The problem of scheduling in flowshops with the objective of minimizing makespan, total flowtime and completion time variation is studied in this paper. A simple discrete version of particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) is proposed for solving the set of benchmark flowshop scheduling problems proposed by Taillard (1993). The obtained results are better when compared with the results published in the literature.


Abstract : We introduce a new benchmark domain for hard computational problems that bridges the gap between purely random instances and highly structured problems. We show how to obtain interesting search problems by introducing random perturbations into a structured domain, and how such problems can be used to study the robustness of search control mechanisms. Our experiments demonstrate that the performance of search strategies designed to mimic direct constructive methods degrade surprisingly quickly in the presence of even minor perturbations. On the other hand, our experiments show that by adding a random element to a complete search procedure we can dramatically improve the performance of deterministic methods. These results apply both for the case of finding consistent models as well as for the case of proving inconsistency, complementing the well known success of using randomness in incomplete model find procedures. We pushed the idea of exploiting stochasticity one step further by combining algorithms that exhibit competing behavior into portfolios. Our results show that a portfolio approach can have a dramatic impact in terms of the overall performance, in comparison to the performance of each of its component algorithms. An interesting special case is when the best strategy consists of combining copies of the same algorithm. This portfolio is analogous to the practice of 'restarts' for stochastic procedures, where the same algorithm is run repeatedly with different seeds, a common practice in the theorem proving community. Combining copies of the same algorithm into a portfolio might be a good strategy, especially in the cases that one algorithm dominates for a given class of problems.


Introduction Postural control might be impaired after lower-limb amputation (LLA) and contributes to a high incidence of falling in individuals with LLAs with the risk of an injury occurring. There is no agreement on which objective assessment method is most appropriate for quantifying postural control during rehabilitation. Attention should be pointed to which test is most accurate at detecting a change in postural control after a given intervention. The objective of this quantitative prospective cohort pilot study was to compare four balance tests to determine their feasibility in detecting a change in postural control in persons with LLA (transtibial and transfemoral) during rehabilitation and prosthesis fitting. Methods Four different balance tests were used as primary outcomes before and after a 4-week rehabilitation program (n = 5). The tests used were Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and force plate measurements in standing and seated position (FPMstand + seat). Secondary outcome was quality of life assessed by the EuroQol, 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Results All participants improved in BBS, TUG, and FPMstand. FPMseat showed varying results. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire showed a slight improvement in quality of life in accordance with the changes in primary outcome measures. Conclusions A change in postural control during rehabilitation and prosthesis fitting in individuals with LLAs may be assessed by BBS, TUG, and FPMstand. A criterion standard for quantifying postural control is lacking. Hence, a combination of tests to measure and detect a change in postural control can be used. Present pilot study finds that BBS, TUG, and FPMstand may be measurements used for assessment of changes in postural control in the rehabilitation of individuals with LLAs.


The article is devoted to medical activity of the sons of the outstanding Russian clinician and scientist Sergey Petrovich Botkin (1832-1889) — Evgeny Sergeevich Botkin (1865-1918) and Sergey Sergeevich Botkin (1859-1910). Sergey Petrovich Botkin is the founder of the first in Russia and one of the largest scientific therapeutic schools. Among the doctors who were trained in the clinic of the Military medical Academy in the years of work of Sergei Petrovich Botkin, were his sons, however, traditionally in the publications on the scientific clinical school of Sergei Petrovich Botkin, their names are not mentioned among his students. The authors made an attempt to trace the stages of the life of the sons of Sergei Petrovich Botkin, in particular, study and work in the Military medical Academy, scientific training abroad, medical activities in medical institutions of St. Petersburg and organization of medical care as part of the red cross during the Russian-Japanese war (1904-1905). The work of Yevgeny Botkin as a court physician of the family of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II is considered separately. The article reveals the influence of the person S.P. Botkin and his closest disciples on E.S. Botkin and S.S. Botkin, as well as the continuity of clinical views and research of S.P. Botkin and his sons. The authors emphasize the similarity of ethical principles of medical activity, which guided Sergey Petrovich Botkin and his sons. The materials presented in the article confirm that the sons of Sergey Petrovich Botkin — Evgeny Sergeevich Botkin and Sergey Sergeevich Botkin — belong to his scientific clinical school.


Boys are more physically active than girls and the greatest gender difference in children's physical activity is found in institutional settings such as school recess. However, research on gender relations, performances and practices that maintain gendered differences in physical activity during recess is still limited. Drawing on a qualitative dataset and a social constructivist gender view, the aim of this study was to investigate how construction of gendered activity patterns and social positions in the schoolyard lead to gendered practices in self-organized play during recess. At 17 Danish schools a total of 460 minutes of recess were observed and 17 go-along group interviews (one at each school), including in total 111 fourth graders (58 girls), were conducted. We found six gender typologies with varying behaviours, needs and power relations. The majority of children were prejudiced in their play, reinforcing gender binarism with boys being more physically active than girls. However, we also found groups such as soccer-playing girls and sedentary computer gaming boys who defied the gender stereotypes. These groups felt limited in their activities because of a hierarchy where not being skilled and sporty implied a lesser status in the hegemonic masculinity and even exclusion from play. More detailed research into what is required for particularly the least active groups is needed to successfully increase both the girls' and overall physical activity levels.


Context. 0.1–10 MeV observations of the black hole microquasar Cygnus X-1 have shown the presence of a spectral feature in the form of a power law in addition to the standard black body (0.1–10 keV) and Comptonization (10–200 keV) components observed by INTEGRAL in several black-hole X-ray binaries. This so-called "high-energy tail" was recently shown to be strong in the hard spectral state of Cygnus X-1, and, in this system, has been interpreted as the high-energy part of the emission from a compact jet.
Aims. This result was nevertheless obtained from a data set largely dominated by hard state observations. In the soft state, only upper limits on the presence and hence the potential parameters of a high-energy tail could be derived. Using an extended data set, we aim to obtain better constraints on the properties of this spectral component in both states.
Methods. We make use of data obtained from about 15 years of observations with the INTEGRAL satellite. The data set is separated into the different states and we analyze stacked state-resolved spectra obtained from the X-ray monitors, the gamma-ray imager, and the gamma-ray spectrometer (SPI) onboard.
Results. A high-energy component is detected in both states, confirming its earlier detection in the hard state and its suspected presence in the soft state with INTEGRAL, as seen in a much smaller SPI data set. We first characterize the high-energy tail components in the two states through a model-independent, phenomenological analysis. We then apply physical models based on hybrid Comptonization (eqpair and belm). The spectra are well modeled in all cases, with a similar goodness of the fits. While in the semi-phenomenological approach the high-energy tail has similar indices in both states, the fits with the physical models seem to indicate slightly different properties. Based on this approach, we discuss the potential origins of the high-energy components in both the soft and hard states, and favor an interpretation where the high-energy component is due to a compact jet in the hard state and hybrid Comptonization in either a magnetized or nonmagnetized corona in the soft state.


Any holistic medicine, if it is to be truly "holistic", cannot possibly take the policy of escapism from Clinical Trials. The intention to design experimental trials on animals before coming over to humankind has been focused on to procreate the most state-of-the-art clinical trials for human holistic medicine. Thus, split-plots (and even: Split-split plots) are brought at work to employ the full efficiency of Bayesian statistics for purposes of holistically infer posterior likelihood in cases of predictions based on "priors". This spells that on the on the one hand clinical trials are not necessarily to be of randomized nature. On the other hand, the basic ideas of HCT (Holistic Clinical Trials) and ICT (Integrative Clinical Trials) by means of incorporating Algebraic-Topologic notions (rather than simple numerically crunched data analysis) into the main body of any trial of clinical essence, thence, emerges to be the most applicable handy clinical trials of near-future medicine.


In this article, we focus on ways in which 'internal migration industries' shape the housing location of refugees in cities. Based on empirical studies in Halle, Schwerin, Berlin, Stuttgart and Dresden, we bring two issues together. First, we show how a specific financialised accumulation model of renting out privatised public housing stock to disadvantaged parts of the population has emerged that increasingly targets migrant tenants. With the growing immigration of refugees to Germany since 2015, this model has intensified. Second, we discuss how access to housing is formed by informal agents. While housing is almost inaccessible for households on social welfare, the situation is even worse for refugees. This situation has given rise to a new 'shadow economy' for housing that offers services with dubious quality for excessive fees. Bringing these two issues together, we argue that housing provision to refugees has become a new business opportunity. This has given rise to a broad variety of 'internal migration industries' that provide the housing infrastructure, but also control access to housing. This not only results in new opportunities for profit extraction, but actively shapes new patterns of segregation and the concentration of refugees in particular types of disadvantaged neighbourhoods.


