A great amount of research in the past decades was ori-ented towards finding effective ways to enhance cognitive functioning and mobility in older adults. Physical exercise and cognitive training have shown great benefits for cognitive functioning, gait and posture in the older adults pop-ulation. More recently researchers have investigated the potential synergetic effect of more than one approach for preventing cognitive decline. This talk will present recent findings from cognitive training and exercise intervention on cognitive and gait outcomes. Results from a combined intervention trial will also be presented and discussed in the context of expected synergetic effect of exercise and cognitive intervention to improve gait in older adults.


This collection of fifteen essays by eminent economist Deepak Nayyar provides an unusual blend of theory and policy, of applied research and empirical work, and of the world economy and India. The volume begins with the limited domain of trade theory and ends with the wide canvas of globalization. This paperback edition includes a new Preface that focuses on developments since 2008 when the book was first published. The essays are grouped into four thematic clusters: economic theory, world trade, the Indian experience, and globalization and development. The first sets of essays consider issues that have been largely neglected in mainstream economics: free trade doctrine, trade in services, and international labour movements. The second part on world trade examines the much debated issues of transnational corporations, East-South trade, regional trade blocs, and the multilateral trading system. The third part highlights the nature of changes in India's engagement with the world economy over six decades. The fourth part explores different aspects of globalization in the wider context of the world economy: historical experience, national development, international migration, and global governance.


This research was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) one factor, namely red dragon fruit peel with concentrations of 15%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 95%, respectively. The positive control is amoxicillin and the negative control is sterile aquadest. The study began on August 12, 2019, until November 14, 2019, at the Laboratory of the TLM Health Polytechnic of Ministry of Health East Kalimantan. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed the inhibitory concentration of Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria with the highest inhibition zone diameter was on the decoction of red dragon fruit peel with a concentration of 95%, which is 16 mm (moderate inhibitory power). While the minimum inhibitory concentration is produced by a decoction of red dragon fruit peel with a concentration of 25% with a diameter of 9 mm.


The composition and monatomic spectral line intensities are calculated for several thermal disequilibriums in a plasma composed of water, cupric sulphate and argon. The monatomic excitation temperatures are determined experimentally from three chosen spectral lines of copper (510, 515 and 521 nm) in an ICP torch. By comparing the intensity of the argon spectral lines with that of the copper spectral lines, we evaluate the thermal disequilibrium for various excitation temperatures depending on the power input to the plasma.


Many recent studies have argued that the self is a modern invention, a concept developed in the last three centuries. Religion and the Self in Antiquity challenges that idea by presenting a series of studies that explore the origins, formation, and limits of the self within the religions of the ancient Mediterranean world. Drawing on recent work on the body, gender, sexuality, the anthropology of the senses, and power, contributors make a strong case that the history of the self does indeed begin in antiquity, developing as Western religion itself developed. David Brakke is Professor of Religious Studies and Adjunct Professor of History at Indiana University. He is the author of Athanasius and Asceticism and co-editor of Reading in Christian Communities: Essays on Interpretation in the Early Church. He serves as co-editor of the Journal of Early Christian Studies. Michael Satlow is an Associate Professor in the Program in Judaic Studies and the Department of Religious Studies at Brown University, and specializes in the study of early Judaism. He has written extensively on issues of Jewish marriage and sexuality in antiquity, the Dead Sea scrolls, and Jewish history and theology. Steven Weitzman is the Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies and Director of the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University. He is the author of Song and Story in Biblical Narrative, Surviving Sacrilege: Cultural Persistence in Jewish Antiquity (forthcoming from Harvard University Press in 2005), and has written articles published in the Journal of Religion, the Journal of the American Oriental Society, the Harvard Theological Review, and the Journal of Biblical Literature. He is also Associate Director of the Tel Beth Shemesh excavations.


This study examined the main and interactive effects of MDD and lifetime nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) on current suicide risk and past suicide attempts. We predicted that individuals with a history of NSSI and current MDD would be at greater suicide risk than those with either risk factor alone. An interaction between lifetime MDD and NSSI was hypothesized for past suicide attempts. 204 substance dependent inpatients completed self-report measures and a diagnostic interview. Patients with both a history of NSSI and current MDD, relative to all other groups, had the greatest suicide risk. No support was found for the lifetime MDD by NSSI interaction. Conclusion: Findings suggest the relevance of both NSSI and MDD in suicide risk.


The number of publications has been a fundamental merit in the competition for academic positions since the late 18th century. Today, the simple counting of publications has been supplemented with ...


> What's the right bedtime for my child?
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> How do we cut down on junk food at home?
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> How do I decrease my child's "screen time"?
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> When my child has an "episode", should I give a "time out"?

Today, parents can access a myriad of online resources for advice on strategies to support their child's health and development. A large proportion of families present annually to their doctor with concerns that require counselling around parenting behaviours, including management of obesity, sleep hygiene, screen time practices, reading and literacy at home, and behaviour management. Indeed, for many of these behaviours, there exist evidence-based recommendations or consensus guidelines that paediatricians can use to advise their patients' parents. However, it is important to consider how comfortable paediatricians are in providing this advice, and furthermore, how effective they are in helping families to change their parenting behaviours.

Modification of these behaviours is known to impact long-term health outcomes. Households with excessive screen time exposure are associated with increased risk of speech delay, obesity and sleep problems.1–3 Likewise, families who incorporate structured bedtime reading routines are associated with improved social behaviours, emotional and behavioural regulation, sleep, cognitive development and school readiness.4 We understand that caregiving practices are deeply ingrained, being impacted by a multitude of factors such as parents' own families of origin, culture, education background, parental mental health and financial resources.

There is well-established literature and numerous evidence-based parenting programmes that delineate key features of how parents can encourage positive behaviours …


Recursive Feature Addition: a Novel Feature Selection Technique, Including a Proof of Concept in Network Security Tarfa Hamed University of Guelph, 2017 Advisor: Dr. Stefan C. Kremer Coadvisor: Dr. Rozita Dara Protecting the information on the Internet is a significant objective and this significance is increasing with time. The Internet experiences many attacks every day and that is attracting all participant parties to find a solution. One of the most common solutions to provide network security is called a Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS). Usually a NIDS utilizes a classifier to classify the data extracted from the incoming traffic to either a normal or an attack connection. The feature selection phase is an early phase that needs to be carefully achieved prior to classification; otherwise the entire performance of the NIDS will tremendously deteriorate. However, two challenges face the NIDS that deals with new attacks is the availability of only a small number of examples with many features. The first challenge that NIDS experiences is the overfitting. Feature selection methods in turn face the second challenge of finding interdependent features. This thesis focuses on feature selection to address the above challenges that face NIDS. The contributions of this thesis involve proposing and implementing a new feature selection method which is called Recursive Feature Addition (RFA). The RFA depends on Support Vector Machines classifier and works in a forward recursive fashion in selecting the features. The RFA method has been tested on the synthetic data set and proved its ability to detect interdependent features, and tested on real-world high-dimensional data sets and proved its superiority over RFE in performance. Applying RFA on the ISCX 2012 data set is another contribution since RFA outperformed RFE in detecting intrusions. A new metric is also proposed to be used in evaluating NIDS applications that combines three well-known metrics. Furthermore, four ranking coefficients have been proposed to be used with RFA beside the original one, and have been tested with RFA on the ISCX data set. The statistical test confirmed the RFA's superiority over RFE using different performance metrics and on different data sets. Moreover, the work involved implementing the multi-class intrusion detection, where the NIDS identifies the specific attack type instead of raising an alarm only in case of an intrusion.


The theory of sampling and the reconstruction of data has a wide range of applications and a rich collection of techniques. For many methods a core problem is the estimation of the number of samples needed in order to secure a stable and accurate reconstruction. This can often be controlled by the Stable Sampling Rate (SSR). In this paper we discuss the SSR and how it is crucial for two key linear methods in sampling theory: generalized sampling and the recently developed Parametrized Background Data Weak (PBDW) method. Both of these approaches rely on estimates of the SSR in order to be accurate. In many areas of signal and image processing binary samples are crucial and such samples, which can be modelled by Walsh functions, are the core of our analysis. As we show, the SSR is linear when considering binary sampling with Walsh functions and wavelet reconstruction. Moreover, for certain wavelets it is possible to determine the SSR exactly, allowing sharp estimates for the performance of the methods.


With the widespread emergence of required community-service programs comes a new opportunity to examine the effects of requirements on future behavioral intentions. To investigate the consequences of such "mandatory volunteerism" programs, we followed students who were required to volunteer in order to graduate from college. Results demonstrated that stronger perceptions of external control eliminated an otherwise positive relation between prior volunteer experience and future intentions to volunteer. A second study experimentally compared mandates and choices to serve and included a premeasured assessment of whether students felt external control was necessary to get them to volunteer. After being required or choosing to serve, students reported their future intentions. Students who initially felt it unlikely that they would freely volunteer had significantly lower intentions after being required to serve than after being given a choice. Those who initially felt more likely to freely volunteer were relatively unaffected by a mandate to serve as compared with a choice. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding the effects of requirements and constraints on intentions and behavior are discussed.


