of MI. A combined strategy to precise target multiple vulnerabilities of poor population should be more effective.


These proceedings include selected presentations on Catholic identity by six participants of the 2011 Catholic Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC) Conference on Catholic Identity at The Catholic University of America (CUA). The conference, jointly sponsored by CUA and St. John's University, is the fourth in a series of five national conferences sponsored by the collaborative. Each of these presentations looks at Catholic identity from a different perspective, including collaborative partnerships between K-12 schools and higher education; school policies that promote Catholic identity; curriculum; research into Catholic social teaching; and leadership. Contributors include Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., 14th president of CUA and current Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey; Reverend Donald J. Harrington, C.M., president of St. John's University; Sr. Barbara L. Monsegur, CFMM, principal of Lourdes Catholic High School, Arizona; Karen Vogtner, principal of St. John the Evangelist School, Georgia; Thomas W. Burnford, secretary for education, Archdiocese of Washington; and, Mary Jane Krebbs, associate dean for graduate studies in the School of Education, St. John's University.


Background Effective management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, can be challenging for physicians because of the lack of simple diagnostic tests and the wide variety of treatment approaches available. Objective The objective of this article is to outline a simple algorithm for day-to-day clinical practice to help physicians navigate key stages to reaching a positive IBS diagnosis and guidance on how to prioritise the use of specific management strategies. Methods This algorithm was based on the opinion of an expert panel evaluating current evidence. Results The key principles forming the foundation of this evidence-supported algorithm are: confidently naming and explaining an IBS diagnosis for the patient, followed by assessment of key patient characteristics likely to influence the choice of therapy, such as predominant symptoms, and exploring the patient agenda and preferences. Consultation should always include education and reassurance with an explanatory model of IBS tailored to the patient. Individualised lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, pharmacological therapies, psychological strategies or a combination of interventions may be used to optimise treatment for each patient. Conclusion The simple visual tools developed here navigate the key stages to reaching a positive diagnosis of IBS, and provide a stepwise approach to patient-centred management targeted towards the most bothersome symptoms. Establishing a strong patient-physician relationship is central to all stages of the patient journey from diagnosis to effective management.


Mercury-based ferrofluids containing alloy particles of 42, 52 and 67 at% iron in nickel have been prepared electrolytically. The particle size in any one fluid varies from 30 A to over 1000 A, the overall size and shape distribution depending on the conditions of deposition. The magnetic properties have been measured down to 42 K; and the coercive force, which may be as high as 600 Oe after thermal aging (in the solid matrix), or as low as zero in the liquid, has been related to the alloy particle size. The effect of tin and aluminium additives on thermal growth has been examined, and it has been shown that whereas tin is an excellent growth inhibitor, aluminium has little effect.


PurposeThis study is based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model to examine how job demands and technology overload affect work stress for workers using video conferencing apps (VCAs) in organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the moderating effect of technology self-efficacy was tested in the model on the relationship between technology overload and work stress.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted to investigate workers on PTT forums in Taiwan. A sample was obtained of 253 workers, and structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS to test the hypotheses.FindingsJob demands positively affect work stress through information overload, communication overload and system feature overload. Moreover, high technology self-efficacy may weaken the relationship between technology overload and work stress.Research limitations/implicationsThe study may have sample bias because our sample was obtained from an online survey on social networking sites. Regarding the theoretical implications, this study demonstrated that technology overload, as an internal organism, is a critical mediator influencing the relationship between job demands (stimulus) and work stress (response). Thus, this study extended the applicability of the SOR model in the context of working with VCAs in organizations.Practical implicationsCompany managers need to effectively control the information amount, communication interruptions and system features of social media at optimum levels for workers. Moreover, companies should recruit workers with high technology self-efficacy or provide technology training and technology-related consulting to those with low technology self-efficacy.Originality/valueThe extant work stress knowledge is extended to workers using VCAs in organizations.


Objectives To determine the diagnostic performance of susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (SWMR) for the detection of pineal gland calcifications (PGC) compared to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, using computed tomography (CT) as a reference standard. Methods 384 patients who received a 1.5 Tesla MRI scan including SWMR sequences and a CT scan of the brain between January 2014 and October 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. 346 patients were included in the analysis, of which 214 showed PGC on CT scans. To assess correlation between imaging modalities, the maximum calcification diameter was used. Sensitivity and specificity and intra- and interobserver reliability were calculated for SWMR and conventional MRI sequences. Results SWMR reached a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI: 91%-97%) and a specificity of 96% (95% CI: 91%-99%) for the detection of PGC, whereas conventional MRI achieved a sensitivity of 43% (95% CI: 36%-50%) and a specificity of 96% (95% CI: 91%-99%). Detection rates for calcifications in SWMR and conventional MRI differed significantly (95% versus 43%, p<0.001). Diameter measurements between SWMR and CT showed a close correlation (R2 = 0.85, p<0.001) with a slight but not significant overestimation of size (SWMR: 6.5 mm ± 2.5; CT: 5.9 mm ± 2.4, p = 0.02). Interobserver-agreement for diameter measurements was excellent on SWMR (ICC = 0.984, p < 0.0001). Conclusions Combining SWMR magnitude and phase information enables the accurate detection of PGC and offers a better diagnostic performance than conventional MRI with CT as a reference standard.


Relations between platelet counts and mean pulmonary arterial pressures, capillary oxygen tension, and haematocrit were studied in 37 patients, aged 2 to 16 months, with simple aortopulmonary transposition (an intact ventricular septum and no ductus arteriosus). There was a statistically significant inverse relation between pulmonary arterial pressures and platelet counts. Six out of the eight patients (4-16 months old) with raised mean pulmonary arterial pressure had thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000/mm3) and none of the 25 patients with a normal mean pulmonary pressure (less than or equal to 20 mm Hg) showed thrombocytopenia. Pulmonary arterial pressures were not measured in four patients: the platelet count was 7000/mm3 in the patient with a left ventricular systolic pressure of 90 mm Hg but it was greater than 100,000/mm3 in the three in whom left ventricular systolic pressure was less than 50 mm Hg. Platelet counts were positively correlated with capillary oxygen tension and inversely correlated with haematocrit in all 37 patients. Despite the persistence of pulmonary hypertension, thrombocytopenia improved after corrective surgery in five patients, even in those who had thrombocytopenia before operation. These data suggest that the presence of thrombocytopenia is not solely related to the development of pulmonary vascular disease. Pulmonary vascular disease, however, does contribute to the early development of thrombocytopenia in patients with simple aortopulmonary transposition.


We propose a chaos generator using a resonant tunneling diode. It is a simple circuit consisting of a resonant tunneling diode, an inductor, and a capacitor. This circuit is found to output various kinds of signal patterns including chaos. The behavior of the circuit is studied by means of a bifurcation diagram. Though the chaos has several applications, we describe here the possibility of implementing a high-speed and low-power frequency divider in the bifurcation region. The operating principle is also confirmed using discrete devices.


The status of forest insect pests in Nigeria is discussed from the inception of the former Federal Department of Forest Research (now Forest Research Institute of Nigeria. lbadan) to the present time. The major insect pests of the economic tree species in Nigeria are discussed and successful attempts at controlling some of them are highlited. The major factors, such as shortage of personnel and inability to make maximum use of the resources available, militating against pest control are discussed with a note on the prospects for future campaigns against forest insect pests.


Abstract This paper identifies and describes the recent emergence of a new class of private sector intermediaries in fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supermarket supply chains in China. These intermediaries play key roles that determine the ways in which farm households participate in and the benefits they derive from new retail-led market opportunities associated with the supermarket sector's shift from FFV procurement through wholesale markets towards more direct contracting with farm communities. This paper provides a comprehensive description of 198 FFV supply chain intermediaries working with Walmart China in 2014, including their historical background, infrastructure investments, downstream marketing and upstream sourcing. We find that these actors play an increasingly critical role in the organization of land, labor and production through contracts. Our study provides critical insights for understanding both the trends in vertical coordination of China's developing agricultural sector and the pace of the country's agricultural modernization. Walmart is a leading international supermarket chain with a growing presence in China, and evidence suggests that their supply chain strategies are similar to other large supermarkets in the region. Results are also relevant to understanding current challenges in China related to food safety and quality, a top priority in recent years.