The objective of this study is to investigate the flow behavior within a triple-blade lawnmower deck by means of experimental techniques. The test section was constructed for velocity measurement with an open bottom and side-discharge. Velocity measurements were collected at several different tangential and axial sections inside the deck. The flow behaviors are observed using both a Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and a high-speed video camera capturing 2000 frames per second. Several different visualization techniques have been attempted: particle feeding, water vapor injection, tuft method, and others. To further enhance the experimental accuracy, fresh sod was fed into the system simulating normal cutting conditions. Along with the extensive velocity analysis, strain and static pressure were also examined at various surface locations along the blade using linear strain gages and a piezoresistive pressure transducer. It has been observed that the deck and blade configurations share equal significance in the resultant flow profiles.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


Stress in components will lead to the change of material properties and even failure. Therefore, the assessment for the stress state of components is play an important role in testing industry. As a non-contact and multi-physical field nondestructive testing method, eddy current thermography (ECT) can be applied to detect non-homogeneous electromagnetic characteristics parameter distribution in conductive materials. Internal stress and its distribution in a material will affect the value of electromagnetic characteristic parameters. If induction current applied on conductive material, the Joule's heat, which generate in the sample will lead to the temperature rise on the surface of the specimen by induction heating process. The temperature distribution on the specimen surface can be recorded by infra camera and stored as IR images or videos. The feature of the temperature distribution and its variation can be used to express the stress state in the specimen. It is concluded that there is an approximate linear relationship between the surface temperature appreciation and the loading force when the excitation source condition remains unchanged.


This study refers to the rehabilitation program put into practice by the Athens Children's Sanatorium of Chronic Disorders for mentally retarded children. It outlines the procedures followed with reference to both staff and patient instruction, during the stages of preparation, and later rehabilitation into the community by means of hostels or special care accommodation. In the research carried out the special care staffs were questioned in relation to the training given at the Sanatorium. The intervention group in the primary stage, followed by the many branched team and the scientific team in charge through instructing proceedings such as stimulation and guidance counseling, the education and the application in order to accomplish the completion of the rehabilitation program. Their duties and their new role managed to improve through the instruction, concerning both the level of knowledge and the quality of working conditions.


Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a rare occurrence. We present a case of spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea in a 57-year-old patient secondary to a sphenoid osseous defect involving the foramen rotundum and maxillary nerve with an associated arachnoid cyst and meningocele compressing the maxillary nerve. The location of the defect made correction amenable to an open skull-based approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a spontaneous meningocele herniating into the sphenoid osseous defect through the medial aspect of the foramen rotundum. Early detection of these defects, open or endoscopic approaches and definitive treatment by closing the defect can result in excellent outcomes.


We set the foundation for a series of works aimed at proving strong relations between uniform random planar maps and Liouville quantum gravity (LQG). Our method relies on a bijective encoding of site-percolated planar triangulations by certain 2D lattice paths. Our bijection parallels in the discrete setting the mating-of-trees framework of LQG and Schramm-Loewner evolutions (SLE) introduced by Duplantier, Miller, and Sheffield. Combining these two correspondences allows us to relate uniform site-percolated triangulations to

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-LQG and SLE

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. In particular, we establish the convergence of several functionals of the percolation model to continuous random objects defined in terms of

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-LQG and SLE

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. For instance, we show that the exploration tree of the percolation converges to a branching SLE

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, and that the collection of percolation cycles converges to the conformal loop ensemble CLE

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. We also prove convergence of counting measure on the pivotal points of the percolation. Our results play an essential role in several other works, including a program for showing convergence of the conformal structure of uniform triangulations and works which study the behavior of random walk on the uniform infinite planar triangulation.


Capsicum peppers-including chili peppers, paprika, and red peppers-are native to the Americas but used worldwide in spicy dishes. Capsaicin, the active ingredient of Capsicum peppers, is used topically to treat musculoskeletal pain, neuropathy, and other conditions. Capsaicin binds the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), releasing substance P and desensitizing nerves with long-term use. Capsicum peppers and capsaicin products (eg, medications, cosmetics, pepper sprays) can provoke an irritant contact dermatitis, causing erythema and cutaneous burning. Capsaicin-induced dermatitis can be relieved by washing the area with soap, detergents, or oily compounds. Ice water or high-potency topical steroids also can help. Capsaicin is available in creams, lotions, and patches. Synthetic TRPV1-agonist injectables based on capsaicin are in clinical trials for use in localized pain. Capsaicin is a neuropeptide-active compound found in Capsicum peppers with many promising applications; however, dermatologists should be aware of possible skin reactions to these plants and medications derived from them.


Abstract Introduction:This paper presents the results of a survey on excellent teachers conducted in Hungary in 2018. The main question of the study was how pedagogical talents can be characterised by competences and personality traits according to effective teachers and their colleagues. Furthermore, what effective teachers think about their own competences and characteristics, as well as how that is related to their beliefs of pedagogical talents was tested. Methods:The online questionnaire method was applied in the research. The sample involved effective teachers (N=92) of high-risk students (N=25) and of gifted students (N=43), as well as supervisor teachers (N=24) who were selected by judgment sampling. The control group of teachers (N=76) had similar characteristics to the sample as they were matched by the type of institution and geographical location. The data was processed using SPSS software. Results:The excellent teachers' beliefs about pedagogical talents showed differences in many ways. Excellent teachers of high-risk students had the most child-centred view. Not only did they pay attention to students' needs while planning and organizing lessons, but they also found the students' feedback important, much more than other subsamples. They also said in high proportion they can handle the challenges related to the societal level of their work. Among all the sub-samples, they indicated most frequently that excellent teachers should be happy, initiative and practical. Supervisor teachers unanimously indicated that good teachers should be highly cooperative and also that excellent teachers should be friendly and flexible. It turned out from the research that excellent teachers of gifted children used significantly fewer teaching methods than the other group. Among all sub-samples, they were the ones who found the competences of "developing student groups and communities" the least important. The data showed that the teachers in this sub-group felt less able to adapt to the changes related to the societal level of their work. The words "theoretical", "isolated", "serious", "distant" appeared in a significantly higher proportion among these teachers when speaking about pedagogic talents in general. These words were frequently used when spoking about their own characteristics. Discussion:The results of the excellent teachers of high-risk students and supervisor teachers showed similarity in many regards. Both groups seemed to be methodologically well-prepared, and able to give varied enjoyable lessons, as well as to develop student communities; and to carry out continuous reflective practice. Excellent teachers of gifted students focused on academic knowledge much more than other sub-groups. They also planned and managed their lessons differently. The background of this phenomena could be that their students' knowledge and motivation is more homogenous. Limitations:Although the size of the sample was not representative, the study confirmed and complemented former relevant research. Conclusion:The results showed that pedagogical talents can have multiple manifestations., which can be caused by the wide range of pedagogical work and the related roles. On the other hand, there are different teachers' characteristics and competences. The study also showed that teachers' views about excellent teachers are closely connected to the particularities of the taught student group. The researchers hope that these results can be an inspiration for further studies in this field.


The 3+1 (canonical) decomposition of all geometries admitting two‐dimensional space‐like surfaces is exhibited. A proposal consisting of a specific re‐normalization Assumption and an accompanying Requirement is put forward, which enables the canonical quantization of these geometries. The resulting Wheeler–deWitt equation is based on a re‐normalized manifold parameterized by three smooth scalar functionals and the entire space of solutions to this equation is analytically given.


A simple model is constructed for the plasma armature of a rail gun. We make the assumption that no gun tube ablation occurs, and then calculate the barrel inner wall heating when swept by the armature. The model thus provides operating parameters for which rail guns can be fired without melting or ablation. In this ablation-free domain, formulas for turbulent hydrodynamic flow in pipes can be used as a guideline for the heat flow from the turbulent plasma armature. This model is complementary to the Los Alamos ablative model of Parker et al. in which it was assumed that the energy dissipated in the armature arc is converted to ablated wall material which enters the arc.


In this research, the influence of global slenderness and sliding pallets factor on the seismic design of steel storage racks are assessed. Variations in span length, the height of storage levels, live load, and percentage of live load considered in the seismic mass are studied for different levels of seismic zone and soil type. The models were designed according to the Chilean Code NCh2369. Subsequently, a global sensitivity analysis was developed to analyze the influence of each studied parameter in the seismic design response in terms of fundamental period, drift, and base shear from a response spectral analysis approach. A total of 12000 simulations were performed. Two-hundred additional models were performed to evaluate the variation of seismic mass in the structural response. Results indicate a significant influence of live loads and seismic mass on steel racks designed for soft soils and unbrace conditions. The stiffness also modifies the performance of the racks, mainly in models using braces in the down-aisle direction and cross-aisle direction. In these cases, the seismic mass factor does not have a strong influence on structural response in comparison to the global slenderness.


INTRODUCTION: We present an audience study investigating the impact of different technologies to create visuals in dance performances.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated four conditions: motion capture, sensors, camera image, and minimal interaction; and four variables: how much did the audience perceive a connection between the body and the visuals; the visuals as merely copying the dancer; how much distracting were the visuals; and how much did the audience enjoy the visuals.

METHODS: We used a questionnaire to collect data. We analyzed it using Friedman's test, and Spearman's correlation test.

RESULTS: The audience perceived a stronger connection in the camera condition, but in the same condition, visuals tend to be merely copying the dancer. We also suggest that the perceived connection has a positive correlation with enjoyment, while distraction has a negative correlation.

CONCLUSION: Our results help to highlight the impact that different technology have on live visuals for dance.