The gradual increment of the feline population in Colombia and some countries is associated with presence of diseases that care produce animal health risk. The virus of immunodeficiency and the feline leukemia are the main retroviales diseases with high morbility and mortality in felines and they require of a right diagnostic that extend the felines' life. A descriptive transversal cut study was done, 60 urban domestic cats of Monteria were included, animals were from clinics, veterinarian consults and familiar houses. The simultaneous diagnostic of leukemia and feline immunodeficiency was carried out by using inmunoensayo SNAP combo FeLV Ag/FIV Ab (laboratories Idexx Toronto, Canada) in samples of serum and plasma. The animals were submitted to a physical and laboratory examination the population studied were 30 females and 30 males most of them minor of 2 years. Feline leukemia showed a seroprevalence of 23,3% (14/60), for feline immunodeficiency a seroprevalence of 1,6% (1/60), and the prevalence of double infection for feline leukemia and immunodeficiency was of 5% (3/60). The immunodeficiency's virus and feline leukemia diagnostic was carry out for first time in the population of domestics cats in the city of Monteria and it established a seroprevalence of 23,3% and 1,6% respectively.


In this paper we present a statistical model with a nonsymmetric half-plane (NSHP) region of support for two-dimensional continuous-valued vector fields. It has the simplicity, efficiency, and ease of use of the well-known hidden Markov model (HMM) and associated Baum-Welch algorithms for time-series and other one-dimensional problems. At the same time it is able to learn textures on a two-dimensional field. We describe a fast approximate forward procedure for computation of the joint probability density function (pdf) of the vector field as well as an approximate Baum-Welch algorithm for parameter reestimation. Radar and sonar applications include classification of two-dimensional fields such as range versus azimuth or range versus aspect angle data wherein each data point in the field consists of a multi-dimensional feature vector. We test the method using synthetic textures.


This paper presents the SQNR and sampling frequency analysis of 4 th order VCO based ADC. The 4 th order VCO-ADC has been explored on 50 nm MOCMOS technology which measures SQNR of 76.8 dB over 127 GHz frequency and 304.8 GHz sampling frequency using 5V supply. The quantization error has been fed in the feedback loop to perform the noise shaping.


Alternative mathematical items administered as prototypes at the Spring 1989 Field Trials are evaluated for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential speededness. Results for Algebra Placement (AP) and Student Produced Response (SPR) items are presented and contrasted to results obtained on the two current SAT-Math items: Regular Math and Quantitative Comparison. Analyses on comparisons between female and comparable male examinees, and between Asian-American, Black, and Hispanic examinees in comparison to comparable White examinees indicate that both of these alternative items appear to have DIF. Additional DD? analyses comparing the use of an internal versus an external matching criteria for the SPR items show evidence of negative DIF with either criteria. Results using the MH D-DIF statistic are more extreme than DIF results using the STD P-DIF index. The metric used to calculate the DIF indices may be accountable for the differences observed. Differential speededness results indicate that the two Math prototypes have slightly higher levels of differential speededness than the SAT-M.

The SPR items pose an interesting problem for DIF. The definition of an appropriate DIF matching criterion for constructed response item types needs more study. Metric differences between methods and their effect on difficult or easy items also needs further exploration. Until these methodological issues are resolved, results of DD? studies on constructed response items should be interpreted with caution.


In this paper, a floating bridge concept is proposed. This bridge concept comprises a two oppositely curves in plan, which enables the cancellation of the axial forces at the bridge as one arch will be under compression while the other arch is in tension due to environmental forces acting in one direction. The road deck is carried by truss structures that are kept above the water by several elliptical cylindrical pontoons. To reduce drag load, the cross sectional area facing the current is reduced as much as possible, while the buoyancy is kept the same based on the initial weight estimation. Initial design consideration and methodology of a double curved floating bridge is presented, and a numerical model is established for analyzing this concept. Hydrodynamic and structural dynamic aspects are included in the numerical model. Parametric study of the bridge structural rigidity is performed to investigate the effect to the responses. White noise, regular and irregular wave simulations are carried out to investigate the dynamic responses of the floating bridge under different conditions.


The divisiveness of the lower federal court confirmation process has been the focus of extensive commentary by political pundits and scholars alike. The engine driving the controversy is the notion that who sits on the federal bench makes a difference for subsequent policy outcomes. However, while a great deal of attention has been paid to differences in the decision making of judges appointed by different presidents, virtually no attention has been paid to whether the concerns of actors involved in the process have been borne out in the behavior of nominees who were controversial at the time of their nomination to the bench (but ultimately were successful in securing confirmation). In other words, we have no rigorous, systematic evidence as to whether controversial nominees do, in fact, behave differently than other nominees once they don the black robe. Using data from 1977-2002 on nominations to the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the voting behavior of court of appeals jurists for the same period, here we empirically investigate whether judges who were considered more controversial during their confirmation process are more ideologically-driven in their voting behavior than other (less controversial) judges.


The probability density function of the Doppler shift in a LEO satellite spot beam has been found for both a circular and elliptical shaped spot beam. The Doppler PDF was used as a priori information in order to achieve better mean acquisition time which is critical in any LEO satellite communication system. It is shown that the Doppler PDF can be very well approximated by a parabola-shaped function. The direct approach is used for the calculation of the mean acquisition time while various searching strategies of the Doppler ambiguity area are analysed and simulated using the parabolic Doppler PDF. The overall analysis shows that the use of the Doppler PDF combined with an appropriate search strategy can reduce the mean acquisition time significantly.


Structure optimization of power grids is a key issue of improving resource allocation on power systems. In this paper, authors discuss the structure reliability and reconstruction problem of IEEE118 standard test system based on complex network theory. Combined with electrical characteristics, the directed weighted network of standard test system is established. The structure reliability is analyzed by dynamic malfunction simulation with electrical properties. Meanwhile, on the constraints condition of the unchanged number of nodes and edges, the reconstruction algorithm based on associated network efficiency is proposed to optimize the performance of the network structure. The research provides certain quantitative analysis and theoretical support for the construction of power systems.


This article consists of two experiments reporting conditioned flavor avoidance (or taste aversion) in laboratory rats that swam in the flavored water. A statistically reliable effect was demonstrated in Experiment 1 by using a simple conditioning procedure with sweet (sodium saccharin) water. Compared with control rats that had no swimming experience or those that swam in tap water, experimental rats showed avoidance of the sweet water in the choice test between it and tap water, if they had swum in the sweet water for 20 min over four days. Rinsing the rats off with tap water after the swimming had no effect on this flavor avoidance learning. This finding suggests that tasting the sweet water during swimming was critical. Experiment 2 confirmed the flavor avoidance learning in swimming rats by a differential conditioning procedure with sour (citric acid) and bitter (denatonium benzoate) solutions. Although the effect was relatively small in the two experiments reported here, this new procedure may contribute to future research concerning Pavlovian conditioning due to its procedural simplicity.


Over the last ten years numerous approaches to automated safety analysis have emerged, motivated mainly by the increasing complexity of safety critical systems, the increased use of computer-based controllers in such systems and, ultimately, increased costs associated with manual safety analysis. These approaches have attracted significant interest (and funding) from industry. Furthermore, numerous safety certification authorities and standardisation bodies have indicated that they would be ready to accept automated analyses as a basis for certification. This paper examines some prominent approaches and outlines problems that need to be solved by research and tool development communities before the state-of-the-art can evolve into a robust industrial process. In particular, the paper focuses on filling a gap between current state-of-the-art proposals that either combine individual component failure characterisations to arrive at system-level fault trees, or automatically extract minimal cut sets directly from detailed design models (e.g. SCADE, Matlab/Simulink, etc), bypassing Fault Tree generation altogether. The former proposals (e.g. the AltaRica modelling language and Y. Papadopolous's HiP-HOPS method) allow analysts to model of the failure behaviour of a system as design work progresses from the system architecture to the implementation level. The latter approach (investigated, for example, by the ESACS and ISAAC projects) allows truly automated analysis of detailed design models (thus minimising both the possibility of safety analysis errors and the cost of the analysis).


The present paper is concerned with the use of the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD), applied in the form of the Point Method (PM), to estimate the range of the threshold value of the stress intensity factor, Kth, as well as the plane strain fracture toughness, KIc. In more detail, by reanalysing a large amount of experimental data taken from the literature, it is proved that Kth can successfully be evaluated through the plain fatigue limit and another fatigue limit generated by testing samples containing a known geometrical feature, whereas KIc is suggested here as being estimated by using experimental results generated by testing samples weakened by notches of different sharpness. The validation exercise summarised in the present paper fully confirms that the TCD is not only a reliable method suitable for performing the static and fatigue assessment of real components, but also an efficient experimental strategy capable of accurately estimating the classical Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) material properties.


A lively, critical study of one of the most important innovators, thinkers and directors in contemporary world theatre: Tadashi Suzuki. This book explores Suzuki's theatre practice and contains a DVD with practical Suzuki Method actor-training examples. For over forty years Tadashi Suzuki has been a unique and vital force in both Japanese and Western theatre, creating and directing many internationally acclaimed productions including his most famous production, The Trojan Women, which toured throughout the world. Dr Paul Allain, an experienced practitioner of the Suzuki Method, re-evaluates Suzuki's work, his development towards an international theatre aesthetic and his impact on performance all over the world. The DVD covers an actor training session (featuring both novices and an experienced practitioner with over ten years of Suzuki training) showing the physical moves. "Captures aspects of Suzuki's work with an insider's grasp of theatre-making - an informative and inspirational read" From the foreword by Katie Mitchell.