Shape memory alloys (SMA) are a class of materials proposed to be used as actuator elements in smart structures. They undergo a reversible martensitic phase transformation during thermal cycling. In this work, 55-nitinol (55% nickel-45% titanium shape memory alloy) was investigated to determine the effect of training conditions, bias stress and extended thermal cycling on the transformational behavior. Thin wires (0.19 mm diameter) were trained using a previously developed methodology to exhibit two-way shape memory (TWSM). The wires were placed in a cryogenically cooled apparatus and heated by electrical resistance while the wire deformation was measured. Several different training schedules were used by varying the amount of prestrain and number of training cycles. The recovery strain and transformation temperatures were measured throughout extended thermal cycling (up to 10000 cycles). A bias stress was also used to enhance the amount of retention of prestrain in the wires. In all cases, stabilization of TWSM behavior occurred within 2000 thermal cycles.


This paper investigated the fiber-end surface modulation by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical profilometry after a careful cross cleavage with a diamond. The image of the surface allows to see the different parts of the fiber. The cladding appears above the mean level whereas the core appears depressed. This profile is tightly connected to the stress profile, itself induced by the doping field and the drawing conditions. Magnification of the core shows fluctuations of the glass structure at the scale of 25 nm with some of /spl ap/80 nm. This method seems to be suitable to study fiber defects but is still difficult to perform due to the small size of the sample (/spl phi/=125 /spl mu/m) and the dependence of the surface profile with the care to cleave the fiber. However, due to the better spatial resolution of the AFM measurements compared to the optical profilometry, itself larger than the one of photoelasticity measurements, it was possible to conclude that the axial stress exhibits a discontinuity at the core cladding interface and not a peak at the center of the core.


"ALL THAT WE DO," wrote Richard Wilbur, "is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know." Scientists searching the sea for new drugs to treat human diseases seem to take the poet's words as a given and a challenge. More than 120 drugs developed from the traditional source, soil microorganisms, are used today to treat infectious diseases, cancer, and other ills. But a dramatic decline in discoveries based on soil microorganisms—more than 95% of new "drug leads" derived from them today turn out to be already known antibiotics—and increasing resistance to existing drugs, has led enterprising investigators to search the waters of the earth for medically useful microbes. "Marine microorganisms are, by comparison [with soil organisms], poorly known biologically," observes William Fenical, PhD, professor of oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Center for Marine Biotechnology and Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, in


Abstract. Earth System Models (ESMs) are invaluable tools to study the climate system's response to specific greenhouse gas emission pathways. Large single-model initial-condition and multi-model ensembles are used to investigate the range of possible responses and serve as input to climate impact and integrated assessment models. Thereby, climate signal uncertainty is propagated along the uncertainty chain and its effect on interactions between humans and the Earth system can be quantified. However, generating both single-model initial-condition and multi-model ensembles is computationally expensive. In this study, we assess the feasibility of geographically-explicit climate model emulation, i.e., of statistically producing large ensembles of global spatially and temporally correlated land temperature field time series at a negligible computational cost which closely resemble ESM runs spanning from 1870 to 2099. For this purpose, we develop a modular framework that consists of (i) a global mean temperature emulator, (ii) a local mean temperature emulator, and (iii) a local residual temperature variability emulator. We first show that to successfully mimic single-model initial-condition ensembles of yearly temperature, it is sufficient to train on a single ESM run, but separate emulators need to be calibrated for individual ESMs given fundamental inter-model differences. We then emulate 40 climate models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to create a super-ensemble, i.e., a large ensemble that closely resembles a multi-model initial-condition ensemble. Furthermore, the thereby emerging ESM-specific emulator calibration parameters provide essential insights on inter-model divergences across a broad range of scales which can be viewed as a model ID of core properties of each ESM. Our results highlight that, for temperature at the spatio-temporal scales considered here, it is likely more advantageous to invest computational resources into generating multi-model ensembles rather than large single-model initial-condition ensembles. Such multi-model ensembles can then be extended to super-ensembles with geographically-explicit temperature emulators like the one presented here.


This study investigated the effectiveness of the provision management system through the use of provision maps in improving outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs in spelling, reading and maths compared with pupils on individual education plans. The study used quantitative methods to compare pupils aged from year 2 to year 6 on their end of year spelling, reading and maths standardised scores. Two schools were used for the comparison; they were matched within the local authority for socio-economic status, urban location, size and similar number of pupils identified as having additional learning needs. One school had been using provision maps for the academic year 2010-2011 and the other school had been using individual education plans for the academic year 2010-2011. Both schools had used individual education plans in the academic year 2009-2010 and had recorded standardised scores for spelling, reading and maths for that year for all of the pupils whose data were used in this research. The study also used qualitative research through use of a case study design and also semi-structured interviews, which were tape-recorded. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. The study involved triangulation through looking at the perceptions of learning support assistants, the SENCO and head teacher on the effectiveness of provision maps compared to individual education plans. All of the interviews were conducted on an individual basis. Due to the small sample and case study approach the results were not generalizable to the whole population of pupils with additional learning needs who currently have provision maps. The quantitative results indicate that provision mapping is more effective than individual education plans at improving learning outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs based on an analysis of standardised scores in spelling, reading and maths. The qualitative data results indicate that all the staff involved in organising and providing the provision map interventions perceive it as being more effective than the system of individual education plans both in the outcomes of individual pupils and also through increases in self-esteem and the level of engagement pupils are having now with their learning, which in turn is motivating the pupils to want to lean more. Future research possibilities are discussed and implications for schools and educational psychologists are also discussed.


In this paper, a class of nonlinear sampled-data control systems via Lyapunov method and perturbation method of affirm configuration is considered. The feedback stabilization is studied while the sampling periods are both time-varying and driven by a stochastic process with identically independently distributed. Sufficient conditions for exponentially stabilization and almost sure stability are derived


Occupational exposure to pesticides in agricultural applications may cause acute and long-term health effects to farmers, and thus research on factors that reduce exposure is useful. However, studies on the relevance and effectiveness of training are limited. The association of previous training in the form of intensive seminars relating to pesticide use (e.g., use of spraying equipment, application parameters, use of personal protective equipment, risks to human health and the environment) with farmers' knowledge and behavior in pesticide use was studied via the self-reporting method in a purposive sample of 82 trained and non-trained farmers. Most trained farmers showed higher levels of knowledge of pesticide use, higher levels of beliefs in pesticide hazard control, and higher levels of safety behavior than non-trained farmers. Knowledge of pesticide use and beliefs regarding pesticide hazard control were significantly correlated with safety behavior in both groups of farmers. Concerning farmers' beliefs regarding pesticide hazard control, trained farmers were more likely to think that safety precautions work very well and less likely to feel they had little control over avoiding pesticide hazards. Overall, previous training was associated with increased levels of farmers' knowledge of pesticides and beliefs about pesticide hazard control, was accompanied by elevated safety behavior in farmers, and thus was connected with lower occupational exposure to pesticides. Interventions that facilitate knowledge and compliance with safety behaviors should become a priority for decreasing exposure to pesticides among farmers.


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Background: MCL is a distinct lymphoma entity with improved outcome achieved by the introduction of rituximab, high dose Ara-C and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) into the first line therapy. The outcome of the relapsed patients (pts) remain however poor and there is little data on the outcome after subsequent relapses and there is no information on secondary MIPI prognostic value.

Aim: To analyze the outcome of the MCL patients after first line treatment failure and to evaluate the prognostic role of the sec MIPI which is MIPI calculated at the time of relapse/progression.

Methods: This analysis is a part of the Lymphoma project in which consecutive lymphoma patients are registered since the year 1999. Altogether 519 newly diagnosed MCL patients were registered in 5 university centers and 9 regional departments between 1999 and 2011. Patients who were treated with rituximab as part of the first line treatment (n=388) were included into the analysis. The diagnoses were confirmed according to WHO classification in the reference pathology centers. The median follow up is 4.5 years.