Back ground: Green Leafy Vegetables (GLV) is pigment-rich and nutritionally relevant functional food sources with unique phytochemical constituents that include carotenoids which are precursors for vitamin A and protect cells from oxidation and cellular damage. Cooking processes and other factors such as temperature, light and alteration in moisture content generally promote either isomerization (trans to cis form) or oxidative degradation of carotenoids to epoxides. Rationale: Studies pertaining to the effect of cooking methods on dietary carotenoids bio accessibility and their retention percent are scarce, particularly in an Indian Diasporas. Objective: Present study was to determine the carotenoids retention based bio accessibility in GLV such as amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus), spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and curry leaves (Murraya koenigii), when subjected to domestic cooking methods of microwave cooking, sauteing, pressure cooking, steaming and deep frying in oil, for a time duration of 8 and 12 minutes, either with lid closed or open. Method: The retention based bio accessibility of carotenoids were quantified by rapid separation liquid chromatography (RSLC) using RP-C-18 column (150mm×4.6µ) with 70% acetonitrile, 20% dichlomethane and 10% methanol for 20 minutes at flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. Results: The maximum retention based bio accessibility of total carotenoids and β-carotene were observed with micro wave cooking, steaming and sauteing methods. (Spinach: 57.88% and 55.92%, Amaranth: 56.15% and 57.49%, Curry leaves: 50.55% and 52.66% respectively). Conclusion: The reduction in the contents of carotenes in GLVs in correlation to various cooking methods are discussed which would be valuable for food researchers, nutritionists as well as health practitioners and dietitians, in developing and promoting nutritionally balanced diets and minimize vitamin A deficiency in Indian context.


In wireless power transfer systems, active rectifiers demonstrate improved efficiency and regulation capability. To enable impedance or output regulation, ensure stable operation, and maximize the efficiency, switching actions of the rectifier have to be synchronized with the magnetic field generated from the transmitter coil. This work presents an implementation of a phase- locked-loop synchronization controller using commercial components, including a low-cost microcontroller. A discrete-time small-signal model is used to derive the transfer function of the inherent feedback and design a compensator stabilizing the synchronization loop. Large-signal state-space modeling is used to design a high-efficiency, soft-switching, 6.78MHz power stage. A low-profile, 40W, GaN-based rectifier prototype is designed and built to experimentally verify the ability to synchronize and achieve high efficiency due to soft-switching.


Purpose:  To determine the difference between mean retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in myopic eyes (up to -6.00D) and normal eyes.
Study Design:  Descriptive observational study.
Place and Duration of the Study:  Eye department of Mayo hospital Lahore, from February 2019 to April 2019.
Methods:  We compared the mean RNFL between 58 myopic eyes (up to -6.00 D) and age matched 60 normal eyes. The age of the participants was between 12 to 42 years. Complete ocular examination was done and RNFL thickness was measured by using Optical coherence tomography (NIDEX RS-33.0, software-ex 1.5.2).Data was analyzed by independent sample t-test by using SPSS; with P < .05 as significant.
Results:  The mean difference among these groups was 5.852 µm with (SE: 1.929). Mean RNFL thickness in myopic group was (95.93 ± 10.158µm) with (SE: 1.334). The result for mean RNFL thickness in myopic eyes was distributed normally as P < .03. Mean RNFL in normal group was (101.78 ± 10.774 µm) with (SE: 1.391), and the result of mean RNFL thickness measured in normal eyes was not distributed normally as P < .20. The results showed that there is a statistically significant difference between mean RNFL thickness measured in normal versus myopic eyes as (P < .003).
Conclusion:  There is a significance difference between mean RNFL thickness between myopic eyes and normal eyes as measured by OCT. Careful interpretation of RNFL data in myopic eyes is recommended to avoid misdiagnosis with glaucoma.
Key Words:  Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer thickness, Myopia, Optical Coherence Tomography.


BACKGROUND
Thymoquinone is a promising anticancer molecule of which chemopreventive role is well-known at least in vitro and in animal model. In this review article, we have focused on the anti-inflammatory activities of thymoquionone in cancer cells.

METHOD
Research data on inflammation, cancer and thymoquinone was acquired from pubmed, scopus, web of science and google scholar. We have reviewed paper from the middle of last century, but mostly cited papers from last ten years.

RESULTS
In addition to chemopreventive role, studies indicated that thymoquinone also have potential immunotherapeutic role, as thymoquinone can target and modulate inflammatory modulators, like nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κβ), interleukins, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and certain growth factors. As chronic inflammation plays role in cancer development, controlling inflammatory pathways is an important mechanism of immunotherapeutic action of anticancer molecule.

CONCLUSION
This article reviewed the role of inflammation on cancer development, and the action of thymoquinone on inflammatory molecules, which have been proved in vitro and in vivo. Much more attention is required for studying the immunotherapeutic role of thymoquinone and developing this molecule as future immunotherapeutic drug.


Dengue has become the fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease in Sri Lanka and the control of the vectors, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus and Ae. albopictus Skuse, is the most effective way of controlling the disease. A detailed study on vector prevalence has not been recorded from Sri Lanka. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to study the prevalence of both vectors in four semi-urban study sites in two of the most affected districts, namely Kandy (wet zone) and Kurunegala (intermediate zone), by conducting egg surveys (using ovitraps) and larval surveys from June 2007 to May 2008. A total of 82,524 eggs and 2658 larvae of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were collected. A total of 3699 potential breeding habitats were examined. Ovitrap and larval indices (house, container and Breteau) showed that all four areas are at epidemic risk, especially due to a high abundance of Ae. albopictus. The highest numbers for both the species were from the Kandy sites where dense vegetation, high rainfall and low temperature prevailed. The results showed a high mortality rate during the egg-to-larva transition, suggesting that conducting an egg survey alone would overestimate the vector abundance and the disease risk. For Ae. albopictus, the monthly mean number of eggs showed positive relationships with relative humidity in both districts and with rainfall in the Kandy District. The number of dengue cases in the area had no positive relationships with the abundance of eggs or larval density indices. Discarded receptacles were the most preferred breeding habitat for these dengue vectors. Since the attractiveness (inferred by the calculated risk factors) of most of the breeding habitats was very high, elimination of these breeding sites is essential for the success of dengue control programmes.


This article focuses on the relation between work and pleasure in the cultural sector. I first unpack the concept of passionate work, situating it within four possible ways of relating work and pleasure. I argue that the work ethic of do what you love, contrary to what it promises, limits the prospects of loveable work. As part of a neoliberal work culture, do what you love transfers the battleground from society onto the self. It favours self-management over politics. Drawing on findings from interview research with members of worker co-operatives in the UK cultural industries, I then go on to explore the relation between work and pleasure within cultural co-ops. I discuss how cultural co-ops might inspire and contribute to a movement for transforming the future of work by turning the desire for loveable work from a matter of individual transformation and competition into a practice of co-operation and social change.


Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) frequently are discontinued before elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) because of the increased incidence of perioperative bleeding. Rofecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor, does not interfere with the coagulation system and may be a safer NSAID for patients undergoing TKA. In this study, 100 patients undergoing elective TKA discontinued their use of NSAIDs 10 days before surgery and were assigned randomly to receive either placebo (n = 50) or rofecoxib (n = 50), 25 mg daily for 5 consecutive days starting 3 days before surgery. The administration of rofecoxib resulted in improved preoperative pain scores and no significant increase in the incidence of perioperative bleeding or international normalized ratio compared with placebo. Rofecoxib does not need to be discontinued before elective TKA.


Acute small bowel obstruction remains one of the most challenging nosologies in emergency surgery, leading to a pronounced imbalance between lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant defense system. We aimed to study changes in the anti- and prooxidant status of serum and small intestine wall in an experiment modeling acute small bowel obstruction. The control group included 11 rats, and the main group included 42 rats (simulation of mechanical bowel obstruction on day 1 was conducted in 14 rats, on day 2 – in 12 rats, on day 3 – in 16 rats). Acute small bowel obstruction was modeled by ligation. Serum analysis and removal of the small intestinal wall were performed on days 1, 2, and 3. Indicators of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection were determined by the spectrophotometric method, and the imbalance between lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection gradually increased from 1 to 3 days of observation. On day 3, the low level of aldehyde increased 1.3 times, and the level of superoxide dismutase decreased 1.2 times compared to the control group. Pathophysiological changes in the wall of the small intestine are caused by the activation of lipid peroxidation and the exhaustion antioxidant protection, whereby the degree of their severity increases depending on the increase in time from the moment of modeling of acute obstruction of the small intestine.


The results of an interlaboratory comparison of measurements of relative spectral sensitivity of vacuum photocells are summarized. The comparison was part of the work of the CIE Photometry and Radiometry Committee (TC-1.2). Nine laboratories measured two cells each. The results were corrected for the drifting of relative spectral sensitivity of each cell. The standard deviation of an individual measurement on a cell without filter was less than 2% from 450 nm to 620 nm, increasing to 5% at 390 nm and 690 nm. The standard deviation was larger for a V(lambda) corrected cell, being less than 2% in the range 490-600 nm and increasing to 5% at 475 nm and 660 nm. The largest errors were probably caused by wavelength and bandwidth errors.


A standard quarter wave (λ/4) Fresnel rhomb laterally displaces the output beam with respect to the input beam. This lateral displacement can cause problems when inserting the rhomb in an already aligned optical setup. This note describes the use of two λ/8 rhombs to construct a λ/4 rhomb. The output of the proposed rhomb is colinear with the input beam, and allows a much more flexible optical alignment.


This work proposes a novel optical frequency comb, the flattened sideband generator, based on a sinusoidal amplitude-phase hybrid modulation technique. This study introduces the principle, characteristics, and prototype of the side-band generator. The application of the prototype to wide-area WDM access networks and millimeter-wave generation is also presented.