In this research we have studied the molecular biology of carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato. The investigations focused on the genes Pds and Psy, encoding desaturase and phytoene synthase, respectively, which are key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway of lycopene and b-carotene. In addition, we have investigated the genes for lycopene cyclase. We have cloned from tomato and characterized the cDNA of CrtL-e, which encodes the lycopene e-cyclase, and analyzed its expression during fruit development. The results establish a paradigm for the regulation of carotenoid pigment biosynthesis during the ripening process of fruits. It is concluded that transcriptional regulation of genes that encode carotenoid-biosynthesis enzymes is the major mechanism that governs specific pigment accumulation. During the ripening of tomato fruits transcription of the genes encoding the enzymes phytoene synthase and phytoene desaturase is up-regulated, while the transcription of the genes for both lycopene cyclases decreases and thus the conversion of lycopene to subsequent carotenoids is inhibited. These findings support the working hypothesis of the molecular approach to manipulating carotenogenesis by altering gene expression in transgenic plants, and offer obvious strategies to future application in agriculture. The molecular and physiological knowledge on carotenogenesis gained in this project, suggest a concept for manipulating gene expression that will alter carotenoid composition in fruits and flowers.


Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea can be a severe disease of tomato infecting leaves and fruits of tomato plants. Chemical control is currently the most effective and reliable method; however, application of fungicides has many drawbacks. The combination of biological control agents with newly developed fungicides may be a practicable method to control B. cinerea. Fluopimomide is a newly developed fungicide with a novel mode of action. Bacillus methylotrophicus TA-1, isolated from rhizosphere soil of tomato, is a bacterial strain with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. Little information is currently available about the effect of fluopimomide and its integrated effect on B. cinerea. Therefore, laboratory, pot, and field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of fluopimomide alone and in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 against gray mold on tomato. The in vitro growth of B. methylotrophicus TA-1 was unaffected by 100 mg liter-1 fluopimomide. Inhibition of B. cinerea mycelial growth was significantly increased under combined treatment of fluopimomide and B. methylotrophicus TA-1. In greenhouse experiments, efficacy against gray mold was significantly greater by an integration of fluopimomide and B. methylotrophicus TA-1 than by either alone; control efficacy of fluopimomide at 50 and 100 g ha-1 in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 at 108 colony-forming units (cfu) ml-1 reached 70.16 and 69.32%, respectively, compared with the untreated control. In both field trials during 2017 and 2018, control efficacy was significantly higher for the combination of fluopimomide at 50 and 100 g ha-1 in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 than for either treatment alone. The results from this study indicated that integration of the new fungicide fluopimomide with the biocontrol agent B. methylotrophicus TA-1 synergistically increased control efficacy of the fungicide against gray mold of tomato.


Outlines an eigen-structure algorithm for passive seismic array data. The approach combines broadband multicomponent and narrowband multi-sensor eigen-structure routines. Synthetic data is used to demonstrate the algorithm's ability to resolve multiple signals in both bearing and wavenumber. Analysis of three-component seismic array data is also shown. >


In recent years, deflation methods have received increasingly particular attention as a means to improving the convergence of linear iterative solvers. This is due to the fact that deflation operators provide a way to remove the negative effect that extreme (usually small) eigenvalues have on the convergence of Krylov iterative methods for solving general symmetric and non-symmetric systems. In this work, we use deflation methods to extend the capabilities of algebraic multigrid (AMG) for handling highly non-symmetric and indefinite problems, such as those arising in fully implicit formulations of multiphase flow in porous media. The idea is to ensure that components of the solution that remain unresolved by AMG (due to the coupling of roughness and indefiniteness introduced by different block coefficients) are removed from the problem. This translates to a constraint to the AMG iteration matrix spectrum within the unit circle to achieve convergence. This approach interweaves AMG (V, W or V-W) cycles with deflation steps that are computable either from the underlying Krylov basis produced by the GMRES accelerator (Krylov-based deflation) or from the reservoir decomposition given by high property contrasts (domain-based deflation). This work represents an efficient extension to the Generalized Global Basis (GGB) method that was recently proposed for the solution of the elastic wave equation with geometric multigrid and an out-of-core computation of eigenvalues. Hence, the present approach offers the possibility of applying AMG to more general large-scale reservoir settings without further modifications to the AMG implementation or algebraic manipulation of the linear system (as suggested by two-stage preconditioning methods). Promising results are supported by a suite of numerical experiments with extreme permeability contrasts.


Energy efficiency - A study of autoclaved aerated concrete In recent years there have been several studies and investigations that have shown that 40% of the total energy use in Sweden is used for heating, hot water and electricity in buildings. Building houses that are more energy efficient, you reduce the energy use which positively affects the environment and the economy. Energy for heating in a building can be lowered in many ways. The issue is to weigh the costs against the savings and benefits of an energy efficient house without functions and properties of the building deteriorate. The concept of energy efficiency is that we should consume as little energy as possible for the energy consuming functions, environments and tools used for our existence and activities. The well thought strategy for energy efficiency is insulation, the foundation for measures to reduce energy waste. Given the current view to the environment it is important to properly isolate new constructions and renovations of buildings. Even if the isolation is thicker compared to BBR's isolation requirements the measure is very profitable. The difference in cost can be seen as a cheap insurance against what can happen in the future. When purchasing energy consuming products it's important to look at the maintenance costs and the energy costs, and not only the cheapest product. The total cost is often more affected by the energy cost during its lifetime and not only the investment costs. Keywords: Energy efficiency, energy use, insulation, autoclaved aerated concrete, LCC. (Less)


INTRODUCTION
There is considerable controversy about timing of surgery in acute pancreatitis. Scoring system is widely used in Intensive Care Units (ICU) but above all in order to assess the severity of disease.

AIM OF THE STUDY
In this prospective clinical study, modification of clinical evolution and scores (APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA) are analyzed. Scores were computed, daily or every other day. Two particular phases were observed: the day of ICU admission and the day of surgical treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Twenty-one patients are studied; they were all surgically treated only after identification of positive pancreatic coltures. Open-packing was performed 2-6 weeks after the beginning of acute pancreatitis. In six patients who died, a progressive deterioration was noticed between admission and identification of infected necrosis. All scores were higher in patients who died, in particular a significant difference was found between SOFA score at admission and at treatment (mean +/- SD: 5.0 +/- 3.2 vs 8.5 +/- 3.0, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion when clinical conditions are critical a high SOFA score could contribute to indicate surgical treatment even without identification of sepsis.


The main objective of this research was to identify the significant motivational factors affecting frontline employees who are currently working in the three and above star hotels in Mekelle city, Mekelle, Ethiopia. Descriptive study design was used to analyze the data collected through questionnaire from a sample of 157 front-line employees. The survey questionnaires was distributed to  the randomly selected frontline employees to evaluate the priory predetermined motivational factors from different theories on a 5-point scale indicating the level of importance associated with each factor.  The obtained data was processed through STATA version 11.0 software applications and was analyzed via weighted mean score, frequency, standard deviation, percentage, histogram and charts. The research findings indicate that (1) service (2) autonomy (3) organizational policy (4) supervision and (5) growth are the top five motivational factors among frontline employees in the hotel industry. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that hoteliers need focus on the identified significant motivational factors so as to satisfy customer's needs and should also consider the differences on  demographic factors to deliver tailored motivational factors to their frontline employees accordingly.


For a connected graph G of order n,a set S of vertices is called an edge monophonic set of G if every edge of G lies on a monophonic path joining some pair of vertices in S, and the edge monophonic number me(G) is the minimum cardinality of an edge monophonic set. An edge monophonic set S of G is a connected edge mono-phonic set if the subgraph induced by S is connected, and the connected edge monophonic number mce(G) is the minimum cardinality of a connected edge monophonic set of G. Graphs of order n with connected edge monophonic number 2, 3 or n are characterized. It is proved that there is no non-complete graph G of order n > 3 with me(G) = 3 and mce(G)= 3. It is shown that for integers k,l and n with 4 < k < l < n, there exists a connected graph G of order n such that me(G) = k and mce(G) = l.Also, for integers j,k and l with 4 < j < k < l, there exists a connected graph G such that me(G)= j,mce(G)= k and gce(G) = l,where gce(G) is the connected edge geodetic number ofa graph G.


Background: Mutations in the mitochondrial genome have been implicated in mitochondrial disease, often characterized by impaired cellular energy metabolism. Cellular energy metabolism in mitochondria involves mitochondrial proteins (MP) from both the nuclear ( Nu MP) and mitochondrial ( Mt MP) genomes. The expression of MP genes in tissues may be tissue specific to meet varying specific energy demands across the tissues. Currently, the characteristics of MP gene expression in tissues of dairy cattle are not well understood. In this study, we profile the expression of MP genes in 29 adult and six foetal tissues in dairy cattle using RNA sequencing and gene expression analyses: particularly differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses. Results: MP genes were differentially expressed (DE; over-expressed or under-expressed) across tissues in cattle. All 29 tissues showed DE Nu MP genes in varying proportions of over-expression and under-expression. On the other hand, DE of Mt MP genes was observed in < 50% of tissues and notably Mt MP genes within a tissue was either all over-expressed or all under-expressed. A high proportion of Nu MP (up to 60%) and Mt MP (up to 100%) genes were over-expressed in tissues with expected high metabolic demand; heart, skeletal muscles and tongue, and under-expressed (up to 45% of Nu MP, 77% of Mt MP genes) in tissues with expected low metabolic rates; leukocytes, thymus, and lymph nodes. These tissues also invariably had the expression of all Mt MP genes in the direction of dominant Nu MP genes expression. The Nu MP and Mt MP genes were highly co-expressed across tissues and coexpression of genes in a cluster were non-random and functionally enriched for energy generation pathway. The differential gene expression and co-expression Conclusions: The results of this study support the concept that there are biological interaction of MP genes from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes given their over-expression in tissues with high energy demand and coexpression in tissues. This highlights the importance of considering MP genes from both genomes in future studies related to mitochondrial functions and traits related to energy metabolism.