Results: The whole cohort consists of 261 males and 127 females (2.1:1) with median age 65 y (28-87), the majority of pts had advanced disease (CS IV in 81.6% pts), PS ECOG ≥ 2 in 23.6% pts, elevated LDH in 52.5% of pts. The MIPI risk profile was as follows: low risk 21.7%, intermediate risk 27.2% and high risk in 51.1%. All pts received rituximab as part of the induction, 48.7% pts received CHOP, 5.7% alternation of CHOP and HD Ara-C, 26.2% intensive induction with HD Ara-C, 10.3% CVP, 6.4% FC. High dose therapy with ASCT was performed in 23.9% of pts. The ORR was 89.0% with 63.8 CR/CRu, 6.3% had stable disease and 4.9% were primary progressive. The PFS and OS were 2.9 y and 5.5 y with significant impact of MIPI risk (p<0.0001) for both PFS and OS. There were observed 179 relapses/progressions (R/P) and 70 deaths not related to subsequent progression. The cohort of patients with 1st R/P consisted out of 125 males and 54 females (2.3:1) with median age 68 years (38-89). The sed MIPI at the time of 1st R/P was low in 12.7% pts, intermediate in 32.1% and high 59.8% pts. Rituximab was used in 69.5% of patients, DHAP or ESHAP was used in 25.1% cases, FC in 22.8% of cases, CHOP like regimen in 9.4%, HD Ara-C in 11.8%, only 4.7% were treated with targeted therapy temsirolimus or lenalidomide. Altogether 77.2% pts were treated with the polychemotherapy and 22.8 with monotherapy. ASCT and AlloSCT were performed in 5.5% and 8.7% pts resp. During follow up there were observed 74 deaths not related to subsequent progression and 53 2nd R/Ps. The median of 2nd PFS and 2nd OS from the date of 1st R/P was 1.0 and 1.3 years resp. The sec MIPI low vs. intermediate vs. high risk had significant prognostic impact on 2nd PFS: 5.8 vs 1.7 vs 0.9 years (p<0.0001) (fig 1) as well as on OS : 5.8 vs 3.4 vs 1.1 years (p<0.0001) (fig 2). The cohort of 53 pts with 2nd R/P had median age 68 (38-85) yers, male/female ratio was 1.4. Rituximab was used in 45.9% of treated patients and 48.3% of pts were treated with single drug. During follow up 11 pts developed 3rd R/P and other 30 pts died due to current progression, toxicity or in remission. The median of 3rd PFS from the time of 2nd R/P was 6.8 m and OS 7.4 months. Pts who were treated for 3rd R/P recieved rituximab in 50% of cases and the majority (81.2%) were treated with other single drug. The median of 4th PFS from 3rdR/P was 4.9 m and OS 5.5 months .

Conclusions: Our analysis of relapsed MCL patients shows that 1: Median PFS from the Dg was 2.9 y but each subsequent relapse resulted in significantly shorter PFS median 12.1, 6.8 and 4.9 months resp. 2: The median OS from Dg was 5.5y but after each relapse it became shorter - 15.7 m, 7.4 m and 5.5 months resp. 3: The sec MIPI at the time of relapse discriminates the groups with significantly different prognosis.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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The high-latitude planktonic foraminifera have proved to be particularly useful model organisms for the study of global patterns of vicariance and gene flow in the oceans. Such studies demonstrate that gene flow can occur over enormous distances in the pelagic marine environment leading to cosmopolitanism but also that there are ecological and geographical barriers to gene flow producing biogeographic structure. Here, we have undertaken a comprehensive global study of genetic diversity within a marine protist species, the high-latitude planktonic foraminiferan Neogloboquadrina pachyderma. We present extensive new data sets from the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans that, in combination with our earlier data from the North Atlantic and Southern Oceans, allow us to determine the global phylogeography of this species. The new genetic data reveal a pattern of Arctic circumpolar isolation and bipolar asymmetry between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We show that the ancestry of North Pacific N. pachyderma is relatively recent. It lies within the upwelling systems and subpolar waters of the Southern Hemisphere and remarkably not within the neighboring Arctic Ocean. Instead, the Arctic Ocean population forms a genetic continuum with the North Atlantic population, which became isolated from the southern populations much earlier, after the onset of Northern hemisphere glaciation. Data from the planktonic foraminiferal morphospecies Globigerina bulloides is also introduced to highlight the isolation and endemism found within the subpolar North Pacific gyre. These data provide perspective for interpretation and discussion of global gene flow and speciation patterns in the plankton.


Studies have found that on average males earn substantially higher wages than females. Females are paid lower than their male counterparts due to several reasons such as educational attainment, job characteristics and types of industries. Even after accounting for variations in these productivity- related characteristics, gender wage differentials may still prevail as a result of discriminatory practice by employers. This paper attempts to measure the determinants of wage differentials by gender in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. The analysis is based on a survey of 2,046 workers in six major industriesconducted in 1999. These are the electrical and electronics, textile, wood-based, transport equipment, food and chemical industries. The determinants of wage differentials are obtained by using the coefficients of the earnings functions. These factors are decomposed into several categories, namely, demographic factors, human capital, job characteristics and industry characteristics. The results reveal that demographic factors and human capital variables play a major role in determining the wage differentials by gender. The divergence coefficient, which might include discriminatory practice by the employers, is also quite small.JEL classification: J16, J24, J31


The propagation characteristics of oblique incidence terahertz (THz) waves through non-uniform plasma are investigated by the shift-operator finite-difference time-domain (SO-FDTD) method combined with the phase matching condition. The electron density distribution of the non-uniform plasma is assumed to be in a Gaussian profile. Validation of the present method is performed by comparing the results with those obtained by an analytical method for a homogeneous plasma slab. Then the effects of parameters of THz wave and plasma layer on the propagation properties are analyzed. It is found that the transmission coefficients greatly depend on the incident angle as well as on the thickness of the plasma, while the polarization of the incident wave has little influence on the propagation process in the range of frequency considered in this paper. The results confirm that the THz wave can pass through the plasma sheath effectively under certain conditions, which makes it a potential candidate to overcome the ionization blackout problem.


We monitored reproductive effort and success of a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) population on a public wildlife management area in Mississippi for 9 years using telemetry and other indices. Adult hens (N = 143) had a nesting rate of 72.7% (range 54-100) and was greater (P = 0.0001) than the nesting rate (26.7%) of juvenile hens (N = 15). Annual nest success of 104 nests of adult hens averaged 30.8% (range 0-62) and poult survival to >50 days was 22.7% for 27 broods (N = 203 poults). Clutch size averaged 9.1 (SE = 0.54) and 6.7 (SE = 1.1), and hatchability was 93% and 100%, for first and second clutches, respectively. During this period, turkey population estimates and indices (gobbler harvest, hen ancillary observations) declined 250%-350%. Low reproduction was due primarily to high predation of nests and poults and appeared to have caused the population decline. However, environ- mental factors (i.e., food, rainfall) appeared to significantly impact reproduction in some years. Reproduction was greatest in 1992 following a distemper outbreak among some nest/poult predator populations in 1991. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 47:138-147


Cultivated carrot is one of the most important vegetable plants in the world and favored by consumers for its typically sweet flavor. Unfortunately, the attractive sensory quality is hindered by a sporadic bitter off-taste. To evaluate the influence of the abiotic stress conditions, waterlogging and drought, on the bitter sensometabolome as well as agronomical traits of six genotypes of Daucus carota, a field trial was performed. Enabling the accurate tracing of carrots' bitter compounds and therefore their metabolic changes, a fast and robust high-throughput UHPLC-MS/MS was developed and validated. Remarkably, the genotypes are the driving source for the biological fate of the bitter metabolites that are reflected in concentrations, dose-over-threshold factors, and fold changes. A certain influence of the irrigation level is observable but is overruled by its cultivar. Therefore, metabolic stress response in carrots seems to be genotype dependent. Hence, this study might help to plant specific carrot genotypes that are adapted to stress conditions evoked by future climatic changes.