This Book provides basics of Wireless LAN, 802.1x system and 802.11i Security Model. In this book, the flow of messages of the protocols EAP,EAP-MD5, EAP-TLS and EAP-TTLS are covered in detail. The Design, implementation issues and validation of the protocols are discussed. The snapshots of the messages received and sent from wireless client are recorded to help the reader to understand the EAP based protocols message sequences. The intended audience of this book are students,software professionals working in the development of authentication and security protocols for Wireless LAN.


An operator model of a mirror as a reflector with a reflectance variable over the aperture is developed on the basis of a Fabry—Perot interferometer. The main characteristics of the interferometer (mirror) are studied in the geometric, diffraction, and modal approximations. The differences in the calculation results obtained using the conventional geometric approximation and the diffraction approach proposed in this study are discussed. It is shown that, when the effective Fresnel numbers are comparable to unity, it is necessary to use the diffraction approximation. The possibility of using an interferometer-based mirror as a selector of transverse laser modes is demonstrated.


The COVID-19 pandemic is a disease that is troubling the whole world, this disease attacks the respiratory tract and in all age groups including pregnant women. Pregnant women are very vulnerable to psychological disorders, namely anxiety. Psychological problems in pregnancy are often associated with adverse effects on the mother and fetus as well as on child development. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that affect the level of anxiety in pregnant women during the covid-19 pandemic at the Mamajang Health Center in March-July 2020. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional approach with a sample of 30 pregnant women and instruments. in this study is a questionnaire on the anxiety scale HARS (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale). The results of the Chi-Square test analysis showed that there was a relationship between age and anxiety with a p value of 0.000 < (0.05), there was a relationship between education and anxiety with a p value of 0.019 < (0.05), there was a relationship between work and anxiety with a p value of 0.034 < (0.05), there is a relationship between parity and anxiety with a p value of 0.000 < (0.05).

Keywords: Factor, Anxiety, Pregnant Women, Covid-19


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Short of cash? Then why not sell your soul? The going rate for souls, almost new, in good condition, is £11.61 on eBay, the world's largest online auction house. So diverse are the items on sale that NASA has recently admitted to searching eBay for replacement computer parts for the space shuttle programme. Now Canadian artist Bill Burns has joined the devotees of the auction house and has amassed an eclectic and eccentric cornucopia of items relating to malaria for this Wellcome Trust exhibition.

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Henry Wellcome's model floating Nile laboratory

The items on display amount to a veritable pocket history of malaria and malaria prevention and treatment programmes in the 20th century. One can see model crop dusters designed to spray DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloromethane), stamps from around the world featuring malaria themes, maps circa 1960 of …

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The reactivity and activation parameters for the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of eight norbornene esters in the presence of a N-chelating Hoveyda–Grubbs II type catalyst were determined using in situ 1H-NMR. The ester molecules differ in the structure of substituent and the location of ester groups. Kinetic studies have shown that effective polymerization constants and activation parameters highly depend on the monomer structures. It was demonstrated that the elongation of the aliphatic chain does not significantly affect the reactivity of the ester, but has a high impact on the activation parameters of the reaction. Branching of the aliphatic substituent has a significant influence on the reactivity and activation parameters. Furthermore, the orientation of the ester substituents in the norbornene ring substantially affects the activation parameters.


Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of the methods in Decision Support Systems (DSS). AHP has been criticized mainly for its priority deviation method, which is one of AHPs main components. The priority derivation method, also referred to as prioritization method, is used to derive priorities in order to represent the rank of alternatives in AHP. There are two approaches to derive priorities in AHP, which are non-optimization approach and optimization approach. However, this study found three main problems in the current prioritization methods which are inconsistency of the judgment, non-evolutionary computing approach, and accuracy performance of the prioritization method. In solving these problems, this study proposed Evolutionary Computing Procedure for Deriving Priorities (ECPDP). The ECPDP is an EC-based procedure and derives priorities by solving single objective optimization problem (SOP) through maximizing the accuracy of the solution, by using Total Deviation (TD) as an objective function. The result by using ECPDP is more promising as opposed to the other prioritization methods in terms of TD value.


Thailand's offshore Tertiary basins have yielded nearly five BBOE. Exploration initiated in the 1970s and peaked by mid 1990s. Volumetrically the discoveries are dominantly gas (∼80%). Some important discoveries within the northern Pattani Basin have significant oil reserves e.g. Jasmine 60 MMBO. Basins offshore Thailand consist of Eocene-Oligocene NW-SE grabens, overprinted by narrow N-S fault depocenters developed during Miocene back-arc stretching of continental Sundaland crust. These are filled by lower synrift lake/fluvial deposits, post rift fluvial sequences and drowning brackish intertidal to marine succession. Hydrocarbons are sourced from synrift lacustrine shales. Internally the basins are heavily dissected and compartmentalized by faulting generating numerous traps; consequently, exploration targets have consisted primarily of structural traps. With the exception of the disputed boundary zone straddling Thailand / Cambodian waters exploration offshore Thailand is considered to be in a mature stage of exploration. Nevertheless, fields currently being developed reveal a level of complexity that suggest significant additional exploration upside: complex trapping mechanisms related to combined structural and stratigraphic elements rarely targeted in past ventures. We present a rejuvenated play portfolio for offshore Thailand, within the context of a regional structural and biostratigraphic recalibration. In addition, we illustrate examples of several complex play-trap systems that we consider still worth significant exploration potential. Our view is that Thailand's perception of exploration maturity may be more related to the operational approach taken till now to finding hydrocarbons, rather than actual depletion of the resource. Current "exploration maturity" is related to old ideas and innovative complex / subtle trapping models and play-types as presented here should generate a step-change in the gulf of Thailand creaming curve.


The Surface Green Function Matching (SGFM) theory has been recently generalized to deal with, generlly speaking, multilayer structures (surfaces, interfaces, quantum wells, superlattices, etc...) described in the frame of the Empirical Tight-Binding models. By combining the formulae obtained in SGFM with recently developed algorithms to calculate the transfer matrices, we obtain a quickly converging method to deal with surfaces. This yields closed formulate which are part of a more general formalism with which more complex structures can be studied in a unified way. Here we apply this method to calculate the electronic density of states in the layers at and near the (100) vanadium surface.


A method of rapidly determining cationic exchange capacity and extractible cations in bentonite is presented in this paper. Separation speed is enhanced by using ammonium chloride-ammonia as exchange agent and replacing centrifugal separation with pumping filtration separation. It is convenient and reliable to determine cationic exchange capacity by replacing nitrogen distillation with calcium chloride-formaldehyde. Precision experiment of the method has been made. All the relative standard deviation are less than 10% while the content of extractible cations kalium,natrium,calcium and magnesium is less than 2 mmol in 100 g bentonite,and all the relative standard deviation is less than 5% while the above mentioned content is more than 2 mmol in 100 g bentonite. With high stability and precision,this method meets the demands of analysis. The relative standard deviation of cationic exchange capacity determination is about 1% and the sum of extractible cations kalium,natrium,calcium and magnesium accounts for 97% of exchange capacity,which satisfies the demands of accuracy.


Abstract An automatic MOS structure parameter extraction algorithm accounting for quantum effects has been developed and applied in the semiconductor device analyzer Agilent B1500A. Parameter extraction is based on matching the experimental C-V data with numerical modeling results. The algorithm is used to extract the parameters of test MOS structures with ultrathin gate dielectrics. The applicability of the algorithm for the determination of distribution function of DOS and finding the donor defect level in silicon is shown.


Sustainable development in the 21st century is based on access to information and knowledge. Like their counterparts, African libraries have recognized the key role of libraries in achieving sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The National Library of Uganda provides ICT training to female farmers to access weather forecasts, crop prices, and to set up online markets in their local languages. Nigerian Librarians developed a SDGs Action Group on Facebook to achieve SDGs. Similarly, public libraries in Botswana are actively engaged in achieving sustainable development goals. For example, supporting Goal 8, some public libraries provide basic ICT training to empower community so as to increase access to information for career and job opportunities leading to social and economic development. To support Goal 4: Quality education, some Public Libraries provide homework assistance to children to build strong educational foundation. To address Goal 5, Gender Equality, some public libraries in Botswana organize gender related activities to support girls and women. The aim of this paper is to share Botswana public libraries' initiatives toward sustainable development. The data for this paper was collected through interviews with the librarians, who are actively involved in SDGs and observations.


Age-related decreases in muscle function lead to disabilities and are associated with negative health outcomes in older people. Although several physical tests can be used to assess physical performance, muscle strength, and power, their interpretation can be hampered by the ceiling effect of some of them. The aim of this study was to assess whether vertical jump tests are safe in terms of physical integrity and whether they are useful in assessing physical performance in forty-one robust older women. The investigation entailed an assessment of anthropometric characteristics, physical functioning tests (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), sit-to-up 5 times and sit-to-up 30 s, gait speed, time-up-to-go test (TUGT)), and tests evaluating muscle strength and power (handgrip, lower limb isokinetic tests, and vertical jumping tests). Significant negative correlations were found between vertical jumping tests and BMI, body fat percentage, sit-to-up 5 times and TUGT. In addition, significant positive correlations were observed between vertical jumping tests and SPPB, gait speed, handgrip, and concentric isokinetic tests of knee muscles. No adverse events in volunteers' physical integrity were reported during and after the performance of all physical tests. Thus, the study results showed that vertical jumping tests are safe and accurate for assessing physical performance and are useful for monitoring age-related loss of muscle performance in robust older women.


