The paper is focused on the analysis of the foreign experience in the field of creation and reforming of the pension systems. The paper is aimed at studying the economic bases of the forming of defined contribution pension systems in foreign countries and revealing of the main tendencies in pension reforms in foreign countries to define the possibilities of the pension reform for Kazakhstan. To achieve the set goal the paper investigates the main types of the pension system and its existing levels. The analysis of the stated elements of the pension system was based on the example of the countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. The conducted investigation allowed revealing the advantages and disadvantages of the pay-as-you-go, defined contribution, and mixed pension schemes. Basing on the conclusion on the necessity to use the foreign experience in implementing the Kazakhstan pension reform, the concrete trends of its further reforming aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Kazakhstan pension system and its approach to the worldwide standards were proposed. The investigation results can be used for developing the program documents defining the strategy of the pension schemes development under the contemporary economic and demographic conditions. The conclusions and recommendations on the pension scheme improving proposed in the work can be used for the pension reform in Kazakhstan.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence effective workplace designs for knowledge workers.Design/methodology/approachDuring spring 2016, the employees in a large institution for research and higher education, a large consultancy company and a medium-sized consultancy company (in total 4367 employees) in Norway received invitations to participate in an anonymous online survey about workplaces and facilities. In all, 1,670 employees answered the survey (38.2 per cent response rate). The data have been analyzed with IBM SPSS version 23, among others through use of exploratory factor analysis and two-way ANOVA.FindingsMost respondents at the institution for research and higher education have cell offices. Most respondents in the two consultancy companies have open and flexible offices. This paper indicate the respondents' preferences or perception of their workstation and the workplace's fit for their tasks is affected both by the respondents' type of office and how much time they spend at their workstation during the week. There are also possible age or generation effects.Research limitations/implicationsOne methodical weakness in the present paper is that two-way ANOVA has been applied on survey data. Experiments are usually arranged to provide almost equal numbers of observations in each category. This is usually not possible with survey data. However, despite this weakness, the present paper provides several findings that challenge some of the workplace research's taken for givens.Practical implicationsThe present paper indicates that facility managers and others responsible for office and workplace design are advised to take the employees' tasks and work patterns into consideration when designing workplaces and providing offices and workstations to their end-users. The present paper also indicates that employees require different kinds of support facilities and services depending on what kind of offices and workplaces they have.Originality/valueThis is a large N empirical study among knowledge workers in three organizations, one public administration and two private enterprises. The present paper indicate that provision of offices and workstations with supporting facilities should be differentiated according to the end-users' work tasks and work patterns.


This study scrutinizes effects of resistance training on physical performance of young male football players. 34 amateur volunteered football players were grouped randomly as control or nonresistance training group (n=17, age = 19.47±1.33 years, weight = 58.74±3.23 kilogram and height = 166.24±4.44 centimeter) and experimental or resistance training group (n=17, age = 19.88±1.36 years, weight = 59.65±2.46 kilogram and height = 167.12±4.39 centimeter). During the intervention, both groups continued their customary training sessions but the experimental group performed resistance exercises 2 times a week for 12 weeks, while control group did not. Participants' agility, speed, and power skills of both groups were assessed by Illinois agility run test, 30-meters sprint test, and vertical jump test respectively before and after 12 weeks of resistance training. The result of the investigation indicated that the mean difference of speed, agility, and power in the control group was found to be (0.03 seconds, 0.01 seconds, and 0.53 centimeters respectively) revealed insignificant (p>0.05) when compared to the pre and post-test mean scores. While the mean difference of speed, agility, and power in the experimental group was found to be (0.67 seconds, 0.75 seconds, and 4.82 centimeters respectively) showed that there were significant differences between the pre-test and post-test results (p<0.05). According to the outcomes of this study, resistance training which was employed in addition to football training can improve players' agility, speed, and power skills.