ABSTRACT
Intraventricular metastasis from extracranial tumor is rare. We describe MRI and 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT findings in a case of histologically proved solitary choroid plexus metastasis from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The tumor showed remarkable enhancement on MRI and increased FAPI uptake with high tumor-to-background activity ratio on PET/CT. This case indicates FAPI PET may be useful for detection of intraventricular metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.


Introduction : Stress is part of our life. It can happen anywhere including in medical school. Medical school is perceived as being stressful because their difficulties in education, longest period of study and dealing with the patients. Stress can be perceive as negative or positive. Coping strategies are the method that we can use to prevent
stress when it comes to us. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of stress and coping strategies among of medical students in National University of
Malaysia, Malaysia University of Sabah and Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak.
Methods : This study involved 450 medical students through stratified sampling in which 150 medical students from each of the three universities. This study was conducted
through self administered questionnaires. The questionnaires included were socio demographic factor, Personal Stress Inventory (using Stress Symptoms Scale with
52 items), BRIEF COPE (Coping Orientation for Problems Experienced with 28 items). The determination of cut off point for stress symptoms score was using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results : Response rate was 90.8%. The prevalence of stress among medical students were 44.1%. The contributory factors to the stress were financial problems, stress of up coming examination period, relationship problems with parents, peers, siblings and lecturers. Coping mechanisms which had significant association with stress includes self distraction, venting of emotion, denial, behavioral disengagement, humor and self blaming. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant association
(p<0.05) between stress scores and venting of emotion, self blaming, problems of relationship with peers, parents, lecturers and financial problems. These factors explained the 30.1% variation of stress score symptoms.
Conclusion : Almost half of the medical students had stress and they have used coping strategies during handling the stress from worsening. Financial problems and relationship
problems were the two most influencing factors in stress. Therefore, the results of this study can be used to determine the preventive steps in stress among medical
students and the coping strategies used in handling stress.


Porous matrices with determined pore size, volume fraction and structure can be used as model systems to understand physical properties of dispersed liquid crystals (LC) - material important for different applications. Using photon correlation spectroscopy and dielectric spectroscopy we investigated dynamic properties of nematic liquid crystal dispersed in porous matrices with randomly oriented, interconnected pores (porous glasses with average pore sizes of 100 A and 1000 A) and parallel cylindrical pores (Anopore membranes with pore diameters of 200 A and 2000 A). Since the structural characteristics of these matrices are nearly independent of the temperature, all observable effects due to temperature changes can be attributed to the change in the physical properties of the second component (bC). The spatial confinement and a highly developed interface in porous matrices have a strong influence on the optical and dielectric properties of confined LC which is resulted in: appearance of at least two new dielectrically active modes, absent in the bulk and existence of slow glass-like relaxational process detected in both dielectric and photon correlation experiments.


The researchers whose work led to the birth of the world's first baby conceived as a result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1978 were refused funding from the UK Medical Research Council because they worked outside established centres and because the priority at the time was on limiting fertility rather than treating infertility, a detailed review of archive material shows.

Medical Research Council (MRC) reviewers were also concerned about the safety of embryo transfer and disapproved of the researchers' high profile in the media. They also did not welcome efforts by the researchers to promote public discussion of the science and ethics of treating infertility, the documents show, which also highlight how prevailing attitudes and personal factors can influence decisions affecting the direction that scientific research is encouraged to take ( Human Reproduction doi:10.1093/humrep/deq155).

Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge, and colleagues were working on a study looking at …


Face recognition is considered a complex biometrics in the field of image processing mainly due to the constraints imposed by variation in the appearance of facial images. These variations in appearance are affected by differences in expressions and/or occlusions (sunglasses, scarf etc.). This paper discusses incremental Kernel Fisher Discriminate Analysis on sub-classes for dealing with partial occlusions and variant expressions. This framework focuses on the division of classes into fixed size sub-classes for effective feature extraction. For this purpose, it modifies the traditional Linear Discriminant Analysis into incremental approach in the kernel space. Experiments are performed on AR, ORL, Yale B and MIT-CBCL face databases. The results show a significant improvement in face recognition.


OBJECTIVE
This article aims to pay attention to the latest research on the expression, activation and function of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) under hypoxia and non-hypoxia conditions, and summarizes the current knowledge about the interaction between hypoxia-inducible factor-2 and angiogenesis, hoping to understand its actions in physiology and disease, with the goal of providing a new strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of wounds.

BACKGROUND
Wound healing is a complex and continuous process, involving coagulation, inflammation, angiogenesis, new tissue formation and extracellular matrix remodeling. Of these, angiogenesis is an essential step. One of the main reasons for non-healing or delayed healing of wounds in peripheral vascular diseases and diabetes is the reduced ability to regenerate microvessels through the process of angiogenesis, which has become the focus of new methods for treating chronic wounds. HIF-2α regulates many aspects of angiogenesis, including vascular maturation, cell migration, proliferation and metastasis.

METHODS
Throughout extensive search of PubMed, summarize the medical research on HIF-2α to 2020.

CONCLUSIONS
HIF-2α is necessary for normal embryonic development by stimulating the expression of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It is essential for the formation of new blood vessels in physiological and pathophysiological environments. Targeting HIF-2α in wound healing has much clinical significance for tissue repair.


Abstract The article states that in the conditions of climate crisis aggravation the decarbonisation of the economy acquires the status of a global initiative aimed at achieving zero CO2 emissions by 2050. It is emphasised that this initiative is closely accompanied by legislation, business modernisation programmes and the creation of equal conditions for both domestic producers and exporters of carbon-intensive products (in particular, through the introduction of the carbon border adjustment mechanism - CBAM) and new rules of the world market. The consequences of CBAM implementation into Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises and the development of their foreign economic activity are determined in the example of Metinvest Group (Ukraine) enterprises. The ambivalence of CBAM is proven. It is substantiated that CBAM implementation will not accelerate, but, on the contrary, will slow down the process of decarbonisation, which will eventually lead to the loss of domestic metallurgical enterprises' competitive position in the European market of metal products. Regarding the need to take transitional measures to decarbonise the metallurgical business (first of all, to ensure proper investment), the decision should be based on the expected decoupling effect - positive dynamics of economic growth while reducing the negative impact on the environment. The estimating method of the decoupling effect has been modified according to the integrated approach. A trend analysis of the integrated decalin effect indicator and its components was performed in Metinvest Group companies (Ukraine). Based on the results of econometric analysis of the impact of investment on greenhouse gas emissions, the author's model for determining the volume of investment in the process of decarbonisation of metallurgical enterprises for the period up to 2050 is proposed. Comparative analysis is performed regarding investment in the process of decarbonisation under the scenarios by GMK Center, IEA, McKinsey and Roland Berger, as well as the author's model.


A crisis is inevitable. Any organization needs crisis communication plans and response strategies to protect themselves from reputational damage. This study examines whether employing sadness-expressive words and black-and-white logos in crisis response messages can be an effective strategy that leads to a more positive organizational reputation in the wake of a crisis. A 2 (emotion: presence of sadness vs. absence) x 2 (logo color: standard vs. black-andwhite) within-subject factorial experiment was conducted with 188 participants. The experimental stimuli were crisis response messages in the form of Facebook posts from four existing airline companies, including Air France, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, and Germanwings, in response to their real-life crisis incidents. Participants were introduced to each crisis (a total of 4) through a news article developed from a previously published story. Then, after each article reporting on the airline crisis, they were exposed to a response message from the airline. The findings show that when organizations express sadness in their messages, their sad emotion is transferred to the readers and leads to a higher organizational reputation and behavioral intention. Also, the use of a black-and-white logo in the context of sadness-present crisis response messages results in a better organizational reputation.


In the pathology of companion animals, three main types of urinary retention are described and encountered: mechanical, spastic and paralytic. The etiopathogenesis of the pathology of paralytic urinary retention, with clinical-pathogenetic consequences that are difficult to identify and remedy therapeutically, mainly recognizes different causes, both neurogenic and traumatic. The traumatic ones are the most common and, depending on the location of the neurological injury, they influence the treatment, the evolution and also the prognosis. The present paper attempts to describe the importance of imaging examinations (both ultrasound and radiographic) in the judicious approach to patients with paralytic urinary retention.


Bridge employment is an act to work by an older worker after official retirement age begins and before engaging in full-retirement. Past researches have recognized that bridge employment has an important value to the organization as they provide a pool of experienced, knowledgeable and well-trained workforce to the organization. At the same time, it also provides an additional pool of funds for older workers to support their life in retirement. The decision to either retire or continue working is never a simple decision, so it is crucial to understand factors influencing retirees' decision to engage in bridge employment. This study is a pioneer investigation in determining the key factors in influencing the engagement of bridge employment among working professionals in Malaysia via an in-depth interview with successful and unsuccessful retirees. Two key successful retirees or known as "Tokoh Pesara Malaysia" in the Malay language, and the President of Persatuan Persara were the main samples for this preliminary study. The findings of this research served as a basis for questionnaire development with regards to key factors influencing bridge employment adoption in Malaysia.