The Dutch guideline Chronic Urticaria aims to present a stepped-care model for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). In this manuscript omalizumab is discussed as a treatment option. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to immunoglobulin E (IgE). We have used the GRADE method to assess predefined outcome measures with regards to omalizumab, including disease activity, quality of life, adverse events, and complete and partial response. All 5 included studies were assessed as being of a 'low risk of bias'.The quality evidence was assessed as high.Treatment with omalizumab results in improvement of disease activity (including complete and partial response), improvement in quality of life, and an increase in angioedema free days. The proportion of patients suffering from adverse events after treatment with omalizumab does not differ significantly from placebo. Omalizumab is considered to be a good treatment option for CSU.


Although Taiwan and China are currently at different stages of development, both have followed a similar path in establishing rule of law, a path that other successful East Asian countries have also followed to a considerable extent. Part I sets out the "East Asian Model" ("EAM"). Part II takes up Taiwan's development in light of the model. Part III looks at China's development. Part IV concludes with a discussion of what the experiences of Taiwan and other Asian states suggest might lie ahead for China, as well as some general observations about what Taiwan, China and the EAM tell us about modernization theory, democratization, the implementation of rule of law and good governance. This chapter challenges standard views of legal system development in Taiwan and China. Many histories of legal development in Taiwan tend to present a predominantly, if not uniformly, bleak portrait of law during the martial era. This is then contrasted with a predominantly, if not uniformly, sanguine view of law in the post-democratization period. Democratization was no doubt a pivotal event, leading to rapid and dramatic improvements in the legal system. Nevertheless, Taiwan's legal system obviously did not just suddenly leap from the bottom quartile into the top quartile on rule of law indexes upon the start of democratization in 1986. The legal system had developed steadily during the martial law era, albeit subject to restrictions in some areas. At the same time, democratization did not resolve all of the tensions and problems in the legal system or in governance. As in all countries, the legal system remains a work in progress, with rule of law an inspirational ideal to be struggled for if always imperfectly realized. As with Taiwan prior to democratization, portraits of the legal system in China are often exceedingly bleak, with many commentators questioning China's commitment to rule of law. Much of the popular and scholarly focus is on deficiencies in the handling of politically-sensitive cases. The torrent of reports condemning China for human rights abuses tends to overshadow slow but steady progress in strengthening institutions and building a corps of professional judges, lawyers, prosecutors and police. Yet it is on the basis of these incremental, often politically contested, institutional changes that the rule of law is built.


Since the pioneering work of Taylor, the analysis of flow regimes of incompressible, viscous fluids contained in circular Couette systems with independently rotating cylinders have charmed many researchers. The characteristics of such kind of flows have been considered for some industrial applications. Recently, Taylor-Couette flows found an innovative application in the production of optical fiber nanotips, to be used in molecular biology and medical diagnostic fields. Starting from the activity of Barucci et al., the present work concerns the numerical analysis of a Taylor-Couette system composed by two coaxial counter-rotating cylinders with low aspect ratio and radius ratio, filled with three stratified fluids. An accurate analysis of the flow regimes is performed, considering both the variation of inner and outer rotational speed and the reduction of fiber radius due to etching process. The large variety of individuated flow configurations provides useful information about the possible use of the Taylor-Couette system in a wide range of engineering applications. For the present case, the final objective is to provide accurate information to manufacturers of fiber nanotips about the expected flow regimes, thus helping them in the setup of the control process that will be used to generate high-quality products.


An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM to cardiolipin, lecithin, and cholesterol (VDRL [Venereal Disease Research Laboratory] ELISA) is described. The specificity of the VDRL ELISA for IgG and IgM was 99.6 and 99.5%, respectively, with sera from 1,008 persons without syphilis. For a group of patients with false-positive results in traditional nontreponemal tests and for patients with autoimmune diseases, the VDRL ELISA for IgG had a higher specificity than the VDRL ELISA for IgM. The sensitivity for IgG and IgM with 118 sera from patients with untreated syphilis was 96.6 and 94.9%, respectively, which was equivalent to the sensitivities of the traditional nontreponemal tests. The performance of the VDRL ELISA was compared with that of an ELISA that uses cardiolipin as the antigen (cardiolipin ELISA). The VDRL ELISA was significantly more sensitive (P less than or equal to 0.01) than the cardiolipin ELISA with 25 sera from syphilis patients but was less sensitive (P less than or equal to 0.01) with 53 sera from patients with autoimmune diseases. The antibody reactivity in the VDRL ELISA could not be absorbed out by lecithin and cholesterol, and the sera from patients with syphilis did not react in an ELISA that uses cholesterol and lecithin as the antigen. This indicates that cholesterol and lecithin, although not antigenic by themselves, may change the structural form of the epitope on cardiolipin so that it becomes more recognizable for antibodies in syphilis and less recognizable for antibodies in autoimmune diseases. The results of the VDRL ELISA were expressed in percentages of the absorbance value of a positive control. The VDRL ELISA gave, without titration of sera, quantitative results that correlated with the quantitative results of the traditional nontreponemal tests obtained by titration. The VDRL ELISA will be well suited for large-scale testing for syphilis and may replace other nontreponemal tests.


Integration of rigid components in soft polymer matrix is considered as the most feasible architecture to enable stretchable electronics. However, a method of suppressing cracks at the interface between soft and rigid materials due to excessive and repetitive deformations of various types remains a formidable challenge. Here, we geometrically engineered Ferris wheel–shaped islands (FWIs) capable of effectively suppressing crack propagation at the interface under various deformation modes (stretching, twisting, poking, and crumpling). The optimized FWIs have notable increased strain at failure and fatigue life compared with conventional circle- and square-shaped islands. Stretchable electronics composed of various rigid components (LED and coin cell) were demonstrated using intrinsically stretchable printed electrodes. Furthermore, electronic skin capable of differentiating various tactile stimuli without interference was demonstrated. Our method enables stretchable electronics that can be used under various geometrical forms with notable enhanced durability, enabling stretchable electronics to withstand potentially harsh conditions of everyday usage.


Chordomas are rare tumors arising from the axial skeleton. The disease is characterized by slow local growth, frequent local recurrences, and rare systemic spread. Surgery and local radiation remains the mainstay of treatment with minimal role of systemic therapy. Imatinib has been shown to be active in a phase II trial with symptomatic and radiological responses. We report a case where treatment with erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, induced symptomatic and radiological response in a patient with disease refractory to imatinib and vascular disrupting agent.


Electrospinning has been widely used to produce ultrafine fibers in microscale and nanoscale; however, traditional electrospinning processes are currently beset by troublesome limitations in fabrication of 3D periodic porous structures because of the chaotic nature of the electrospinning jet. Here we report a novel strategy to print 3D poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) ultrafine fibrous scaffolds with the fiber diameter of approximately 2 μm by combining a stable jet electrospinning method and an X-Y stage technique. Our approach allows linearly deposited electrospun ultrafine fibers to assemble into 3D structures with tunable pore sizes and desired patterns. Process conditions (e.g., plotting speed, feeding rate, and collecting distance) were investigated in order to achieve stable jet printing of ultrafine PLLA fibers. The proposed 3D scaffold was successfully used for cell penetration and growth, demonstrating great potential for tissue engineering applications.


The first-order shear deformation theory is presented for a circular piezoelectric composite plate consisting of a laminated elastic core and piezoelectric layers bonded to it, subjected to axisymmetric static thermoelectromechanical load. All the layers are considered to be polar orthotropic. The variation of potential across the actuating layer is a priori approximated as linear. The direct piezoelectric effect is neglected. Closed form solutions of the governing equations are presented for some cases of material symmetries and lamination schemes. The effect of the out-of-plane and in-plane boundary conditions on the response of piezoelectric composite plates under specific electromechanical loads is illustrated for some lamination schemes.


Mobile IPv4 specifies mechanisms that need assistance from a AAA
server and a AAA infrastructure. Examples of such mechanisms are those
providing key management and authentication services during a
registration process of the mobile node with MN-AAA authentication
extension. Although Diameter Mobile IP application is being specified
to support the needs of Mobile IPv4 from the point of view of the AAA
infrastructure, such support does not exist within RADIUS framework.
This document defines the RADIUS attributes that provide support for
Mobile IPv4 operation.


Recent studies have demonstrated a pronounced influence by the autonomic nervous system on immune-mediated experimental hepatitis in the mouse. Adrenergic sympathetic neurons alleviate while capsaicin-sensitive peptidergic primary afferent neurons aggravate liver injury. This was evidenced by recording morphological and functional parameters upon chemical sympathectomy and application of beta-adrenergic agonists, and capsaicin depletion of afferents, neurokinin receptor antagonists, and application of exogenous substance P, respectively. These phenomena are most likely based on close anatomical relationships between nerve fibers and various immune cells in the liver. Modulation of autonomic nervous system functions may open novel therapeutic strategies in immune and inflammatory liver diseases.


Tensorial maps of misfit dislocations at the strained GaAs-ZnTe-CdTe interfacial zone are reconstructed by use of digital processing of high-resolution transmission electron micrographs. Large distortions of the crystal lattice around Lomer dislocations are measured using the geometric phase technique. The integration of the dislocation distribution tensor field over a dislocation core region gives the in-plane components of their Burgers vectors. The accuracy of the method for the dislocation map reconstruction is tested by comparing the theoretical values of the so-called true Burgers vectors with those obtained from the integration of tensorial maps.