Abstract Legislation and rural communities are increasingly requesting reductions in odor emitted from swine production facilities. If odor is regarded solely as a nuisance, and not an environmental hazard (as in this research), such that the objective of treating ventilation exhaust air is to prevent odor from impacting nearby receptors, it is unnecessary to treat exhaust air when dispersed odor is not identifiable. This approach maximizes odor reduction potential when most needed, with economic benefit through decreased energy and resource usage by simply operating the mitigation device for less time. The objectives of this article were: to develop an on-off, real-time control system for on-farm odor mitigation devices and provide insight on the potential reduction in operation time of any odor mitigation strategy for climatic variability. The Impact Based Odor Control System (IBOCS) monitors wind speed, wind direction, and insolation to determine atmospheric stability, and utilizes location of nearby receptors relative to a facility to conclude if exhaust air requires treatment. A prototype of IBOCS was developed and consisted of an Arduino to execute the control algorithm and manage sensor measurements, receptor directional locations, and device activation or deactivation. The user interface included an eight-direction toggle switch indicator (i.e., receptor directional location), power switch, automatic/manual switch to override IBOCS, and additional tactile inputs for manual control. The feasibility of implementing IBOCS was evaluated at five simulated locations (MN, IA, MO, IN, and NC) in the United States by computing the reduction in annual mitigation device operation based on IBOCS logic from Typical Meteorological Year 3 data sets. Regardless of receptor location relative to a simulated facility site, IBOCS logic estimated annual mitigation technology operation to range from 64.4% (NC) to 71.4% (IN). Further, the minimum estimated annual operation ranged from 14.2% (IA) to 27.9% (MO) with only one receptor present. The overall goal of IBOCS is to reduce the impact of dispersed odor while concurrently decreasing operational expenses for expensive mitigation technologies.


In crop plants quantitative variation is a feature of many important traits, such as yield, quality or disease resistance. Means of analyzing quantitative variation and especially of uncovering its potential genetic basis are therefore of prime importance for breeding purposes. It has been demonstrated in the early 20th century that such quantitative variation results from the combined action of multiple segregating genes and environmental factors. An intrinsic feature of such traits is, however, that the individual genes contributing to quantitative variation can hardly be distinguished. The genetics of such complex traits is therefore studied in general terms (population means and variances, covariances between progenies, heritabilities and so on) of classical quantitative genetics, rather than in terms of individual gene effects. Only by the use of genetically marked chromosomes, is it possible to detect and locate the loci affecting quantitative traits ("quantitative trait loci" or "QTLs"). Linkage between QTLs and morphological markers has been reported, but accurate and systematic genetic mapping has been hampered by the lack of a sufficient number of genetic markers covering an entire genome. Recently, new tooh have become available by the advent of molecular markers, such as restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Now, dense genetic linkage maps exist for many plant and animal species, which heralds a new era for quantitative genetics. Powerful and accurate biometrical methods are needed, so as to make possible the dissection of quantitative variation of complex characters into individual QTL effects. Mapped QTLs can be traced in breeding programmes, for instance, indirectly by selection for linked markers, or they can be cloned and introgressed via molecular or cell-biological techniques. The traditional methods for mapping of QTLs are, however, neither powerful nor accurate and the development of better methods is an area open to research. Not surprisingly, the detection and mapping of QTLs is gaining rapidly growing attention from biometrical geneticists.


Abstract In this review paper, we discuss the characteristics that define severe bronchiectasis and which may lead to deterioration of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. These characteristics were used to establish the current severity scores: bronchiectasis severity index (BSI), FACED, and E-FACED (exacerbation frequency, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, age, colonization, extension and dyspnea score). They can be used to predict mortality, exacerbation rate, hospital admission, and quality of life. Furthermore, there are different treatable traits that contribute to severe bronchiectasis and clinical deterioration. When present, they can be a target of the treatment to stabilize bronchiectasis. One of the first steps in treatment management of bronchiectasis is evaluation of compliance to already prescribed therapy. Several factors can contribute to treatment adherence, but to date no real interventions have been published to ameliorate this phenomenon. In the second step, treatment in deteriorating patients with bronchiectasis should be guided by the predominant symptoms, for example, cough, sputum, difficulty expectoration, exacerbation rate, or physical impairment. In the third step, we evaluate treatable traits that could influence disease severity in the deteriorating patient. Finally, in patients who are difficult to treat despite maximum medical treatment, eligibility for surgery (when disease is localized), should be considered. In case of end-stage disease, the evaluation for lung transplantation should be performed. Noninvasive ventilation can serve as a bridge to lung transplantation in patients with respiratory failure.


Although lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) of the pancreas are benign lesions, most of them have been treated with surgical resection due to diagnostic difficulty. We report a 66-year-old woman diagnosed with pancreatic LECs. Abdominal ultrasound revealed two masses in the pancreas, which were not visible on the abdominal computed tomography. In an abdominal magnetic resonance imaging, pancreas lesions showed solid tumors, which revealed a low signal intensity on T1-, moderate high signal intensity on T2 weighted images, and homogeneous delayed enhancement in the portal venous phase. Endosonography (EUS) revealed two hypoechoic round masses measuring 1.5 cm and 4.5 cm in the body and tail of the pancreas, respectively. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) revealed squamous cells, amorphous keratinous debris, and lymphocytes. The patient was diagnosed with LECs of the pancreas. For the duration of the follow-up period of two years, imaging studies were unchanged. EUS-FNA is useful in making a definite diagnosis and avoiding unnecessary surgery. This is the first case of pancreatic LECs diagnosed with EUS-FNA in Korea.


Development of low cost adsorbents for mitigation of toxic ions is one of the most important areas of research and development. Iron oxides especially in nano form have the potential for removing cations due to their structural properties. In the present work additive assisted nano structured goethite was synthesized at pH 3.0 and its cation adsorption behaviour was studied for Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) from single and binary aqueous solutions. The contact time data for single cation adsorption followed pseudo second order kinetic model for all the four cations. The isothermic data was fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models. The experimentally obtained maximum loading capacities were estimated as 109.2, 86.6, 29.15 and 37.25 mg/g of goethite for Pb(II), Co(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) respectively from single cation containing solutions. Thermodynamic parameters were evaluated for the four metal ions. Adsorption behaviour from binary solutions was studied by keeping the concentration of Pb(II) at saturation concentration (500 mg/L) for its maximum uptake and varying the concentration of other metal ions (one at a time) in the range of 25 to 200 mg/L. The Pb(II) loading capacity increased in the presence of Cd(II) or Co(II) while it decreased in the presence of Cu(II) in the studied range of concentration variation. Maximum Pb(II) uptake was observed from Pb(II)-Cd(II) binary system (222 mg/L) with Pb II) and Cd(II) concentration as 500 and 200 mg/L respectively. An increase in the combined uptake capacities for Pb(II)-Cd(II) and Pb(II)-Co(II) binary systems were observed whereas a decrease was observed for Pb(II)-Cu(II) binary system. The synthesized goethite can be used effectively for cation removal from single/binary cation containing aqueous solutions.

 Keywords : Nano goethite; TEM, adsorption; cations; binary; kinetics

 International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology , Vol. 2, No. 8, 2010, pp. 89-103


This paper deals with the dynamic simulation of rigid multibody systems described with the use of two-dimensional natural absolute coordinates. The computational methodology discussed in this investigation is referred to as planar Natural Absolute Coordinate Formulation (NACF). The kinematic representation used in the planar NACF is based on a vector of generalized coordinates that includes two translational coordinates and four rotational parameters. In particular, the set of natural absolute coordinates is employed for describing the global location and the geometric orientation relative to the general configuration of a planar rigid body. The kinematic description utilized in the planar NACF is based on the separation of variable principle. Therefore, a constant symmetric positive-definite mass matrix and a zero inertia quadratic velocity vector associated with the centrifugal and Coriolis inertia effects enter in the formulation of the equations of motion. However, since a redundant set of rotational parameters is used in the kinematic description of the planar NACF for defining the geometric orientation of a rigid body, the introduction of a set of intrinsic normalization conditions is necessary for the mathematical formulation of the algebraic constraint equations. Thus, the intrinsic constraint equations associated with the natural absolute coordinates must be properly taken into account in addition to the extrinsic constraint equations that model the kinematic pairs which form the mechanical joints. This investigation discusses in details the mathematical derivation and the numerical implementation of the multibody system differential-algebraic equations of motion elaborated in the context of the planar NACF. For this purpose, simple geometric considerations are employed in the paper to develop the algebraic equations associated with the intrinsic and extrinsic constraints, whereas the fundamental principles of classical mechanics are utilized for the formal deduction of the dynamic equations. By using the augmented formulation, the index-three form of the differential-algebraic equations of motion is reduced to the corresponding index-one counterpart in order to be able to apply the Udwadia-Kalaba approach for the analytical calculation of the multibody system generalized acceleration vector. Furthermore, in the numerical implementation of the equations of motion based on the planar NACF, the direct correction method is utilized for stabilizing the algebraic constraint equations at both the position and velocity levels. The direct correction approach represents a new methodology recently developed in the field of multibody system dynamics for treating the algebraic constraint equations leading to physically correct and numerically stable dynamic simulations. A standard numerical integration algorithm is employed for obtaining an approximate solution of the nonlinear dynamic equations derived by using the planar NACF. The numerical implementation of a general-purpose multibody computer program based on the planar NACF is demonstrated in the paper considering four simple benchmark examples of rigid multibody systems.