Surfactant protein (SP) A and SP-D are collectins that have roles in host defense. The Eustachian tube (ET) maintains the patency between the upper airways and the middle ear. Dysfunction of local mucosal immunity in ET may predispose infants to recurrent otitis media. We recently described preliminary evidence of the expression of SP-A and SP-D in the ET. Our present aim was to establish the sites of SP-A and SP-D expression within the epithelium of the ET in vivo. With in situ hybridization, electron microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy, the cells responsible for SP-A and SP-D expression and storage were identified. SP-A expression was localized within the ET epithelium, and the protein was found in the electron-dense granules of microvillar epithelial cells. Being concentrated in the epithelial lining, only a few cells revealed intracellular SP-D, and it was not associated with granules. The SP-A and SP-D immunoreactivities in ET lavage fluid, as shown by Western blot analyses, were similar to those in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. We propose that there are specialized cells in the ET epithelium expressing and secreting SP-A and SP-D. SP-A and SP-D may be important for antibody-independent protection of the middle ear against infections.


A reaction of 1,2-dicyanobenzene and lithium methoxide at 70 °C in methanol yielded the half-phthalocyanine intermediate, which coordinates to a cadmium(II) ion in the subsequent reaction step to give the first example of a six-coordinate phthalocyanine analogue containing a divalent metal ion at the center.


This paper introduces a collaboratively developed methodology for the qualitative analysis and visual representation of video data. The data to be analysed were video recordings made by secondary school students whilst engaged in a collaborative, in the field, data collection process using hand-held data logging equipment for monitoring Carbon Monoxide and wind values. We describe the requirement for, and the collaborative and evolutionary development process of, a visual method through drawing overview activity maps. Following this we discuss some issues arising and future challenges for overview activity maps.


The direct (unmodulated) absorption of microwave power in granular ceramic superconductors at low fields is discussed in terms of critical state theory. On the assumption that the power absorbed is proportional everywhere to the local magnetic field in the sample, many aspects of the general behaviour of the power absorption such as hysteresis, field cooling and saturation effects can be understood at a phenomenological level. The material parameters obtained from data on bulk ceramic samples are consistent with current understanding, but the behaviour of fine powders is more difficult to interpret.


Background: Medication administration error is a failure in the treatment process resulting in potential harm to the patient. Medication errors are the leading causes of mistrust in the healthcare system, inducing corrective therapy and prolonged hospitalization thereby producing extra costs and even death. These errors are most common and can occur through failures in any of the ten rights of medication administration. About 10% of the overall preventable harm to hospitalized patients is attributed to the wrong use of medications. However, there is limited data regarding the magnitude and determinants of medication administration errors both nationally and in the study area in particular. Methods: A multicenter hospital based, cross-sectional study design was employed on a sample of 422 nurses selected by simple random sampling technique. Pre-tested structured questionnaire and observational checklist were used for data collection from March 1-30/2019. The collected data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epi-data version 4.2 and exported to STATA version 14. Binary logistic regression model was considered and those variables with P<0.25 in the bivariable analysis were included in to final model after which statistical significance was declared at P< 0.05 using adjusted odds ratio at 95% confidence interval. The study findings were presented using tables and figures. Multicollinerity was diagnosed using standard error and correlation matrix. Result: From the overall nurses, 239 (57.7%) of them made medication administration error in the last 12 months. Lack of training [AOR=2.20; 95% CI (1.09, 4.46)], unavailability of guideline [AOR=1.65; 95% CI (1.03, 2.79)], poor communication while facing problems [AOR=3.31; 95% CI (2.04, 5.37)], interruption [AOR = 3.37, 95 % CI (2.15, 5.28)] and failure to follow medication administration rights [AOR=1.647; 95% CI (1.00, 2.49)] were significantly associated with medication administration errors. Conclusion and recommendation: Medication administration error was high in Amhara referral hospitals. Therefore, interventions like developing guideline, providing training and developing strategies to minimize distracters should be given much emphasis by different stakeholders to decrease the burden of medication error.


Abstract 3671 Background: The availability of effective virally-attenuated clotting factor concentrates and the increased use of prophylaxis has reduced mortality in individuals with hemophilia. Consequently, the bleeding disorders community must focus on the medical needs of an aging population. Older hemophiliacs may not be receiving appropriate screening and preventive care for the common ailments of aging. Similarly, the older segments of the hemophilia population may be predisposed to obesity and cardiovascular disease because they never received primary prophylaxis to prevent hemarthropathy. Objective: To review the hemophilia-related and non-hemophilia-related medical problems of aging, including bleeding complications of invasive procedures, in the adult hemophiliac population >18 years (yrs). Patients and Methods: A retrospective chart review of active adult patients (pts) with hemophilia A and B (HA, HB) receiving care at the Hemophilia Center, was conducted. Medical conditions including Hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), hypercholesterolemia (HYC), coronary artery disease (CAD), obesity, arthropathy and psychiatric disorders were identified. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated in kg/m2. Invasive procedures and health maintenance screening were reviewed for bleeding complications. Results: We identified 58 adult pts with a mean age of 37 yrs (18-81 yrs). 30/58 (52%) are > 30 yrs. 47/58 (81%) have HA and 11/58 (19%) have HB. 30/58 (52%) have severe hemophilia. 32/58 (55%) have HCV. 10/32 (31%) HCV+ pts have received antiviral therapy, and 4/10 (40%) eliminated the virus. 9/58 (16%) have HIV, of whom 4/9 (44%) are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy. 7/58 (12%) have DM, 13/58 (22%) have HTN, 11/58 (19%) have HYC and 1/58 (1.7%) has symptomatic CAD. 5/7 (71%) pts with DM and 9/13 (69%) with HTN have BMI ≥ 25. Psychiatric disorders are present in 18/58 (31%) including anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit disorder. Hemophilia related arthropathy has been diagnosed in 30/58(52%) patients. The mean BMI of pts with arthropathy is 28.9 (19-36) in comparison to 26.1 (20-44) in pts without arthropathy (p= 0.03). The majority of pts with arthropathy are either obese (BMI ≥ 30; 14/30 or 47%), or overweight (BMI 25–29; 10/30 or 33%). Half of the pts ≥ 50 yrs (7/14) have had at least 1 colonoscopy, of whom 3/7 (43%) experienced a periprocedural bleeding complication. These pts have had a total of 23 surgical procedures, consisting of 5 knee/hip replacements, and 12 abdominal, 2 thoracic, 2 vascular and 2 spine surgeries. Bleeding complications were uncommon 4/23 (17%): 2 with abdominal surgery and 1 each with knee replacement and spine surgery. Conclusions: Patients with hemophilia suffer from common diseases of aging. Those with arthropathy have higher BMIs and may have more complications of aging. HCV remains a major health concern for older patients. Bleeding complications can occur with invasive procedures, so aggressive use of clotting factor concentrates is warranted. Coordination of care between hematologists and primary care physicians is essential in the management of aging patients with hemophilia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Unsupervised learning algorithms based on Expectation Maximization (EM) are often straightforward to implement and provably converge on a local likelihood maximum. However, these algorithms often do not perform well in practice. Common wisdom holds that they yield poor results because they are overly sensitive to initial parameter values and easily get stuck in local (but not global) maxima. We present a series of experiments indicating that for the task of learning syllable structure, the initial parameter weights are not crucial. Rather, it is the choice of model class itself that makes the difference between successful and unsuccess-ful learning. We use a language-universal rule-based algorithm to find a good set of parameters, and then train the parameter weights using EM. We achieve word accuracy of 95.9% on German and 97.1% on English, as compared to 97.4% and 98.1% respectively for supervised training.


This paper comprises a bibliography of some two hundred entries, selected from a total collection of almost five hundred references pertaining to the human operator, which are concerned specifically with modeling the human operator as an element in an automatic control system. To enable systematic utilization of the material, the important papers are classed in Section A, the Bibliography Subject Index, under major subheads, and then arranged chronologically within each subject category. Included within these categories are many of the original papers dealing with human operator models, including British and U. S. classified reports produced after World War II, which have since been declassified. Up-to-date private-industry reports, which are generally difficult to learn of or locate, are included, as is a wealth of material stemming from federal agencies, principally NASA. Section B comprises the actual bibliography.


Hydrodynamic and aerodynamic lubrication regimes in their controllable forms have been intensively investigated over the last two decades. With the aim of reducing friction and improving thermal, static, and dynamic characteristics of radial sliding bearings, different types of electro-mechanical actuators have been coupled to such bearings. Depending on (i) the actuator type; (ii) the actuation principle, i.e., hydraulic, pneumatic, piezoelectric or magnetic among others; and (iii) how such an actuator is coupled to the sliding bearings, different regulation and control actions of fluid film pressure and lubricant flow can be obtained. The most common actions are: (a) the control of the injection pressure to modify the fluid film pressure statically as well as dynamically; (b) the adjustment of the angle and direction of injection flow (mostly passive action); (c) the control of the sliding bearing gap and its preload via moveable and compliant sliding surfaces; and (d) the control of the lubricant viscosity. All four parameters, i.e., pressure, flow (velocity profiles), gap and viscosity, are explicit parameters in the modified form of Reynolds' equations for active lubrication. In this framework, this paper gives one main original contribution to the state-of-the-art of radial sliding bearings and controllable lubrication: a comprehensive overview about the different types of controllable sliding bearings and principles used by several authors. The paper ends with some conclusive remarks about advantages and drawbacks of the different design solutions for controllable sliding bearings and the main challenges to be overcome towards industrial applications.