An experiment of two-stages four degrees high-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensation in 40 Gb/s optical communication system with a large PMD is reported. The former stage adopts polarization controller and fixed time-delayed line of polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF). The second stage consists of a polarization rotator and a tunable differential group delay (DGD) line that is based on magneto optical crystal. The second stage is used to compensate remnant first-order PMD. The PMD monitoring technique adopted degree of polarization (DOP) as error signal. A novel practical adaptive optimization algorithm was introduced in dynamic adaptive PMD compensation. Some experimental results show that large PMD is compensated by this compensator in a 40 Gbits/s non-return-to-zero (NRZ) OTDM transmission systems. A significant improvement of system performance can be achieved in the eye pattern of a received signal. Most first-order compensating ability of the compensator is 35 ps. Second-order compensating ability of the compensator is 200 ps2 . The optimum compensating time is within several milliseconds


The topic of the destruction of libraries during World War II has been well publicized. However, the American Library Association's assistance with postwar cultural rehabilitation of Eastern European libraries remains relatively unknown. The paper examines the "Aid to Libraries in War Areas" program, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and administered by the ALA, with respect to Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia (Soviet Union), and Yugoslavia. The program consisted of two parts: the first, which ran from 1941 to 1947, dealt with periodicals; the other, in operation from 1944 to 1947, focused on books. Its goal was to replenish, though on a limited scale, devastated collections with American publications unavailable to most European and Asian libraries during Axis occupation.


The human DEAD-box Y (DBY) RNA helicase (aka DDX3Y) gene is thought to be the major azoospermia factor a (AZFa) gene in proximal Yq11. Although it is transcribed in many tissues, the protein is expressed only in spermatogonia. In this study, we demonstrate that this translational control mechanism is probably germ cell-specific because of its association with expression of a distinct class of DDX3Y testis transcripts present only in pre- and post-meiotic male germ cells. They are initiated from a second distal DDX3Y promoter domain at two distinct start sites in the gene's 5' untranslated region (UTR) exon-T sequence. With the aid of an EGFP-3xFLAG reporter cassette cloned downstream of DDX3Y minigenes containing exons 1-4 and two different exon-T extensions, we discovered that DDX3Y translation is influenced by the presence of several ATG triplets located in exon-T, thus upstream of the main translational ATG start codon in exon 1. Strong translational repression of the DDX3Y minigene transcripts was observed when they contained the longest exon-T sequence with five upstream ATG triplets (uATGs). The potential formation of complex distinct stem-loop structures serve here as additional repressor element. Only minor translational attenuation was seen for the DDX3Y minigene transcripts when containing the shortest exon-T sequence, that is, starting at first transcriptional start site (coined 'T-TSS-I'). It was completely released after its single uATG was abolished by mutation. As we found DDX3Y transcripts with the longest exon-T sequence predominantly in spermatids, our results suggest that the amount of DDX3Y protein in pre-meiotic germ cells and its absence in post-meiotic germ cells are tightly controlled by the different extensions of exon-T in this germ cell-specific DDX3Y transcript class.


Purpose. The quality of information obtained from investigative interviews largely relies on the quality of communication between the interviewee and interviewer. One aspect of the communication process that has yet to be well examined is the environment in which the interviews take place. The present study examined the influence of physical spaciousness, manipulated as room size and interpersonal sitting distance between interviewer and interviewee on the disclosure of crime-related information, as well as perceptions of rapport and overall interview experience. Methods. Participants engaged in a virtual reality scenario depicting a crime and were interviewed as suspects in either a larger or smaller room, at a closer or larger distance. Results. Results showed no links between room size and sitting distance on disclosure rates. However, an exploratory analysis did reveal that participants interviewed in the larger room reported more positive interview experience in terms of spaciousness, and consequently higher perceptions of rapport, compared to those interviewed in the small room. Conclusions. We found evidence against an influence of room size and interpersonal distance on disclosure. Still, our study does provide initial evidence that manipulating room size in an interview context could positively impact rapport-building.


A new canonical coding method for representation of three-dimensional structures, CAST (CAnonical representation of STereochemistry), is described. CAST canonically codes stereochemistry around an atom in a molecule. The same CAST notations are given for atoms of molecules in the same conformation. The CAST code is based on the dihedral angles of four atoms that are uniquely defined by a molecular tree structure. CAST has successfully represented similarities and differences between several conformers.


In view of the inherent limitations associated with performing dynamic contrast enhanced‐magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) in clinical settings, current study was designed to provide a proof of principle that Doppler sonography and DCE‐MRI derived perfusion parameters yield similar hemodynamic information from metastatic lymph nodes in squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck (HNSCCs). Strong positive correlations between volume fraction of plasma space in tissues (Vp) and blood volume (r = 0.72, p = 0.02) and between Vp and %area perfused (r = 0.65, p = 0.04) were observed. Additionally, a moderate positive correlation trending towards significance was obtained between volume transfer constant (Ktrans) and %area perfused (r = 0.49, p = 0.09).


This focus note presents the evidence gained from a comprehensive study of the experiences in developing and implementing e-payment schemes linked to financial inclusion in four lower-income countries, Haiti, Kenya, the Philippines, and Uganda. The research aimed to uncover: (i) the development and evolution of the program; (ii) the current delivery and payment process(es); (iii) the costs and benefits to programs and providers of using e-payments; and (iv) the experiences of e-payment recipients and staff at the field level.


Hormone replacement therapy is frequently prescribed in 40-year old women because of the hormonal changes which start to occur at this age. A progestogen-only treatment is often prescribed to restore the oestrogen/progestogen balance. This treatment alone can be sufficient on the therapeutic level as well as on the contraceptive level. However, in order to minimize the risks of such a treatment, a non-androgenic derivative must be chosen. There are no contra-indications for oral contraceptives in women who are over 40 years old on condition that the risk factors are not cumulated. Here also, it is advisable to use the lowest possible dose of steroids which has an adequate contraceptive action and enables a good cycle control. As for oestrogens, the minimum ethinyloestradiol dose must be sought. For the progesterone dose, a non-androgenic derivative should be chosen. The GnRH agonists may have some indications, but their exact place is yet to be defined.


Objective: To verify the association between sarcopenia and osteopenia/osteoporosis in the older population from Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 598 older adults. The bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated by total BMD, lumbar spine BMD (LS-BMD), femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD), and osteopenia/osteoporosis was defined when BMD (g/cm2) <–1 standard deviation of the sample mean. Sarcopenia was identified by the appendicular muscle mass index (AMMI), by sex, when AMMI <7.26 kg/m2 for men and <5.5 kg/m2 for women. Results: Of the 598 subjects (63–93 years) in the sample, 65.4% were women. The proportion of altered BMD was 52.1% for total BMD, 62.5% for LS-BMD, and 70.9% for FN-BMD in women, while for men, altered BMD proportion was 29.3% for total BMD, 24.5% for LS-BMD, and 64.9% for FN-BMD. After adjustments, sarcopenia was associated with increased odds of altered LS-BMD (OR: 12.25; 95% CI: 3.66–40.96 and OR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.30–6.48) and FN-BMD (OR: 5.59; 95% CI: 1.64–19.05 and OR: 7.95; 95% CI: 3.23–19.57), respectively for women and men. The association between sarcopenia and altered total BMD (OR: 11.08; 95% CI: 3.84–31.97) was observed only in women. Conclusion: The proportion of osteopenia/osteoporosis was higher in women. Sarcopenia was associated with osteopenia/osteoporosis in the population from Florianópolis, except for total BMD in men.


Background It is becoming clear that platelets play a more significant role in the immune system than previously recognized1-3. Furthermore they are known to play a role in the induction of inflammation but the mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear. Both CLEC-2, which is highly expressed by platelets, and its ligand PDPN (gp38) are found in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)4. However little is known about the role of CLEC-2-PDPN axis in synovial inflammation. Objectives To determine whether platelet-derived CLEC-2 induces synovial inflammation by triggering PDPN-expressing fibroblasts to adopt a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Methods Using flow cytometry we analyzed the PDPN expression in biopsies from RA patients as well as in mouse joints using the TNFΔare/+ and the anti-collagen antibodies induced arthritis (CAIA) models. We also induced arthritis in tamoxifen-induced CLEC-2 deficient mice to monitor the disease onset and resolution. After resolution, bones erosion and remodelling was assessed by micro-CT. We generated mouse PDPNPos. and PDPNNeg. synovial fibroblasts (SF) that we co-cultured with wild-type or CLEC-2 deficient platelets. After incubation pro- and anti-inflammatory makers were measured at the mRNA (qPCR) and the protein (Luminex) levels. Results In human and mouse synovium, high levels of PDPN expression are found on SF as well as on a subset of haematopoietic cells. PDPN expression on mouse SF and myeloid cells is dynamic and depends on the level of inflammation. In vivo studies in which CLEC-2 is selectively deleted in platelets show that arthritis is more severe in absence of platelet-derived CLEC-2 suggesting that platelet-derived CLEC-2 plays a protective role in physiological conditions. However, in vitro co-culture data indicate that platelet-derived CLEC-2 induce SF to adopt a pro-inflammatory phenotype. This discrepancy between our in vitro and in vivo data might be explained by the fact that platelet-derived CLEC-2 induces myeloid cells to adopt an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Conclusions Our observations suggest that CLEC-2-PDPN interactions play a dual role in arthritis depending on whether they occur between platelets and fibroblasts or platelets and macrophages. References Benezech C, et al. CLEC-2 is required for development and maintenance of lymph nodes. Blood. 2014;123:3200-3207. Acton SE, et al. Dendritic cells control fibroblastic reticular network tension and lymph node. Nature. 2014;514:498-502 LID - 410.1038/nature13814 [doi]. Astarita JL, et al. The CLEC-2-podoplanin axis controls the contractility of fibroblastic reticular cells and lymph node microarchitecture. Nat Immunol. 2014:doi: 10.1038/ni.3035. Del Rey MJ, et al. Clinicopathological correlations of podoplanin (gp38) expression in rheumatoid synovium and its potential contribution to fibroblast platelet crosstalk. PLoS One. 2014;9:e99607. Disclosure of Interest None declared