In this paper, we introduce the SSV360 dataset containing psy-chophysical and psychophysiological data gathered in a pilot study on the effect of standing and seated viewing of 360° videos on subjective quality assessment. The stimuli were shown to the participants on a head-mounted display for both viewing conditions. The ground truth contained in the SSV360 dataset may support, e.g., benchmarking of immersive media processing algorithms and developing of objective perceptual quality metrics.


Mannan-binding lectin (MBL), a pattern-recognition molecule binds to sugars present on the cell surface of microorganisms and activates the lectin pathway of complement. Three naturally occurring point mutations that occur in exon 1 of MBL 2 gene give rise to the structural variants of MBL and are correlated with impaired immune response. Wild type human MBL A and its variant, MBL B (Gly to Asp) were expressed in the yeast, Pichia pastoris. The yeast system has several advantages such as easy to manipulate, less expensive and generally gives high expression levels. Western blot analysis under reduced conditions of rMBL A and rMBL B expressed in the yeast culture medium exhibited a molecular size similar to that of native MBL (32 kDa) purified from human plasma (hMBL). Analysis under nonreduced conditions showed rMBL A and rMBL B to form higher order oligomers (monomers to hexamers) as observed for hMBL. Functional analysis of the rMBL molecules ability to bind sugars measured by ELISA, upon extensive dialysis of the culture medium, indicated that both rMBL A and rMBL B bind to mannan. Functional studies related to complement activation are currently being investigated. The estimated expression level of rMBL A and rMBL B (~0.3mg/L) indicates that the yeast system may be a better expression system of rMBL than the insect cell system (~0.2mg/L).
 Research supported by NIH grant HL073804


A novel efficient photoscatalytic system Eosin Y/Pt/SiO2 for photocatalytic reduction of water to hydrogen under visible light irradiation was constructed. The effects of parameters, such as the surface physical property of SiO2 (i.e., specific surface area), method of mixing Eosin Y and SiO2, and light intensity on catalyst properties for hydrogen evolution were investigated systemically. With increase of SiO2 specific surface area, the rate of hydrogen evolution increased. Either over high or low intensive irradiation is detrimental to obtain high quantum efficiency for hydrogen evolution. Compared to the Eosin Y adsorbed on SiO2 by an impregnation method, the composite system in which Eosin Y mixed with SiO2 physically in situ displayed higher rate and superior stability of hydrogen evolution.


ABSTRACT Meringodes Wappes and Lingafelter, a monotypic new genus of Rhopalophorini, is described from Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. Meringodes is most similar to Disaulax Audinet-Serville, although it also possesses characters of Thalusia Thomson and Cosmisoma Audinet-Serville. A diagnosis and description of the genus is given and a new species, Meringodes solangeae Wappes and Lingafelter, is described. Images of both Disaulax hirsuticornis (Kirby) and M. solangeae are included to facilitate identification.


ABSTRACT Teachers whose basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness are satisfied tend to use a motivating teaching style characterised by the provision of autonomy support and structure, whereas teachers whose needs are frustrated tend to use controlling or chaotic styles which are considered de-motivating. Given the importance of an autonomy supportive and motivating teaching style, it is crucial to better understand how it can be fostered and maintained. Since emotion regulation has been shown to affect both teachers' and students' well-being, this research tested the hypothesis that it shapes the association between teachers' need satisfaction or frustration and the adoption of (de)motivating styles. Three hundred teachers filled in questionnaires to assess need satisfaction and frustration, the emotion regulation strategies of reappraisal and suppression, and their teaching styles. The results confirmed the mediating role of reappraisal and the moderation of emotional suppression. Teachers' need satisfaction was linked with reappraisal, which in turn was related to the autonomy supportive and structuring motivating styles. High emotional suppression related with the adoption of a controlling style independently of need frustration levels. Only low levels of emotional suppression and need frustration lessened the adoption of a controlling style. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.