The shortage of
pediatricians has been identified as one of the largest social problems in
Japan. This study aimed to compare the assumed ideal nighttime working
conditions of pediatric hospitalists in Japan with the actual current
situation. By using available data on the age-related numbers of pediatricians
in Japan, we described the ideal working conditions for pediatric hospitalists
in Japan. The ideal situation was then compared with the existing actual
working conditions. Compared with
the assumed ideal condition, current pediatric hospitalists are working in many
hospitals with a few colleagues. To
solve the current supply-demand mismatch on medical care for children during
night, an involvement of non-pediatric physicians in the medical care of
children during the night is indispensable. Also, parents in Japan need to know
the limitations relating to the available capacity of pediatricians, and accept
that their children can be cared for adequately by non-pediatric physicians,
who have been trained to provide primary medical care to children.


In 2019 a new IAG (International Association of Geomorphologists) Working Group on “Connectivity in Geomorphology” has been established. In bringing together the experience and expertise of researchers in the emerging field of connectivity in geomorphology, this IAG-WG aims to enable the transitions a) from parallel projects to concerted research (incl. a transdisciplinary framework with strong linkages to practitioners/applied aspects, e.g. management of water and sediment in catchments), b) from a plethora of case studies to more generic, comparable research, c) from a multiplicity of definitions, concepts and methodological approaches to coordinated, theory-guided research activity along agreed lines, which will provide both immediate benefit for existing projects and a springboard for the development of future research projects. The overarching aim of this WG is to form an international network of Connectivity scientists, to share expertise and develop a consensus on the definition and scientific agenda regarding the emerging field of connectivity in geomorphology. With this poster presentation we would like to communicate our mission statement to the EGU audience, further discussing about recent and future activities of the Working Group


Soil augmentation with microbial degraders immobilized on carriers is evaluated as a potential remediation technology using a mathematical model that includes degradation within spatially distributed carriers and diffusion or advection-dispersion as contaminant mass transfer mechanisms. The total volume of carriers is a critical parameter affecting biodegradation performance. In the absence of advection, 320 and 20 000 days are required to mineralize 90% of the herbicide linuron by Variovorax sp. SRS16 encapsulated in 2 mm beads with 5 and 20 mm spacings, respectively. Given that many pesticide degraders have low intrinsic degradation rates and that only limited carrier to soil volume ratios are practically feasible, bioaugmented soils are characterized by low effective degradation rates and can be considered fully mixed. A simple exponential model is then sufficient to predict biodegradation as verified by comparisons with published experimental data. By contrast, the full spatially distributed model is needed to adequately model the degradation of faster degrading contaminants such as naphthalene and benzene which can be mass-transfer limited. Dimensionless Damköhler numbers are proposed to determine whether the spatially distributed model is required. Results show that field scale applications of immobilized degraders will be limited by the amount of carriers required to reach acceptable degradation rates.


The purpose of this paper is to highlight the influence of the dimensional characteristics and mechanical strength characteristics of the pipe material on the diameter of the perforated holes in these long pipes, to maintain the stability of the pipe shape in the perforated area. The research aimed to establish the maximum limit dimensions of holes that can be made in long round pipes with thin walls, through perforating by cold plastic deformation in air, using only a punch applied to on the outside of the pipe, for a particular case of pipe clamping. Following the research, the mathematical relations between the maximum diameters of the holes that can be obtained in round pipes, in correlation with the dimensional characteristics and the mechanical resistance of the material, are presented. The characteristics taken into account are the outer diameter of the pipes, the thickness of the pipe wall, and the permissible resistance to rupture of the part material. In the conclusions, it is specified that the determined mathematical relations allow the construction of variation diagrams and the determination of the maximum possible diameters, for other dimensional characteristics of pipes and for other mechanical strength characteristics of different materials.


The geometric structures, isomeric stabilities, and potential energy profiles of various isomers and transition states in Si(3)H(2) neutral, cation and anion are investigated at the coupled-cluster singles, doubles (triples) level of theory. For the geometrical survey, the basis sets used are of the Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets of triple-zeta quality (cc-pVTZ) for the neutral and cation and the Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets of double-zeta quality with diffuse functions (aug-cc-pVDZ) for the anion. For the final energy calculations, the aug-cc-pVTZ: Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets of triple-zeta quality with diffuse functions and cc-pVQZ: Dunning's correlation consistent basis sets of quadruple-zeta quality basis sets are used for the neutral and the aug-cc-pVTZ ones for the cation and anion. The global minimum neutral (I-1: (1)A(1)) has the same framework as that (cyclopropenylidene) of the C(3)H(2) molecule. Other low-lying three isomers (I-2, I-3, and I-4) are also predicted to be within 20 kJ/mol. Five transition states are optimized and their energy relationships with the isomers are clarified. The geometric structure of the global minimum cation (C-1: (2)A(1)) has the same framework as that of the neutral, but that of the anion (A-1: (2)A(')) differs very much from those of the neutral and cation. The calculated vertical and adiabatic ionization potentials from the global minimum neutral (I-1) are 7.85 and 7.77 eV, respectively. The adiabatic electron affinity of the neutral I-1 and the electron detachment energy of the global minimum anion (A-1) are predicted to be 1.21 and 1.92 eV, respectively. The two-electron three-centered bond is widely observed in the present Si(3)H(2) neutral, cation, and anion. The contour plots of their localized molecular orbitals clearly show the existence of such nonclassical chemical bonds.


Multi-hop wireless networks employing random access protocols have been shown to incur large discrepancies in the throughputs achieved by the flows sharing the network. Indeed, flow throughputs can span orders of magnitude from near starvation to many times greater than the mean. In this paper, we address the foundations of this disparity. We show that the fundamental cause is not merely differences in the number of contending neighbors, but a generic coordination problem of CSMA-based random access in a multi-hop environment. We develop a new analytical model that incorporates this lack of coordination, identifies dominating and starving flows and accurately predicts per-flow throughput in a large-scale network. We then propose metrics that quantify throughput imbalances due to the MAC protocol operation. Our model and metrics provide a deeper understanding of the behavior of CSMA protocols in arbitrary topologies and can aid the design of effective protocol solutions to the starvation problem.


Increasing numbers of students with disabilities attend colleges and universities after graduation from high school (DaDeppo, 2009; U.S. Department of Education, 2002), but studies show that students with disabilities lag behind academically and fail to make progress and complete academic programs at a level and a timeframe comparable to their peers without disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Studies are needed that explore variables related to the academic performance of university students with disabilities. According to Tinto (1993), multiple factors relate to university students' academic performance and persistence, including students' background, academic and social integration, and personal characteristics. His theoretical model highlights the role of personal attributes in relation to academic success and persistence in postsecondary education. Much of the research conducted in the area of personal characteristics of students with disabilities has focused on only academic or cognitive attributes (Hall & Webster, 2008), while neglecting psychological attributes such as self-esteem, life satisfaction, perceived support, and perceived control. As these psychological attributes have been found to play important roles in adjustment to one's disabilities and academic performance (LaBarbera, 2008), this area of study needs attention. In addition to a narrow focus on academic and cognitive attributes, research related to academic success and persistence of students with a disability has concentrated almost exclusively on students with a learning disability (LD; DaDeppo, 2009; LaBarbera, 2008). But, given advances in medical, educational, and environmental technologies and the fact that federal laws mandate improved access to postsecondary education (Newman, 2005; Skinner, 2004) to all, the scope of studies needs to be expanded to include those with other disabilities. The goal of the current study was to compare and contrast psychological attributes of students with different types of disabilities who enter college. Findings might suggest ways to make the academic environment more conducive to learning for students with different types of disabilities.