We demonstrate the potential of using freely available satellite data from the Landsat ETM+ sensor for generating carbon balance estimates for lowland peatlands. We used a lowland ombrotrophic peatland in the UK as our test site representing a range of peatland conditions. A literature survey was undertaken to identify the simplest classification schema that could be used to distinguish ecohydrological classes for carbon sequestration on the peatland surface. These were defined as: active raised bog, Eriophorum‐dominated bog, milled unvegetated peat and drained or degraded bog, with bracken and Carr woodland to define the bog edges. A maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) was used to map the spatial distribution of the six classes on the peatland surface. A Landsat ETM+ band‐5 derived brightness‐texture layer created using geostatistical methods greatly improved classification accuracies. The results showed the best accuracy of the MLC, when compared to finer scale methods, with Landsat ETM+ bands alone was 74%, which increased to 93% when including the brightness‐texture layer. An estimate of carbon sequestration status of the site was performed that showed good agreement with the results of a finer‐scale‐based estimate. The coarse‐scale map estimating −12 000 kg carbon and fine scale map estimating +23 000 kg carbon per annum. We conclude that with further development of our tool, if textural measures are used alongside optical data in MLC, it is possible to achieve good quality estimates of carbon balance status for peatland landscapes. This represents a potentially powerful operational toolkit for land managers and policy makers who require spatially distributed information on carbon storage and release for carbon pricing and effective land management. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have become a common piece of equipment in classrooms all over the world. In many cases, teachers continue to use them in teacher-centered lessons. We will present examples of how learners can use the interactive whiteboard to investigate new physics and communicate their ideas to each other in the process of scientific inquiry. The IWB's kinesthetic and graphical potential both play an important role in these instructional activities.


A disposable backscatter instrument is described for optical detection of cloud in the atmosphere from a balloon-carried platform. It uses an ultra-bright light emitting diode (LED) illumination source with a photodiode detector. Scattering of the LED light by cloud droplets generates a small optical signal which is separated from background light fluctuations using a lock-in technique. The signal to noise obtained permits cloud detection using the scattered LED light, even in daytime. The response is interpreted in terms of the equivalent visual range within the cloud. The device is lightweight (150 g) and low power (~30 mA), for use alongside a conventional meteorological radiosonde.


Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for depression, but little is known about anxiety and other psychiatric disorders and quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety in diabetic patients in our locality and to assess the quality of life in type 2 DM. Subjects & Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study and was carried out in outpatient clinics of specialized medical hospital, Mansoura university for a period of one year. From 217 diabetes mellitus subjects, only 202 patients were matched with 247 healthy people as a control group. All subjects were examined by using socioeconomic data, clinical data, and anthropometric examinations to assess body mass index and waist circumference. All patients were interviewed by using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) version 5, MINI, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scales. Laboratory investigation in the form of fasting and twohour postprandial blood sugar (FBS & 2hpp) and HbA1C levels were done. Results: 18.3% were found to be major depressive disorder; and 2.5% panic disorder, 1% other phobia. Generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder were found in one patient, no patients were found to be diagnosed as Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or substance abuse. Although there was no statistically significant difference between subjects and control groups regarding height, there was statistically significant difference between weights, BMI, with more scores among DM group. Moreover our study showed that HbA1c, fasting blood sugar, two hours post prandial blood sugar were more among DM patients and control groups. Anxiety, depression, and poorer quality of life were found to be more prevalent among DM patients than control groups. Conclusion: DM is associated with depression anxiety disorder with poorer quality of life.


Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) protein activities require carboxylated Glus (Glas) generated by the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase. Some carboxylase mutations cause severe bleeding, while others cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE)-like associated with excessive calcification. How carboxylase mutations cause PXE-like was unknown. We analyzed two mutants (V255M and S300F) whose compound heterozygosity causes PXE-like. Substrates derived from VKD proteins important to calcification (MGP) or clotting (factor IX) were studied, which contained the Gla domain and exosite-binding domain that mediates carboxylase binding. Surprisingly, the V255M mutant was more active (4-5 fold) than wild type carboxylase, while S300F activity was low. The V255M results suggested faster substrate release, which could impact carboxylase processivity, where the carboxylase remains bound to VKD proteins throughout multiple Glu to Gla conversions. To assess mutant processivity, we performed a novel challenge assay in which MGP-carboxylase and factor IX-carboxylase complexes were reacted in the presence of excess challenge VKD peptide. Tight complexes between VKD proteins and wild type carboxylase excluded access of the challenge peptide during the carboxylation of VKD protein in the complex. In contrast, VKD protein complexes with V255M or S300F allowed promiscuous access of challenge peptide. Both mutants therefore impair processivity. Most of the V255M product was carboxylated challenge peptide, which could explain mild PXE-like observed in the proband's mother and aunt. Both have wild type and V255M carboxylase alleles; however, higher V255M production of a potentially defective MGP product could account for their phenotype. The results are an important advance in understanding why carboxylase mutations cause the PXE-like disease.


Latest recommendations have made provisions to improve structure resistance to progressive collapse in the event of interior support collapse. This paper defines a mitigating scheme to repel progressive collapse in reinforced concrete beams due to damaged interior supporting member by providing a new path to transfer the loads to other supporting members. The mitigating scheme suggests the use of unbounded unstressed externally installed fibre reinforced plastic cables with straight profile and three deviators. An open source finite element package for structural analysis (ZEUS-NL) using the fibre element approach is adopted to numerically model the mitigated beam. The proposed numerical model evaluates the progressive collapse of such beams using a push-down analysis to simulate column removal. It assumes that the anchorage and deviator locations of the external cables act as rigid arms that connect the external cables to the beam. The numerical results demonstrate that the defined mitigating scheme increases the beam resistance to progressive collapse due to interior column failure.


Space exploration is usual task in multi-robot coordination. There are several methods that are applied to this issue. Possible solution by application of a modified particle swarm optimization technique for purpose of searching/exploring terrain is discussed. We propose fitness function for this purpose and modification of a basic principle which controls movements of the particles.


Aim: This study aims were to find type of work stressors, used coping strategies, and resilience factors and relationship between stressors and coping strategies as mediating factors and resilience as outcome among Palestinian nurses working in Gaza Strip. Method: This study builds on existing evidence by considering exposure to work-related stressors, as well as on factors associated with later coping and resilience. The sample consisted of 275 randomly selected nurses from representative health services in Gaza, who completed the Nurse Stress Scale, The Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and Brief-COPE. Results: The most commonly reported job stressors were attending death of a patient, physician not being present when a patient dies, criticism by a supervisor, and fear of making a mistake while treating their patients. The mean score of nurses work stressors was 88.7. Nurses commonly used religious coping such as feeling comfort in religious beliefs, thinking what next steps they have to take, having strategy about what to do about situation what to do, and learn to live with situation as coping strategies with stress. While, use drugs to feel better and to get through was the least commonly used coping strategies. Nurses said that overcome the stressors and had resilience by believing that things happen for a reason, God is helping, and they were pride of their achievements. The results showed that fear of making a mistake in treating a patient was negatively predicting total coping strategies. While stressor such as a physician ordering what appears to be inappropriate treatment for a patient was positively predicted coping strategies. The results indicated that stressor such as physician not being present when a patient dies and too many non-nursing tasks required, such as clerical work was predicting resilience negatively. While stressors such as criticism by a physician and having not enough time to complete all of their nursing tasks were positively predicted resilience among nurse. Conclusions and recommendations: The results of this study highlight the need to empower the role of the nurse educators, managers and administrators to find ways to make nursing workplace more pleasant and less stressful, especially to the nurses in their initial years of work. The findings of the study will assist human resource managers of the current study setting to determine coping strategies that might help in reducing amount of stress experienced by nurses in their day to day challenging and demanding nursing roles.


Abstract The problem of detection of an increase in runoff due to precipitation management is considered. Classical methods of detection are reviewed and their shortcomings are discussed. The concept of grouping of observations is introduced. The paper answers two fundamental questions: Given a region consisting of B basins in which changes are suspected and given that (economic, or financial, or other) constraints limit to b the number of basins where measurements can be obtained, which basins should he selected? How should the measurements in individual basins be combined? The answers are obtained by a constrained optimization procedure. When applied to the Colorado River Basin Pilot Project area the power of the test, expressed in years needed for detection, is increased by a factor of 2.