Ten probands with tuberous sclerosis (TS) and 20 first degree relatives were examined for evidence of pitted enamel hypoplasia; 100% of TS patients had pitting, compared to 65% of relatives and 72% of 25 controls. We found that 70% of TS cases had more than 14 pits per person compared with only 5% of relatives and 4% of controls; 85% of relatives and 84% of controls had fewer than six pits per person. Our results confirm that significantly increased numbers of dental enamel pits are found in persons with TS compared to controls. These results suggest that examination for the presence or absence of dental enamel pits is not a useful screening test for first degree relatives to detect otherwise unsuspected subjects with tuberous sclerosis. However, the lack of pits in first degree relatives in our study is probably largely because none of the relatives appeared to carry the TS gene.


The 700-kDa multicatalytic proteinase complex from bovine pituitaries separates in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under dissociating and reducing conditions into 11 components with molecular masses ranging from 21 to 32 kDa. No higher molecular mass components were detected. A rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against the complex recognizes five immunoreactive components. As reported previously, the complex exhibits three distinct proteolytic activities designated as chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like, and peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing activities. All three activities are rather rapidly inactivated by 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a general serine protease inhibitor, however, the pseudo-first-order rate constants of inactivation of the three components differ within a wide range, with the chymotrypsin-like activity being most sensitive to inhibition. The peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing activity is greatly activated by low concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate and fatty acids and seems to constitute the main component responsible for degradation of protein substrates. In addition to cleaving bonds on the carboxyl side of glutamyl residues, this activity also cleaves, albeit at a slower rate, bonds on the carboxyl side of hydrophobic residues; however, the secondary specificity of this component is clearly different from the chymotrypsin-like activity. Heparin selectively activates the chymotrypsin-like activity. The complex cleaves rapidly both native and dephosphorylated beta-casein in a reaction greatly accelerated by low concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The nature of proteolytic products, and also the rate of formation of acid-soluble, ninhydrin-reactive products, is different for the phosphorylated and dephosphorylated form of beta-casein, indicating that the degree of phosphorylation influences the rate and pattern of proteolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


∗ Assistant Professor and author of correspondence, Phone: (313) 577-4396, Fax: (313) 577-8833, Email: email@example.com. ABSTRACT This paper presents a research effort that is underway to integrate product, manufacturing process, and supply chain models to optimize product design variants in terms of costs and environmental impacts. Integrated sustainable design and manufacturing requires multidisciplinary knowledge from various industrial domains to design and manufacture environmentally-responsible products. Sustainable design should consider life cycle costs and environmental impacts, including those related to materials and energy requirements during the manufacturing, use, and end-of-life phases of a product's life. This paper discusses important technological requirements in product architecture and integrated optimization to realize integrated sustainable design and manufacturing. Finally, this paper introduces a scalable design environment, called the Sustainable Product Development Collaboratory, which can convey sustainability principles in the context of product architectural design, manufacturing, assembly, and supply chain decisions to designers. Potential benefits of this platform are also discussed.


One of the important joints of a liquid metal fast reactor is the main circulation pump. In the course of the present research, a preproduction model of the pressure chamber, the most labor-consuming unit of the main circulation pump, was manufactured. This complex welded structure was made of 10Kh15N9S3B3 (EP-302Sh) steel sheets; fixtures and accessories were also manufactured, and as a result the metal consumption of the structure decreased. Technological documentation was made for bending, stamping of parts of the pressure chamber, welding of components, their heat and mechanic treatment, and its assembling. According to the results of this work, the existing technological documentation was adjusted in the context of the new data for pressure chamber of the main pump.


ZTRK is a stop-territorial resource concentrator of town-planning formation of any level of hierarchy, in particular, ZTRK-system, which consists of several ZTRK-complexes formed by the corresponding ZTRK-units. ZTRK-unit is the "lowest" integral structured unit, which is the basis for the construction of urban formation of any level of hierarchy.