Abstract Objective To assess whether shared care for stroke patients results in better patient outcome, higher patient satisfaction and different use of healthcare services. Design Prospective, comparative cohort study. Setting Two regions in the Netherlands with different healthcare models for stroke patients: a shared care model (stroke service) and a usual care setting. Patients Stroke patients with a survival rate of more than six months, who initially were admitted to the Stroke Service of the University Hospital Maastricht (experimental group) in the second half of 1997 and to a middle sized hospital in the western part of the Netherlands between March 1997 and March 1999 (control group). Main outcome measures Functional health status according to the SIP-68, EuroQol, Barthel Index and Rankin Scale, patient satisfaction and use of healthcare services. Results In total 103 patients were included in this study: 58 in the experimental group and 45 in the control group. Six months after stroke, 64% of the surviving patients in the experimental group had returned home, compared to 42% in the control group (p<0.05). This difference could not be explained by differences in health status, which was comparable at that time. Patients in the shared care model scored higher on patient satisfaction, whereas patients in the usual care group received a higher volume of home care. Conclusions The Stroke Service Maastricht resulted in a higher number of patients who returned home after stroke, but not in a better health status. Since patients in the usual care group received a higher volume of healthcare in the period of rehabilitation, the Stroke Service Maastricht might be more efficient.


When faced with the tasks of reading and writing a complex technical paper, many nonnative scientists and engineers who have a solid background in English grammar and vocabulary lack an adequate knowledge of commonly used structural patterns at the discourse level. In this paper, we propose a novel computer software tool that can assist these people in the understanding and construction of technical papers, by automatically identifying the structure of writing in different fields and disciplines. The system is tested using research article abstracts and is shown to be a fast, accurate, and useful aid in the reading and writing process.


OBJECT
The authors undertook this study to determine the clinical course and long-term outcomes in pediatric patients who developed cavernous malformations of the brain following treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

METHODS
They reviewed the senior author's database of surgically treated cavernous malformations of the brain to identify those patients whose cavernous malformations developed after cranial radiation during treatment for ALL. The medical records of these patients were reviewed to determine their clinical presentation, radiological findings, and outcome at long-term follow-up.

RESULTS
Five patients fulfilled the specified criteria over a 23-year period. At the time of ALL diagnosis, they were all 4-5 years old. The cerebral cavernous malformations developed 2-8 years after cranial radiation, and 4 of the 5 patients presented with neurological symptoms, which ranged from focal deficits to seizures. Two patients required a second craniotomy, one from lesion recurrence possibly due to incomplete resection, and another for a second cavernous malformation, which developed at another site 6 years after the initial malformation was excised. Long-term follow-up of 2, 10, 11, 11, and 17 years has revealed no additional lesion development or recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic cavernous malformations of the brain may develop several years after chemotherapy and cranial radiation treatment for ALL, and the clinical course of these cavernous malformations may be more aggressive than that of the typical post-radiation lesions seen in other conditions. Long-term clinical and imaging monitoring is recommended for children who have undergone treatment for ALL. Craniotomy for excision of the malformations appears to convey long-term protection from repeat hemorrhage and accumulating neurological deficits.


A pulsed inductive plasma source for VUV generation and plasma stripper applications with an operating frequency of 12 kHz has been developed. The setup consists of a series resonance circuit with a load capacitance of 27 µF and a large diameter induction coil surrounding a spherical discharge vessel with a discharge volume of 4000 ml. Measurements have been made to evaluate the transfer efficiency of the pulsed inductive discharge in Argon with 2.8% Hydrogen at gas pressures from 0.6 Pa up to 100 Pa at load voltages from 4 kV to 8 kV. Pulsed coil currents reached a maximum value of 18 kA with current rise times of 2 kA µs while achieving a maximum energy transfer efficiency of 85% between the driving circuit and the plasma. Pulsed power peak values inside the plasma were higher than 2 MW fore pulse energies of 1kJ. The experimental evidence suggests that the high transfer efficiency obtained with the spherical theta pinch is due to the improved transformer coupling between primary circuit and discharge plasma.


Music made in the West Deutsche Rundfunk Studio for Electronic Music in the 1950s was characterized by a strict serialist determination of all sound parameters. In Karlheinz Stockhausen's Studie II, and Gesang der Junglinge, sounds as short as 0.05 seconds were designed and had to be realised with particular frequencies, dynamics and envelope shapes. The time and effort needed to achieve such exact detail was making it impossible to produce longer pieces, so something had to change.

I demonstrate how sound design and realization processes evolved during the production of Gesang der Junglinge, from editing together hundreds of tiny pieces of tape to creating complex structures lasting several seconds using more performative and gestural techniques.


Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) probes with a bow-tie antenna structure consisting of two metal triangular electrodes separated by a narrow gap have been designed and fabricated. An electrostatic actuator is integrated on this bow-tie probe to decrease the gap width for enhancing the optical near-field intensity. A self-alignment process based on deep reactive ion etching and wet anisotropic etching is established to fabricate the symmetric bow-tie structure. The static and dynamic actuations of electrostatic actuators are examined. With the mechanical resonance of the antenna structure to lateral direction, NSOM imaging is performed in the visible range, and the subwavelength resolution beyond the diffraction limit of light is demonstrated


This commentary provides a brief history of the development of the field of women's occupational health and safety. It discusses the broadening of the field from one with a reproductive health focus to one that considers women in their many roles and varied stages of life. Much of this widening of focus was contemporaneous with the growth of the women's movement. The paper emphasizes that the work burden borne by employed women in general includes responsibilities for homemaking and caregiving in addition to paid employment. Possible implications of these multiple roles are discussed, as are the major social, physical, biological, and chemical hazards encountered in traditional female employment. A research agenda for overcoming some of the research and policy barriers to a complete understand of women's occupational health burden and to development of preventive policies is proposed.


Optimal control problems with partial differential equations as constraints play an important role in many applications. The inclusion of bound constraints for the state variable poses a significant challenge for optimization methods. Our focus here is on the incorporation of the constraints via the Moreau–Yosida regularization technique. This method has been studied recently and has proven to be advantageous compared with other approaches. In this paper, we develop robust preconditioners for the efficient solution of the Newton steps associated with the fast solution of the Moreau–Yosida regularized problem. Numerical results illustrate the efficiency of our approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Introduction: Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disorder associated with skin lesions, lung cysts, pneumothorax and a high incidence of renal cell carcinoma. Clinical diagnosis is usually suspected by recognition of the typical papular skin lesions (fibrofolliculomas, present in about 80% of patients). We present a case of delayed BHD syndrome diagnosis in a patient lacking the telltale skin lesions. Case Report: A 47-year old female, never smoker, presented with a spontaneous left-sided pneumothorax. Medical history revealed a leftsided pneumothorax at age 26. At age 27 she underwent a leftsided nefrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. At age 38 she had a rightsided pneumothorax. The patient had no skin lesions. HRCT showed multiple bilateral, predominantly basally located lung cysts. VATS with bullectomy and pleurectomy was performed succesfully, to treat the recurrent left-sided pneumothorax. The postoperative course was uneventful. Microscopic investigation of the resected lung tissue showed normal lungparenchym and the presence of a bulla. The occurence of multiple lung cysts along with a recurrent pneumothorax and history of renal cancer in a non-smoking female raised the possibility of BHD-syndrome. Subsequent genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis by demonstrating an insertion-deletion (indel-) mutation in the FLCN gene (c.610_611delinsTA). Since the BHD syndrome diagnosis, the patient now undergoes annual screening for renal cancer using MRI. Discussion: The absence of telltale skin lesions can delay a BHD syndrome diagnosis. Timely recognition of the BHD syndrome enables periodic screening and early detection of renal cancer in patients and affected relatives.


A retrospective analysis is presented of all patients who had fenestrated Fontan procedure between january 1990 and may 1996. Surgery was indicated in the presence of anyone of the following risk factors: mean pulmonary pressure higher than 20 mmHg; pulmonary vascular resistance higher than 2 UW; ejection fraction less than 60%; systemic ventricular end diastolic pressure higher than 8 mmHg; Nakata index less than 200 mm2/m2, McGoon index less than 2. The diagnosis were: Absent right atrio-ventricular connection with concordance ventriculo-arterial connection 10 patients; pulmonary atresia with intact septum, 1 patient; Ebstein's malformation, 1 patient and absent left A-V connection with discordance VA connection, 1 patient. The mean of age was 6.7 years (range 2.5-11 years). Overall mortality was 23%. No significant difference in risk factors was found between survivals and no survivals. Nonsurvivors had between two an four risks factors. Postoperative complications were 1 patient with protein losing enteropathy and stroke (1 patient). The mean duration of pleural effusion was 16 days (range 4-45 days). We consider fenestrated Fontan procedure useful for patients with congenital heart disease with a one hypoplastic ventricle and one o more risks factors.


Since the day it was proposed, return-oriented programming has shown to be an effective and powerful attack technique against the write or execute only (W xor X) protection. However, a general belief in the previous research is, systems deployed with address space randomization where the executables are also randomized at run-time are able to defend against return-oriented programming, as the addresses of all instructions are randomized. In this paper, we show that due to the weakness of current address space randomization technique, there are still ways of launching return-oriented programming attacks against those well-protected systems efficiently. We demonstrate and evaluate our attacks with existing typical web server applications and discuss possible methods of mitigating such threats.