Abstract. The adage: "There is no such thing as a free lunch", is relevant to land-use hydrology in Australia. Changes in land use to achieve greater productivity of food and fibre may have an adverse effect on the water balance and hence on the natural resource capital of a catchment. An altered regime of catchment outflow accompanies those land-use changes which, together with land degradation, impairs available water resources in quantity and quality and threatens enterprise sustainability, notwithstanding the initial improvement in productivity. Central to any hydrological change is an altered pattern of seasonal and annual water use by vegetation that has become modified in function with an amended transpiration fraction of daily evapotranspiration. In Australia, since measurement of evapotranspiration became feasible, the hydrological consequences of changes in land use have been determined, allowing the benefits in terms of plant productivity achieved through enhanced water use efficiency to be weighed against changed catchment outflows, diminished in either quantity or quality. Four case studies are presented as examples of ecological and hydrological changes: two deal with the upland forest environment and two with arable lowlands. In an upland eucalypt forest, following wildfire with subsequent regeneration from natural seedling establishment, substantial reduction in water yield occurred throughout a 50-year period of succession in the even-aged stand. In comparison, the effect of converting eucalypt forest to pine plantations was less detrimental to the yield of water from the catchments, with substantial growth increases over 30 years. In the lowlands, agricultural productivity, both as annual pasture and as crop, far exceeds that of natural perennial grassland and woodland. This increase in productivity comes not so much from any change to the yield of total water outflow but at the expense of water quality, compromised with increased material transport in suspension and solution resulting from accelerated erosion in association with outbreaks of soil salinity and acidity. The present study is aimed at optimising management to give plant production outcomes that ensure environmental protection through resource conservation. In the uplands, harvesting of water is the dominant consideration so that conservative management with limited plant productivity is sought. In the lowlands, the objective is to devise novel ecosystems with profitable plant production that exercises due control on outflow in maintaining the chemical and physical integrity of the edaphic environment.


Detailed marine geophysical surveys of the inner California continental borderland west of northern Baja California show that the region is underlain by two major, northwest-trending, Quaternary, dextral wrench fault systems. The San Clemente fault system lies along the western part of the inner borderland and is delineated by the San Clemente and San Isidro fault zones. Together, these fault zones connect to form a long (300 km), narrow (5-10 km), continuous zone of faulting that is very similar to the larger San Andreas fault system onshore. The Agua Blanca fault system is a complex zone of shear delineated by three or more subparallel wrench fault zones in the eastern part of the inner borderland. The westernmost San Diego Trough-Bahia Soledad fault zone consists of relatively long (50 km), continuous, main fault traces which cut the Quaternary sediments of the nearshore basin trough. The Coronado Bank-Agua Blanca fault zone is more complicated, with numerous discontinuous, subparallel, right- and left-stepping, anastomosing fault traces which are associated with significant structural relief. A nearshore zone of faults, marked by the Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone in the north and the Estero-Descanso fault zone in the south, parallels the coast and defines the eastern boundary ofmore » the California continental borderland structural province. All of these eastern fault zones merge into the transpeninsular Agua Blanca fault, and their N30/sup 0/W trend differs substantially from the trend of the major peninsular ranges fault zones.« less


Objective: To assess the adherence to antivirals in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infected patients and to determine various social and demographic factors which can have an impact on it.
Study Design: Cross- sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Gastroenterology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Jan to Mar 2019.
Methodology: Patients on oral anti-viral agents for hepatitis B virus infection were enrolled from outdoor clinics using consecutive sampling technique. Medication adherence was assessed using the 4-item Modified Morisky Score Questionnaire. Data was also collected about different variables that could potentially affect compliance, such as age, gender, education, residence, total number of pills prescribed for each day, travelling time to hospital, attendant's company, adverse effects of treatment, presence of co-morbid conditions, patients' knowledge regarding importance of adherence and whether they followed any particular routine in taking medicines.
Results: There were 127 patients having mean age of 47.80 ± 14.54 years. Out of these, 20 (15.75%) were not adherent to treatment. Patients not following a fixed drug-dosing schedule, patients not aware of the significance of good drug compliance and residents of urban areas were more likely to have lesser compliance to treatment.
Conclusion: Majority of our patients were compliant to treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection. This was more likely to be the case amongst those following a fixed drug-dosing schedule, having an awareness of significance of adherence to medication and residents of rural areas.


BACKGROUND
Periodontal wound healing has been accelerated by different low-level laser therapy (LLLT) protocols. However, just a few studies have evaluated use of this therapy adjunctive to periodontal plastic surgery procedures. The present study shows 2-year results of a connective tissue graft (CTG) associated with LLLT in the treatment of gingival recession (GR) defects.

METHODS
Forty patients presenting Miller Class I and II GRs were previously treated by CTG (control group; n = 20) or CTG + LLLT (test group; n = 20). A diode laser (aluminum-gallium-arsenide, 660 nm) was applied to test sites immediately after surgery and every other day for 14 days (total of eight applications). After a follow-up of 2 years, clinical and esthetic evaluations were performed in 36 patients.

RESULTS
Mean percentage of root coverage was 93.43% for the test group and 92.32% for the control group (P = 0.55). Complete root coverage was 79% (n = 15) for the test group and 76% (n = 13) for the control group (n = 13) (P = 0.80). Both groups showed esthetics maintenance after 2 years.

CONCLUSION
Within the limitations of this study, results indicate that LLLT showed no additional benefit in the long term when associated with a CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I and II GRs.


We demonstrate a simple route to fabricate hierarchical structures by combining the electrospinning technique and the wetting of porous templates. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibers are first prepared by electrospinning and are collected on a glass substrate. The PMMA fibers are then brought into contact with an anodic aluminum oxide template. Upon thermal annealing above the glass transition temperature of PMMA, wetting of the polymer chains into the nanopores occurs. After the removal of the AAO template, ordered arrays of nanorods on polymer fibers are obtained. This approach is also applied to polystyrene (PS), and similar structures are obtained. This work provides a promising approach to fabricate hierarchical polymer structures with sizes that can be controlled over the nanoscopic and microscopic length scales.


Introduction. Critical limb ischaemia (CLI) is an advanced phase of chronic lower extremity ischaemia linked to increased mortality, decreased quality of life, and the risk of leg amputation. The aim of this study was to determine factors affecting the risk of leg amputation among patients with CLI treated endovascularly as a first approach. Material and methods. Of 118 patients treated endovascularly, 32 (27%) had a leg amputated. Their clinical data were analysed retrospectively. Results. Patients who had a leg amputated initially had a higher Rutherford class, were older, and had a greater prevalence of comorbidities. In multivariate analysis, amputation-free survival was shortened by a history of dyslipidaemia, female gender, blood creatinine concentration, the need for target lesion revascularization, smoking habit, Rutherford class, and leukocyte blood count. Whereas, the factors which decreased the risk of leg amputation were: use of statins, the number of previous interventions, and blood LDL cholesterol concentration. Angiographic classification of lesion severity did not affect endovascular procedure outcome. Conclusions. The risk of major amputation following endovascular treatment in patients with CLI was associated with a number of characteristics, mainly: atherosclerosis risk factors and necrosis advancement, and the number of reinterventions. To avoid endangering patients and the unnecessary utilization of resources, it would seem to be worth performing large studies to determine a risk stratification scoring system for patients with CLI, which could enable the qualification of risk-adjusted patients for endovascular or surgical revascularization or for primary leg amputation.


The problem of relapse is the biggest event and the main cause of the most failures during treatment process of drug-dependent patients which can cause the number of patients increase in the community. So planning and efforts to reduce this problem should be considered as a part of addiction prevention programs in the community. These Interventions are focused in the field of third prevention and can effect patients' improvement positively and reduce pathologies caused by the disease. On the other hand, in our country, especially in recent years, despite the expansion of treatment programs and efforts to reduce the number of people with addictions, this disorder and bad news related to complications and damage caused by it is continued to increasing. Experts mentioned the frequency of relapse as a main reason of the failure in treatment and harm reduction programs. These points show the necessity of addressing the issue of relapse across addiction treatment and drug problem controlling process in the country. In this paper we consider this issue and according to the previous literature in the relapse prevention field, especially on the base of the Marlatt's cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention model, we propose a program to prevent the relapse in addicted patients undergoing drug treatment.


Angular distortion is a major problem and most pronounced among different types of distortion in the butt welded plates. This angular distortion is mainly caused by the non-uniform extension and contraction through thickness direction due to the temperature gradient. Restriction of this distortion by restraints may lead to higher residual stresses. However, if the magnitude of the angular distortion is predictable, these can be reduced by providing initial angular distortion in the negative direction. It is difficult to obtain a complete analytical solution to predict angular distortion that may be reliable over a wide range of processes, materials, and process control parameters. Presently, several analytical methods and empirical formulas have been developed to give quantitative information. In this study, the statistical method of three factors, two level full factorial designs has been used to develop mathematical model to correlate angular distortion in metal inert gas. The distortion is found to be significantly influenced by no of passes, time gap between successive passes and joint gap. Direct and interaction effects of the process parameters are also analyzed and presented in the graphical form.


We demonstrate that the insertion of a graphene tunnel barrier between Heusler alloy Co2MnSi and the germanium (Ge) channel modulates the Schottky barrier height and the resistance–area product of the spin diode. We confirm that the Fermi level is depinned and a reduction in the electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) occurs following the insertion of the graphene layer between Co2MnSi and Ge. The electron SBH is modulated in the 0.34 eV–0.61 eV range. Furthermore, the transport mechanism changes from rectifying to symmetric tunneling following the insertion. This behavior provides a pathway for highly efficient spin injection from a Heusler alloy into a Ge channel with high electron and hole mobility.