PURPOSE
A possible case of moxifloxacin-induced syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is reported.

SUMMARY
A 66-year-old Caucasian woman with stage II chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) arrived at the emergency department from an outpatient clinic complaining of worsening shortness of breath, headache, body aches, and dizziness. Five days before her arrival at the hospital, the patient was seen in an outpatient clinic with symptoms of COPD exacerbation and was given a corticosteroid taper of prednisone 40 mg daily and moxifloxacin 400 mg daily. The patient was hospitalized, and her serum sodium concentration was 110 meq/L. Moxifloxacin was continued on admission, and the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit for frequent neurologic examination, serial serum sodium measurements, and fluid restriction. Her laboratory test results were consistent with SIADH. Fluid restriction at 1 L/day initially corrected her serum sodium concentration to 119 meq/L, but increases in serum sodium plateaued by day 2 of admission (119-122 meq/L). Moxifloxacin was discontinued on hospital day 3. At discharge, on hospital day 5, her serum sodium concentration had increased to 131 meq/L. She was restarted on her home medications and followed up in an outpatient clinic one week later. After multiple etiologies were ruled out, drug-induced SIADH associated with moxifloxacin was the most likely diagnosis for this patient. Clinicians should be aware of this potential adverse drug effect when assessing patients with hyponatremia or SIADH.

CONCLUSION
A 66-year-old woman developed severe hyponatremia after receiving moxifloxacin for five days for treatment of COPD exacerbation.


Background: Though pregnancy and child birth are natural processes, they are not by any means risk free. In spite of various efforts made to improve the maternal child health (MCH) services, the poor outcome of pregnancy continues to remain high because of complex web of causal factors that includes medical, obstetrics and socioeconomic factors.

Objective: To study the association between the sociodemographic factors in pregnant women and adverse pregnancy outcomes and to study certain socioeconomic profile of study group and their association with pregnancy outcome.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the all pregnant women reporting in tertiary care hospital for delivery over a period of one calendar year and relevant data were recorded.

Result: Of the total 629 women, 288(38.32%) had experienced poor pregnancy outcome. After univariate analysis highly significant association of pregnancy outcome was observed within education, nature of work, socio-economic status, age at marriage, consanguineous marriage, significant association was observed with maternal age, residence and no significant association was observed with type of family, transport facilities.

Conclusion: Poor outcome of pregnancy was maximum in illiterate women, women who were doing moderate-to-heavy work during pregnancy, lower socioeconomic class, women who were married before the age of 18 years and women who gave history of consanguineous marriage.


A positive bias in the gas chromatographic (GC) analysis of butter for beta-sitosterol was discovered when attempting to confirm values by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The source of the problem was traced to an interfering material that was not effectively separated by packed column GC. Because capillary columns are known to provide superior separation, they were substituted for packed columns in the assay, and instrument parameters were modified accordingly. A compound with a similar retention time, identified by GC/MS as lanosterol, was separated from beta-sitosterol by the capillary column. The capillary column technique was applied to over 300 butter samples. The results indicate that the method can accurately quantitate beta-sitosterol in butter with no known interferences. The limit of detection for this method is 1 mg/100 g. Recoveries at a level of 3 mg/100 g averaged 98% with a coefficient of variation of 3.45%.


Phenomenologists define social impairments as key aspects of depression and argue that depression is irreducible to the individual. In this article I aim to further elaborate this non-reductionist notion of depression by claiming that depression not only corresponds to an impaired experience of social relations, but also arises from a socially impaired world. To pursue this goal, I will challenge the understanding of depression as an affective disorder blocking the affective communication between individual and environment. I will redefine feelings of depression as situated affections, and hence suggest that (1) they are products of the individual's situatedness in a depressogenic environment and (2) they function in initiating an active withdrawal from such environment.


Outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain poor due to the inability of current therapies to fully eradicate disease initiating leukemia stem cells (LSCs) (Shlush et al., 2017). Many studies have demonstrated that LSCs have unique metabolic properties compared to AML blasts (Jones et al., 2021). However, the metabolite profiles of human LSCs and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) have not yet been directly compared. To examine metabolite levels in enriched LSCs and HSPCs we used mass spectrometry-based metabolomics analysis on enriched LSCs from 18 AML patients and HSPCs from 9 normal bone marrow (BM) specimens. Pathway analysis showed that arginine metabolism and biosynthesis were the most significantly enriched pathways in LSCs compared to HSPCs. Clinical studies have shown limited efficacy of targeting arginine levels using arginine degrading enzymes; therefore, we sought to target pathways downstream of arginine. Stable isotope labeled tracing analysis showed arginine was metabolized through the urea cycle into polyamines in human LSCs. Polyamines are cationic compounds which have been previously shown to be important for the growth of various cancers but their role in AML LSCs has yet to be determined. To investigate if polyamines are essential for LSC survival and function, we treated LSCs and HSPCs with N1,N11-diethylnorspermine (DENSpm), a polyamine analog causing polyamine depletion through increased cellular export. DENSpm treatment decreased the viability of LSCs and AML blasts in 10 out of 12 of patients tested but had no impact on HSPC viability. Further, treatment with DENSpm resulted in decreased engraftment potential of the 4 AML specimens examined in immune deficient mice but did not alter the engraftment of normal HSPCs, suggesting that targeting polyamines represents a promising approach to kill LSCs while sparing HSPCs. We then investigated the mechanisms regulated by polyamines in LSCs. Using RNA-sequencing analysis on enriched LSCs from 5 AML patients and HSPCs from 3 normal BM specimens we observed decreased expression of genes involved in protein synthesis in DENSpm-treated LSCs but not normal HSPCs. Protein synthesis and its regulation are critical for AML survival (Chen et al., 2019; Messling et al., 2022) but the role of polyamines in protein translation in LSCs has not been explored. Polyamines stimulate translation notably by serving as precursors for the hypusination of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) (Park et al., 2010). Accordingly, DENSpm led to reduced protein synthesis level in MOLM13 AML cell line and primary AML samples. Strikingly, protein synthesis and viability were rescued upon co-treatment with spermidine, suggesting that DENSpm induces AML cells death at least in part through decreased eIF5A-mediated protein translation. Altogether, our data demonstrates that depletion of polyamines decreased LSC function while sparing normal HSPCs. Mechanistically, our data suggest that LSC targeting is accomplished through polyamine regulated protein synthesis.
 Citation Format: Vincent Rondeau, Cristiana O'Brien, Jacob M Berman, Duhan Yendi, Tianyi Ling, Aleksandra Bourdine, Aarushi Gupta, Jonathan St-Germain, Rachel Culp-Hill, Julie A Reisz, Soheil Jahangiri-Tazehkand, Anastasia Tikhonova, Andrea Arruda, Mark D Minden, Angelo D'Alessandro, Brian Raught, Courtney L Jones. Polyamines are required for AML LSC function through their role in regulating eIF5A dependent protein synthesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome; 2023 Jan 23-25; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2023;4(3_Suppl):Abstract nr A54.


Abstrack
The Intra Uterin Device (IUD) Family Planning (FP) Program in Indonesia has been declared less successful, in its implementation until now it has experienced obstacles that are felt, among others, there are still many PUS who are not interested in using IUD. Data from the Batam City Health Office in 2018 obtained the use of IUD as much as 3.8%, Implant 5.6% FOM 0.6% and MOM 0.3%. From these data, it was obtained that the use of IUD birth control was still very low compared to Implant.The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between husband support and maternal interest in the selection of IUD contraceptives in the work area of the Bulang Health Center, Batam City.This study used an analytical design with a cross-sectional design. The sample selection was carried out by purposive sampling of 64 respondents. The independent variable in this study was husband support, while the dependent variable was the mother's interest in the selection of IUD contraceptives. Data collection of independent and dependent variables using questionnaire measuring instruments. Data processing includes editing, coding, scoring, tabulating. The analysis used is a univariate analysis using a frequency table to describe each variable and bivariate analysis using the Chi-Squere test.The results of the analysis using the Chi Square Test obtained probability values (p value) = 0.001 (p value >0.05).