We introduce the higher version of the notion of Adachi-Iyama-Reiten's support $\tau$-tilting pairs, which is a generalization of maximal $\tau_n$-rigid pairs in the sense of Jacobsen-Jorgensen. Let $\mathcal C$ be an $(n+2)$-angulated category with an $n$-suspension functor $\Sigma^n$ and an Opperman-Thomas cluster tilting object. We show that relative $n$-rigid objects in $\mathcal C$ are in bijection with $\tau_n$-rigid pairs in the $n$-abelian category $\mathcal C/{\rm add}\Sigma^n T$, and relative maximal $n$-rigid objects in $\mathcal C$ are in bijection with support $\tau_n$-tilting pairs. We also show that relative $n$-self-perpendicular objects are in bijection with maximal $\tau_n$-rigid pairs. These results generalise the work for $\mathcal C$ being $2n$-Calabi-Yau by Jacobsen-Jorgensen and the work for $n=1$ by Yang-Zhu.


This paper is intended to study impact forces of breaking waves on a rigid wall based on a nonlinear potential-flow theory. This is a model problem for some technologically important design issues such as the impact of breaking waves on ships, coastal and offshore structures. We are interested in the short-time successive triggering of nonlinear effects using a small-time expansion. The analytical solutions for the impact force on a rigid wall and the free-surface profile are derived.


Little is known about the impact of workplace gender equality initiatives in improving women's representation. We assess their effectiveness on levels of women's representation in Australian property and mining organizations. Derived from signaling theory, we propose and test a positive relationship between gender equality initiatives and women's representation at management and non-management levels. Derived from contingency theory, we propose and test the moderating effect of women in top management teams on the abovementioned relationships. The hypotheses were tested using archival data from 358 organizations with a 2-year time lag. The findings partially support the main and moderating effect hypotheses. We discuss theoretical, research, and practical implications. JEL Classification: M12, M14


Cognitive recovery was examined in 24 severe closed head injured patients tested at 3, 6 and 12 months after injury, and 12 patients tested, in addition, at one month. A retested non-head injured control group was used, and where appropriate, alternative test forms were employed to control for practice effects. Tests of intellectual, perceptual/constructional skills, linguistic and memory functions were used, showing that by 12 months the only statistically significant differences between head injured and control patients were on learning and constructional tasks. Individual patients showed widely varying recovery patterns which made prediction of recovery difficult.


Vascularized composite tissue allotransplantation (VCA) can replace severely damaged body parts but the unavoidable toxicity of high doses of immunosuppressive drugs, such as tacrolimus, required results in significant morbidity. Here we tested whether we could suppress immune activity in a mouse model of VCA by mimicking the natural immune suppression generated by nervous system-induced signaling of adrenergic receptors (AR) by using a safe and well-studied β-AR agonist (terbutaline). Using wild-type and β2-AR-knockout (KO) mice, we found that increased β2-AR signaling results in delayed rejection in VCA recipients, even with subtherapeutic doses of tacrolimus, and this was associated with changes in immune contexture, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and function of endothelial adhesion molecules. We propose that β-AR agonists can be used safely to mimic the natural suppression of immune responses generated by adrenergic stress signaling and thereby reduce the dose needed of other more toxic immunosuppressive drugs.


How did galaxies form and evolve? This is one of the most challenging questions in astronomy to- day. Answering it requires a careful combination of observational and theoretical work to reliably determine the observed properties of cosmic bodies over large portions of the distant Universe on the one hand, and accurately model the physical processes driving their evolution on the other. Most importantly, it requires bringing together disparate multi-wavelength and multi-resolution spectro-photometric datasets in an homogeneous and well-characterized manner so that they are suitable for a rigorous statistical analysis. The Herschel Extragalactic Legacy Project (HELP) funded by the EC FP7 SPACE program aims to achieve this goal by combining the expertise of optical, infrared and radio astronomers to provide a multi-wavelength database for the dis- tant Universe as an accessible value-added resource for the astronomical community. It will do so by bringing together multi-wavelength datasets covering the 1000 deg2 mapped by Herschel extragalactic surveys and thus creating a joint lasting legacy from several ambitious sky surveys.


Sir, We read with interest, the investigations of Bisgaard et al. Benefits of goal-directed therapy continue to be discussed, along with the methods by which it should be assessed. Bisgaard et al. concluded that perioperative individualised goal-directed therapy does not affect post-operative complications, or length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, in open elective abdominal aortic surgery. The study protocol states that LiDCOplus (LiDCO Group plc, London, UK) recalibration occurred twice in the study period; firstly, prior to induction of general anaesthesia, and secondly, following unclamping of the aorta. The findings from this recalibration suggest that there was no significant change in calibration factor (CF) between these two times. However, the findings from Beattie et al. suggest that recalibration is necessary throughout non-cardiac surgery as CF varies during the procedure. This study protocol had six points of recalibration, following the initial baseline calibration prior to induction: after establishing epidural anaesthesia, following induction of general anaesthesia, following aortic crossclamping, after aortic unclamping, at skin closure, and following return of spontaneous ventilation and removal of endotracheal tube. The findings indicate that there is a significant fall in CF on aortic cross-clamping, leading to an overestimation of stroke volume and cardiac output unless recalibration is undertaken. Conversely, CF was significantly higher following epidural and general anaesthesia compared with the CF prior to induction. This would underestimate the stroke volume and cardiac output if recalibration did not occur. Beattie et al. concluded in order to obtain absolute values of cardiac output, recalibration of the LiDCOplus monitor is necessary during abdominal aortic surgery as the magnitude of changes in CF varies between patients, and this cannot be predicted. Potential errors such as the administration or withholding of fluid or drug therapy could occur as a result of this overor underestimation when frequent recalibration does not occur. It would appear that before dismissing the potential advantages of goal-directed therapy in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients, a further study, including the calibration outlined by Beattie et al., should be performed. Conflict of interest: None.


Imported fire ant (Solenopsis richteri x invicta) mounds in northeastern Mississippi were subjected to four treatments from late July through early September, 2006: application of water (7.5 L) and placement of an inverted 19 L bucket on top; application of water only; application of an inverted bucket only; and no treatment. Mound volume and height were measured prior to treatment and at 1 and 2 d after treatment. Condition of the mound surface was rated according to an index ranging from 0 (no evidence of recent building or repair activity) to 3 (recent building or repair activity over > 50% of mound surface). Treatments had small but significant effects on mound volume and height; in general, watering reduced volume over time (< 1 L) except in mounds that received an inverted bucket, and bucket placement had a slight positive effect on mound height while watering had a slight negative effect. Differences over time within treatments were very small (< 10 mm). The most significant effect was observed on the condition of the mound surface, with the index increasing over time following application of water. Characteristics of S. invicta Buren (red imported fire ant) mounds were also measured over time under natural conditions from late July through mid-October, 2006. Mound height and volume were negatively correlated with temperature, and mound height was positively correlated with rainfall. The results of these studies indicate that in late summer, rainfall triggers mound rebuilding and repair but not a significant increase in size, which occurs as temperatures decrease into fall.


We demonstrate complementary (+/-) WDM weighted addition in a bank of silicon microrings using a balanced detection technique. Weighted addition that is tunable and complementary is a key function for multivariate analog signal processing and could enable scalable analog networking approaches with silicon photonic technologies.


ABSTRACT Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) are subdomains of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that interact with mitochondria. This membrane scrambling between ER and mitochondria appears to play a critical role in the earliest steps of autophagy. Recently, lipid microdomains, i.e. lipid rafts, have been identified as further actors of the autophagic process. In the present work, a series of biochemical and molecular analyses has been carried out in human fibroblasts with the specific aim of characterizing lipid rafts in MAMs and to decipher their possible implication in the autophagosome formation. In fact, the presence of lipid microdomains in MAMs has been detected and, in these structures, a molecular interaction of the ganglioside GD3, a paradigmatic "brick" of lipid rafts, with core-initiator proteins of autophagy, such as AMBRA1 and WIPI1, was revealed. This association seems thus to take place in the early phases of autophagic process in which MAMs have been hypothesized to play a key role. The functional activity of GD3 was suggested by the experiments carried out by knocking down ST8SIA1 gene expression, i.e., the synthase that leads to the ganglioside formation. This experimental condition results in fact in the impairment of the ER-mitochondria crosstalk and the subsequent hindering of autophagosome nucleation. We thus hypothesize that MAM raft-like microdomains could be pivotal in the initial organelle scrambling activity that finally leads to the formation of autophagosome.


By drawing from Taiwan's history over the last century, this paper will demonstrate that dependency theory is not an all-encompassing, universally applicable explanation of the relationship between wealthy nations and poorer nations. However, some of its prescriptions may benefit nations in limited forms, tailored to the unique sociological and economic positions that occupy at any particular moment. Thus, as Taiwan's experience suggests, states may consider borrowing from dependency theory's prescriptions when their social organization and economic position makes these prescriptions beneficial.