As a first step toward the understanding of Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering from a fluid with a temperature gradient, we analyze the initial value problem for certain prototype one-dimensional nonuniform systems. For sufficiently short times and localized initial pulses, it is not necessary to impose actual physical boundaries on the linearly nonuniform system. By a straightforward, though unconventional, application of Fourier and Laplace transform methods, explicit and physically reasonable solutions are constructed for the propagation of fluctuation pulses in space and time according to the nonuniform wave and diffusion equations and a special case of the nonuniform damped wave equation. The analog of the dynamic structure factor is also constructed for the latter two cases.


Permafrost and northern peatlands are a great storage of carbon and also one of the most vulnerable ones. In the course of discussing climate change it is important to estimate how much carbon is stored in the permafrost soils of the Earth and help to evaluate how thawing permafrost may contribute to anthropogenic climate warming. Whether permafrost regions still accumulate carbon or already act as a carbon source is still debated.
The Alaska North Slope with its permafrost-affected soils is of general interest in the context of carbon stock investigations. In this study, a multidisciplinary approach was chosen to characterize the upper permafrost in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area on the Alaska North Slope according to cryolithological, biogeochemical, geochronological, and hydrochemical parameters. Investigations were based on three permafrost cores from erosional upland remnants and one core from a drained thermokarst lake basin that were acquired in Aprils 2010 and 2014 when the active layer was frozen. An attempt was made to analyze depositional dynamics, potential paleoenvironmental changes are discussed, and detailed estimates of soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen and ground ice stocks in Teshekpuk Lake Special Area are presented. Sediment samples were analyzed for ice contents, grain size distribution, biogeochemical parameters (total nitrogen, total carbon, total organic carbon and stable carbon isotopes), and for radiocarbon age. Ground ice was measured for electrical conductivity, pH value and stable water isotopes.
The core of the drained thermokarst lake basin shows a succession of lake phases and wetland phases. The first upland core consists of organic-poor deposits, a cryoturbated zone of higher organic content, eolian silt deposits, and a peaty layer on top. The second upland core is characterized by various wetland stages with varying organic carbon content, whereas the third upland core consists of pond ice at the bottom and peaty deposits at the top. Measurements of bulk density, ice content, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) enable to estimate ground ice content, soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nitrogen stocks of Teshekpuk Lake Special Area. The calculated average of SOC, soil nitrogen and ground ice in the upper 0 to 0.30 m amounts to 13.98 kg C/m², 0.82 kg N/m² and of 165.8 kg ice/m², respectively. On average the upper meter contains 42.2 kg C/m², 2.46 kg N/m² and 625.7 kg ice/m². In a depth between 0 and 2 m SOC content amounts of 48.9 kg C/m², soil nitrogen content is 3.12 kg N/m² and ground ice content amounts of 1279.6 kg ice/m².
Further research in the arctic regions is needed to reduce uncertainties in soil organic carbon estimations, for example by investigations of previously poorly studied areas, by enhancing understanding of how small scale landscape heterogeneities affect soil carbon storage, and by using more realistic upscaling methods driven by well characterized landscape units. Field data such as provided in this thesis are needed to parameterize and build more reliable models and to calculate more robust future projections of climate change feedbacks with thawing permafrost.


Controversy exists regarding the similarity between depression as seen in patients with epilepsy and in those with idiopathic major depression. The objective of this study was to examine whether anger is a distinctive feature of depression in epilepsy. Participants included 487 adult patients with epilepsy (study group) and 85 patients with idiopathic major depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria, and without other neurological complications (control group). All participants completed the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR) and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ). The IDS-SR is a self-report questionnaire that measures depression severity and assesses all symptoms of depression as defined by the DSM-IV. The BAQ is a self-rating scale designed for assessing aggression. After examining potential confounding factors (i.e., demographic and clinical variables) using a multivariate linear regression model, BAQ scores were compared between the study (n = 85) and control groups (n = 54) for patients with moderate or severe depression using established cut-off points (IDS-SR score > 25). BAQ scores were significantly higher in the study group (P = 0.009). Among the BAQ subscales, only anger showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0.013). Although a significant correlation was revealed between the IDS-SR and BAQ scores in the study group, no such correlation was found in the control group. Thus, anger might be a constituent component of depression among epilepsy patients, but not among idiopathic major depression patients.