The tensile strength of solid materials is one of the most important parameter describing a behavior of the material under external mechanical loading and thus its knowledge is of great practical importance. However, the direct measurement of tensile strength especially for brittle materials is quite difficult and only limited results are available. To cope with this situation various methods of indirect measurements have been proposed among others the, so called Brazilian test is the most popular. The method relies on diametrically loading of disc-like sample of the brittle material until it splits apart due to a induced tensile stress. In this paper we report our effort of describing the fracturing process during the Brazilian test from the "microscopic"point of view. For this purpose we use an advanced implementation of the Discrete Element Method the ESySParticle software. We represent rock specimen as a set of interacting spherical particles which mimic grains of real rock material. We have observed that the maximum loading force which sample can withstand almost linearly scales up with a ratio of maximum-tominimum particles diameters.


A combined stepwise light- and electron-microscopic examination of myocardial incision biopsies was carried out in 129 children with congenital valvular defects that were corrected under hypothermal extracorporeal circulation making use of cold or combined drug cardioplegia. Changes in the myocardium were suggestive of its original weakness. Structural changes were small-focal and reversible. Drug cardioplegia allowed to switch off the heart for longer periods (115 min) of time, yet the maintenance of a stable temperature regimen should be regarded as the key factor of successful cardioplegia.


Studies in a variety of solid tumors have shown a correlation between high frequencies of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and poor patient prognosis. Thus, due to their central role in regulating immune responses, the modulation of Tregs has been the focus of many emerging cancer immunotherapies. While promising, the catastrophic autoimmunity associated with widespread Treg ablation has significantly limited such approaches. Thus, strategies must be developed which specifically target unique aspects of the life-cycle and function of tumor-associated Tregs (taTregs). In order to identify such novel targets, it will be essential to elucidate the fundamental biology behind the development, specificity and function of taTregs in the tumor environment. To better understand endogenous taTreg responses, we analyzed the T Cell Receptor (TCR) repertoire within autochthonous prostate tumors of TRAMP mice. Using this approach, we identified a TCR specificity that was recurrently expressed by a significant proportion of Tregs within the tumor, and was exclusively found in the Treg subset. We then generated transgenic mice expressing this TCR, coined "MJ23," in order to facilitate the study of the antigenic specificity, developmental origins and effects of castration on the anatomical distribution of an endogenous taTreg population. We first determined that MJ23 T cells show poor "induced" Treg development in the periphery, develop into "natural" Tregs in the thymus, and become enriched in the prostate-draining lymph nodes of both tumor-free and tumor-bearing mice, suggesting reactivity to a prostate self antigen. These results support a model in which tumors enrich for thymic-derived Tregs specific for antigens found within the tissue of cancer origin, rather than promoting the differentiation or induction of Foxp3neg CD4+ T cells reactive to tumor neoantigens. Next, to determine the impact of castration (a first line treatment given for locally advanced prostate cancer) on the prostate taTreg population MJ23, one of three treatments was administered: castration, sham castration or castration followed by testosterone restoration. Using this approach, we discovered that castration led to a dramatic increase in thymic cellularity, a selective expansion of thymic MJ23 Treg frequency, and the anatomical redistribution of MJ23 Tregs. Thus, MJ23 Tregs are impacted by the loss of testosterone following castration, leading to systemic redistribution away from the prostate draining lymph nodes. In future studies it will be critical to determine if the effects observed are due to the loss of self antigens or if Tregs themselves are androgen sensitive. Additionally, utilizing this model we will focus on elucidating the in situ function, antigen specificity, and cognate antigen presenting cells within prostate tumors. Citation Format: Daniel Leventhal, Sven Malchow, Yi Cai, Donald Vander Griend, Peter Savage. Murine prostate tumors recruit endogenous, thymic-derived regulatory T cells which are redistributed following castration. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 452. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-452


This paper presents a differential K/Ka-band switchable-capacitor loaded phase shifter with lattice structures using 28-nm CMOS technology. The lattice structure, which has a wideband characteristic, is loaded with switchable-capacitors and provides 22.5° phase shift. Seven of the lattice phase shifters are cascaded with a switched line 180° phase shifter, resulting in a full 360° phase shifter. The measured bandwidth for a root mean square (rms) phase error of < 5° is from 22.5 to 33.5 GHz, where the rms amplitude error is < 0.53 dB. The measured insertion loss is $\mathbf{11.6}\pm \mathbf{0.8}\mathbf{dB}$ at 28 G Hz, and the input and output return losses are both> 10 dB from 22.5 to 33.5 GHz. Over the 5G NR bands at 28 GHz (24.25 to 29.5 GHz), rms phase error is < 2.4° and rms amplitude error is < 0.49 dB. The fabricated phase shifter has a size of 0.45 mm2 excluding pads. The proposed K/Ka-band phase shifter based on lattice structures has a wide bandwidth while maintaining low rms phase and amplitude errors.


Mobile interfaces will be central in connecting end-users to the smart grid and enabling their active participation. Services and features supporting this participation do, however, rely on high-frequency collection and transmission of energy usage data by smart meters which is privacy-sensitive. The successful communication of privacy to end-users via consumer interfaces will therefore be crucial to ensure smart meter acceptance and consequently enable participation. Current understanding of user privacy concerns in this context is not very differentiated, and user privacy requirements have received little attention. A preliminary user questionnaire study was conducted to gain a more detailed understanding of the differing perceptions of various privacy risks and the relative importance of different privacy-ensuring measures. The results underline the significance of open communication, restraint in data collection and usage, user control, transparency, communication of security measures, and a good customer relationship.


Adverse effects on the bone are amongst the potentially adverse clinical consequences with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This study compared the effects of 3 AEDs (phenytoin (PHT), sodium valproate (SVP), and levetiracetam (LTM)) on the bones of a Swiss strain of albino female mice. Drugs were administered daily for 4 months at doses that produced plasma concentrations corresponding to the clinically relevant therapeutic ranges. PHT and SVP (but not LTM) significantly lowered the bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar vertebrae (L2-L4) as evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. The findings were supported by histopathology of vertebral (lumbar) bone and analysis of bone turnover markers. While both PHT and SVP reduced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and hydroxyproline (HxP) in lumbar vertebrae, and elevated tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and urinary excretion of calcium, LTM did not affect any of these markers of bone turnover, indicating that the drug might be a safer option in female epileptic patients prone to bone changes.


The Heterobusidion taxonomic complex comprises two of the most important hngal tree pathogens in North America (Okosina 1989), and includes at least three other taxa in Eurasia (Niemela 1998). These taxa were initially identified as intersterility groups (ISGs) (Korhonen 1978) within the species H. annosum, but the current trend is to assign them the species rank based on molecular, morphological, and host-association haits. European 1SGs have already been accepted as different species (Niemela 1998). Although yet to he defined as species by taxonomists, the North American Ileterobusidion ISGs have a much wider genetic divergence and isolation than their European counterparts (Otrosina 1993), and are also ecologically specialized on different hosts (Otrosina 1989; Worrall 1983). In this paper we will use the terms "species" and "ISGs" interchangeably when referring to the two North American taxa of Heterobasidion.