Background Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome and a serious manifestation or late stage of various heart diseases. This study aimed to explore the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Shenqi Lixin Decoction (SQLXD) in HF. Methods A HF rat model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin (3 mg/kg in the first 3 weeks, 2 mg/kg in the next 3 weeks, once a week, subcutaneous injection, 6 weeks cumulative dose is 15 mg/kg). After 4 weeks of intragastric administration of SQLXD (9.975, 19.95, 39.90 g/kg, once a day, gavage), the indexes of cardiac function were measured by cardiac color Doppler ultrasound, the cardiac muscle structure and pathological changes were observed by transmission electron microscope, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson. The plasma N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and myocardial tissue adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content were detected by ELISA. FITC detected the cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate (CMAR) labeled Annexin V/PI. Expression of B cell lymphoma factor 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X (Bax), cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) mRNA in myocardial tissue were detected by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and P53 protein in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blot. Results Compared to the normal group, left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVSD), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVDD), CMAR and the expression of P53 protein, mRNA and protein of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly increased in model group, while left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), stroke volume (SV) and the expression of Bcl-2 protein, mRNA of PGC-1α and Bcl-2 were significantly reduced. Compared to the model group, LVSD, LVDD, CMAR and the expressions of P53 protein, mRNA and protein of Bax and Caspase-3 in the medium and high dose SQLXD groups and the control group were significantly decreased, while LVEF, LVFS, SV and the expression of Bcl-2 protein, mRNA of PGC-1α and Bcl-2 were obviously increased. Pathological findings by transmission electron microscope, Masson, and HE staining all revealed protective effects of SQLXD on heart. Conclusions SQLXD can effectively protect HF rats' hearts. The potential mechanism may be related to the modulation of the expression of PGC-1α and the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.


Abstract The structure of some naphthoylacetanilides (1) obtained from a new route of synthesis is elucidated via inspection of IR, NMR, and mass spectral data. Napthoylacetanilides condensed with one or two moles of aromatic aldehyde to give 2-(naphthoyl)-cinnamanili-des (2) or 3-aryl-2,2′-dinaphthoyl-glutaric acid dianilides (3). Compound 2b added phenylmercaptan to give 3-phenyl 3-phenylthio-2-naphthoyl-propananilide (4). Reduction of 2b gave 2-benzyl 2-(2-naphthoyl)acetanilide (5). 1 is coupled with aryldiazonium salt to give 2-oxo naphthoylacetanilides-2-arylhydrazones (6). The mechanism of the reactions is discussed.


In order to describe the movement of multi-robot queue, the model of formation is defined in view of relative poses of multiple mobile robots. The idea of switching control is introduced based on leader-following schema. The front point and rear point of the axis of leading robot is determined as reference points by the following robot. The sub-controller is designed corresponding to the reference point so that the exponential stability of the system is realized. The condition of switching of two controllers is based on the sign of leading robot speed. By the application of the control method presented in this paper, the desired formation is not only realized, but also the movement of multi-robot queue is steadier. The results of simulation show the uniform movements are realized for multiple mobile robots.


A fabrication method by combining precision mechanical dicing and wet etching was developed to prepare micro-pyramid structures based on (Ba0.67Sr0.33)TiO3 ceramics. The effective piezoelectric properties of flexoelectric pyramid structures in ten micrometers scale were investigated and measured through converse flexoelectric effect. The scaling effect of the flexoelectric response was demonstrated as the structure size shrinks down. The results do suggest the great potential of flexoelectric micro pyramids as an alternative to lead-free piezoelectric material.


We fit 54,296 sparsely sampled asteroid light curves in the Palomar Transient Factory survey to a combined rotation plus phase-function model. Each light curve consists of 20 or more observations acquired in a single opposition. Using 805 asteroids in our sample that have reference periods in the literature, we find that the reliability of our fitted periods is a complicated function of the period, amplitude, apparent magnitude, and other light-curve attributes. Using the 805-asteroid ground-truth sample, we train an automated classifier to estimate (along with manual inspection) the validity of the remaining ∼53,000 fitted periods. By this method we find that 9033 of our light curves (of ∼8300 unique asteroids) have "reliable" periods. Subsequent consideration of asteroids with multiple light-curve fits indicates a 4% contamination in these "reliable" periods. For 3902 light curves with sufficient phase-angle coverage and either a reliable fit period or low amplitude, we examine the distribution of several phase-function parameters, none of which are bimodal though all correlate with the bond albedo and with visible-band colors. Comparing the theoretical maximal spin rate of a fluid body with our amplitude versus spin-rate distribution suggests that, if held together only by self-gravity, most asteroids are in general less dense than ∼2 g cm−3, while C types have a lower limit of between 1 and 2 g cm−3. These results are in agreement with previous density estimates. For 5–20 km diameters, S types rotate faster and have lower amplitudes than C types. If both populations share the same angular momentum, this may indicate the two types' differing ability to deform under rotational stress. Lastly, we compare our absolute magnitudes (and apparent-magnitude residuals) to those of the Minor Planet Center's nominal (G = 0.15, rotation-neglecting) model; our phase-function plus Fourier-series fitting reduces asteroid photometric rms scatter by a factor of ∼3.


The flavonoid galangin inhibits the partially purified metallo-beta-lactamase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The effect was not reversed by the addition of ZnCl(2) suggesting that the inhibitory effect is not related to metal chelation. The flavonoid quercetin also has some inhibitory effect against the enzyme. Using the crystal structure of the enzyme, a molecular modelling study predicts a possible orientation of galangin at the active site of the enzyme.


This essay reads James Baldwin in conversation with two unexpected interlocutors
 from the American nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Ralph Waldo Emerson and W.
 E. B. Du Bois. What draws these historically distant and intellectually
 different thinkers together, their differences making their convergences all the
 more resonant and provocative, is a shared mode of attention they bring to the
 social crises of their eras. It is a mode of attention foregrounding how the
 often unobserved particulars and emotional registers of human life vitally shape
 civic existence; more specifically, a mode of attention provoking us to see how
 "a larger, juster, and fuller future," in Du Bois's words,
 is a matter of the ordinary intimacies and estrangements in which we exist,
 human connections in all their expressions and suppressions. Emerson names them
 "facts [. . .] harder to read." They are "the
 finer manifestations," in Du Bois's terms, "of social life,
 which history can but mention and which statistics can not count";
 "All these things," Baldwin says, "[. . .]
 which no chart can tell us." In effect, from the 1830s to the 1980s these
 thinkers bear witness to what politics, legislation, and even all our knowledges
 can address only partially, and to the potentially transformative compensations
 we might realize in the way we conduct our daily lives. The immediate relevance
 and urgency this essay finds in their work exists not in proposed political
 actions, programs for reform, or systematic theories of social justice but in
 the way their words revitalize the ethical question "How shall I
 live?" Accumulative and suggestive rather than systematically comparative
 or polemical, this essay attempts to engage with Emerson, Du Bois, and Baldwin
 intimately, to proceed in the spirit of their commitment to questioning received
 disciplines, languages, and ways of inhabiting the world.


Track irregularities play a key role in vehicle response, but it is not uncommon to find irregularities with similar statistical characteristics giving very different vehicle behaviour. It is therefore important to find a consistent way of describing track irregularities, which better matches the vehicle behaviour to facilitate an efficient track maintenance and vehicle acceptance testing. Various proposals have been made to resolve this issue, although with limited success. In the present paper, a methodology to break down the track–vehicle interaction into steps, by analysing the irregularity–response correlation in detail, is applied to both the measured and simulated data of a passenger coach. The results show a very good agreement and a high correlation coefficient between the vertical axle box acceleration and the second spatial derivative of the vertical track irregularities when analysing the simulated data, but not for the measured data. Parameter variations are carried out through simulations, in which the vertical track stiffness, vehicle unsprung mass, vertical primary suspension and different combinations of track irregularities are varied. The results show that track stiffness mainly affects the axle box acceleration whereas the primary vertical suspension stiffness and unsprung mass predominantly affect the vertical wheel–rail forces. Therefore, it is important to understand the influence of track stiffness, especially with the help of the measured data, and the methods that reduce its influence should be investigated in future works.


AIM
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial pathology affecting 5-10% of the female population. Usually occurs with oligo/amenorrhea, anovulation, hirsutism, polycystic ovaries. Hyperinsulinemia associated with insulin resistance has been causally linked to all features of the syndrome. It has been demonstrated that by reducing hyperinsulinemia, in particular with the administration of metformin, insulin-lowering agents might improve endocrine and reproductive abnormalities in PCOS patients.

METHODS
A new molecule with insulin-sensitizing properties, myo-inositol, has recently been successfully administered in women with PCOS. New associations between natural substances like myo-inositol and other components have been proposed to improve the therapeutical efficacy. Among these substances, the monacolin K, a natural statin appeared to have important actions in cholesterol synthesis. In this article we study the effect of inositol alone and the association between myo-inositol and monacolinin K in the treatment of PCOS with insulin resistance, menstrual irregularities and hirsutism.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
The results of this study demonstrated a good efficacy of both treatments, although in the group treated with the combination of myo-inositol/monacolin K improvement in lipids and hyperandrogenism were significantly better.


The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we present an up-to-date assessment of the differences across euro area countries in the distributions of various measures of debt conditional on household characteristics. We consider three different outcomes: the probability of holding debt, the amount of debt held and, in the case of secured debt, the interest rate paid on the main mortgage. Second, we
examine the role of legal and economic institutions in accounting for these differences. We use data from the first wave of a new survey of household finances, the Household Finance and Consumption Survey, to achieve these aims. We find that the patterns of secured and unsecured debt outcomes vary markedly across countries. Among all the institutions considered, the length of asset repossession periods best accounts for the features of the distribution of secured debt. In countries with longer repossession periods, the fraction of people who borrow is smaller, the
youngest group of households borrow lower amounts (conditional on borrowing), and the mortgage interest rates paid by low-income households are higher. Regulatory loan-to-value ratios, the taxation of mortgages and the prevalence of interest-only or fixed-rate mortgages deliver less robust results.