T O R O N T O — For the first time, the microarchitecture of cortical and trabecular bone can be visualized noninvasively using a high-resolution CT scanner, Dr. Pierre D. Delmas reported at a world congress on osteoporosis. Measurement of bone density by dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) captures only part of the fracture risk in postmenopausal women, Dr. Delmas said. Treatment decisions based on DXA alone can miss a large proportion of women who may have fractures later. This development may ultimately permit a fuller understanding of the mechanisms involved in osteoporosis and provide more accurate fracture risk assessment and disease monitoring capability, he said. The device, a 3-D peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scanner (XtremeCT, Scanco Medical AG, Bassersdorf, Switzerland), has greater resolution than conventional CT scanners, and permits visualization of trabecular number, thickness, and separation, as well as cortical thickness, said Dr. Delmas, professor of medicine, Claude Bernard University in Lyon, France. As an example of the capability of this device, he described a case-control study that included 57 women who had experienced fragility fractures during 13 years of follow-up and were evaluated with pQCT. "We found that for every standard deviation decrease in total and trabecular density, and cortical and trabecular thickness, there was a significant increase in risk of fracture," he said. Moreover, the increases remained significant after adjusting for bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by DXA, suggesting that the two approaches are independent measurements of bone strength, said Dr. Delmas, who is president of the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the sponsor of the meeting. A further capability of the high-resolution pQCT device is that, unlike DXA, it can reveal localized abnormalities in bone structure, he said. During a press briefing at the meeting Dr. Delmas was asked who might be an appropriate candidate for this type of evaluation. "We need to show in prospective studies that we can do better than with DXA. If we do so you could argue that any postmenopausal woman who is at risk of fracture should have the test, but it's too early to say," he replied. He also commented that he and his colleagues plan to conduct studies using pQCT to measure the efficacy of therapy, and to gain insight into how antiosteoporosis drug therapy works. "The paradox is that we have a variety of drugs that are useful in decreasing the risk of fracture, but we're not always sure what is really causing the improved bone strength," he said. Changes in bone among premenopausal women, important for the overall understanding of skeletal fragility, also are being investigated. In another presentation at the meeting, Dr. Stephanie Boutroy described a crosssectional study that included 235 women aged 19-50 years who underwent a scan at the distal radius and tibia with the highresolution device. Among the age-related changes seen were small increases in the radius and tibia cross-sectional areas without a correlating change in cortical thickness. "This reflects periosteal apposition and endosteal resorption of similar magnitude," explained Dr. Boutroy, also of Claude Bernard University. No correlation was seen in density and architecture parameters with age at the radius, but at the tibia there was an age-related 17% decrease in trabecular density, she said. This was explained by a decrease in trabecular number, separation, and distribution. Age-related changes in bone architecture had been noted previously in another study by Dr. Boutroy and her colleagues that included 108 premenopausal and 148 postmenopausal women. Lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured using DXA; volumetric BMD and microarchitecture were measured at the distal radius and tibia using high-resolution pQCT. By using the high-resolution device, they were able to detect significant changes in trabecular density, number, and thickness, as well as in cortical thickness. They also found that, unlike with DXA, they were able to discriminate between women with osteopenia who had had a previous fracture and those who had not ( J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2005; 90:6508-15). The cost of the device is currently high, noted Dr. Delmas, at approximately $300,000, and there are only about 15 in use around the world. "But I expect that if our technique is validated by other studies and the device is produced on a larger scale the price will come down," he said, adding that he has no financial interest in the company. ■ P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y D R . S T E P H A N IE B O U T R O Y


The paper focuses on an analysis of the FE solution of a 2D model for the transient hot wire method which is a technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of fluids over a wide range of temperatures. Knowledge of the thermal conductivity of fluids and molten materials, especially metals, is of particular interest in the electronics manufacturing industry for the accurate modelling of various processes, such as soldering, casting, welding, etc. (Bilek, et al., 2004). Using the transient hot wire technique, the thermal conductivity can be derived from analytical solutions of the relevant differential heat transfer equations for simple experimental arrangements, where a measured fluid is in direct contact with a sensing device (hot wire). However, for highly electrically conductive fluids, this simple arrangement is impractical. Thus, more complex experimental arrangements have to be employed for which analytical solutions of the heat transfer problem do not exist. In these circumstances it is possible to employ a FE method to describe the experiment which can, in turn, be used to evaluate the desired material property from experimental measurements. In previous projects (Assael, et al., 1997), a simple FE model was designed using a program written in FORTRAN, but this model was found to be inadequate because the geometry of the sensor had to be approximated and the software was rather inflexible to changes in configuration. Therefore a new model has been created using ANSYS software. In order to achieve high accuracy in the measured property it is essential to attain a very close match between experimental observations and the FE model. The difference between values derived from the model and experiment is required to be less than 0.01 K for a total temperature rise of about 7 K. A detailed investigation of the model output and its validation is evidently necessary. The methodology to secure such a closeness of fit is best investigated by comparisons between an analytical solution for a specific case and FE calculations for the same problem. The paper investigates important factors of the modelling stage, such as meshing and time stepping. The analytical solution is discussed in detail, working equations are given, necessary corrections applied, and the results are compared directly with an FE solution. In a subsequent section, experimental results are also compared with both analytical and FE solutions and a procedure for deriving thermal conductivity values is described.


As many objects in the human ambient environment are intellectualized and
 networked, research on IoT technology have increased to improve the quality
 of human life. This paper suggests an LDA-based long distance face
 recognition algorithm to enhance the intelligent IoT interface. While the
 existing face recognition algorithm uses single distance image as training
 images, the proposed algorithm uses face images at distance extracted from 1m
 to 5m as training images. In the proposed LDA-based long distance face
 recognition algorithm, the bilinear interpolation is used to normalize the
 size of the face image and a Euclidean Distance measure is used for the
 similarity measure. As a result, the proposed face recognition algorithm is
 improved in its performance by 6.1% at short distance and 31.0% at long
 distance, so it is expected to be applicable for USN's robot and surveillance
 security systems.


Background and Objectives: Living organisms are exposed to oxidant agents constantly from both endogenous and exogenous sources. One of such oxidant agent is Bisphenol A (BPA) and its exposure is capable to modify biomolecules and induce damages. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a contaminant with increasing exposure. It exerts toxic effects on cells.  This study investigates the possibility of BPA exposure on Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) perturbations at prevailing low exposure doses in female albino Wistar rats, following exposure for the period of three (3) month. Materials and Methods: Total 12 groups were formed; out of which 11 experimental groups, each containing 10non-pregnant female rats were administered; 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1 mg of BPA/kgbw/day. To the 12th control group was given water.  Blood was collected from animals at the end of every week of the study and serum sample specimens analyzed by routine diagnostic procedures for oxidized LDL such as malondialdehyde modified- LDL (MDA-LDL), oxidized phospholipids LDL (OX-PL LDL), N (epsilon) (carboxymethyl) lysine-modified-LDL (CML LDL) and 4-hydroxynonenal-LDL (HNE-LDL) using Autochemical Analyzer.
Results: Significantly increased concentrations of serum oxidized LDL such as MDA-LDL, OX-PL LDL, CML LDL and HNE-LDL were observed at all concentrations of BPA exposure.
Conclusion:  Bisphenol A alters oxidized LDL such as MDA-LDL, OX-PL LDL, CML LDL and HNE-LDL balance and causes disturbance of internal oxidative statues.


Unsupported and unfalsifiable claims we encounter in our daily lives can influence our view of the world. Characterizing, summarizing, and -- more generally -- making sense of such claims, however, can be challenging. In this work, we focus on fine-grained debate topics and formulate a new task of distilling, from such claims, a countable set of narratives. We present a crowdsourced dataset of 12 controversial topics, comprising more than 120k arguments, claims, and comments from heterogeneous sources, each annotated with a narrative label. We further investigate how large language models (LLMs) can be used to synthesise claims using In-Context Learning. We find that generated claims with supported evidence can be used to improve the performance of narrative classification models and, additionally, that the same model can infer the stance and aspect using a few training examples. Such a model can be useful in applications which rely on narratives , e.g. fact-checking.


We propose semantic grid, a spatial 2D map of the environment around an autonomous vehicle consisting of cells which represent the semantic information of the corresponding region such as car, road, vegetation, bikes, etc. It consists of an integration of an occupancy grid, which computes the grid states with a Bayesian filter approach, and semantic segmentation information from monocular RGB images, which is obtained with a deep neural network. The network fuses the information and can be trained in an end-to-end manner. The output of the neural network is refined with a conditional random field. The proposed method is tested in various datasets (KITTI dataset, Inria-Chroma dataset and SYNTHIA) and different deep neural network architectures are compared.


In this paper, the authors describe a multiobjective formulation for the long term planning of distribution networks considering a number of important features. The model admits fuzzy representations for loads and evaluates nodal long term marginal prices. It integrates a number of criteria related to investment, operational and reliability costs, risk index measuring the ability to accommodate load uncertainties and the remuneration collected using long term marginal prices. After using a simulated annealing approach to identify efficient expansion plans, a decision analysis is finally conducted in order to select the most adequate plan. At a final section, the authors illustrate the formulation with a case study based on a Portuguese distribution network.