We study the Aharonov-Bohm effect (AB effect) in quan- tum resonances for magnetic scattering in two dimensions. The system consists of four scatters, two obstacles and two scalar potentials with compact support, which are largely separated from one another. The obstacles by which the magnetic fields are completely shielded are hor- izontally placed between the supports of the two potentials. The fields do not influence particles from a classical mechanical point of view, but quantum particles are influenced by the corresponding vector potential which does not necessarily vanish outside the obstacle. This quantum phenomenon is called the AB effect. The resonances are shown to be generated near the real axis by the trajectories trapped between two supports of the scalar potentials as the distances between the scatterers go to infinity. We analyze how the AB effect influences the location of resonances. The result is described in terms of the backward amplitudes for scattering by each of the scalar potentials, and it depends heavily on the ratios of the distances between the four scatterers as well as on the magnetic fluxes of the fields.


Summary

1
Using field data published in the literature, we investigated pathogen dynamics and conditions of persistence in a mathematical model of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus)–Puumala hantavirus system. The host population is assumed to have a 3-year periodic cycle. The duration of very low host density is critical for virus transmission and survival.

2
Field epidemiological data strongly suggested a transmission of the hantavirus by the contaminated environment. We thus studied whether this 'indirect' transmission affected the virus persistence in the host population.

3
The model assumptions were derived from the following conditions found in the literature: (1) there is no additional mortality nor fecundity loss due to the virus in infected hosts, thus the cyclic demographical pattern is not due to the virus; (2) no remission has been observed, thus we did not consider the existence of recovered individuals; (3) adult females are territorial and juveniles disperse to find a new territory and reach sexual maturity. A fragmented landscape was assumed to occur: individuals can live in favourable or unfavourable patches.

4
The model was a compartmental model; the population was structured into susceptible or infectious individuals. We considered two age classes, juveniles and adults, and two sites (populations) connected by juvenile dispersal.

5
Model dynamics accurately predicted the cyclic trend in disease prevalence as observed in epidemiological studies. They also showed that indirect transmission significantly increased the probability for the virus to persist during the low-density period of the host population. More precisely, even a low survival rate of the virus outside the host was sufficient to decrease extinction risk of the infection by stochastic events.

6
Elasticity analysis showed a high robustness of the model to changes in the parameters of indirect transmission but a high sensitivity to changes in adult density.


Polynesian and Micronesian languages inherited a decimal number system from Proto-Oceanic, and individually extended it on one or more dimensions: in length by adding terms for larger numbers, in breadth by specifying numeral classifiers for certain objects (prevailing in Micronesia), and in factor by introducing a larger counting unit (prevailing in Polynesia). Specific counting systems are characterized by a combination of these features: They are based on larger counting units (multiplication function) and apply to certain objects only (object specificity). This paper surveys the distribution of each extension type in Polynesian and Micronesian number systems, characterizes the features that they share, and analyzes the constitutive role that numeral classifiers play for specific counting systems. It is concluded that in most of these languages, number systems are composed according to similar principles, while the divergence in classifiers, objects of reference, and factors chosen results from cultural adaptations, some of which might have been responses to socioeconomic requirements and served purposes of cognitive facilitation.


An analog power-system simulator developed for research and education at Waseda University is discussed. It allows system dynamic analyses to be done easily and gives an overall understanding of the events comprising the analyses. Structurally, the simulator consists of a power system block and a digital control block. Programmable controllers are used for the digital control block, making it convenient to design control function blocks and to record events. >


Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of skin which is non-infectious in origin. It is characterized by erythematous plaques (of well defined margins) with silvery scale on extensor surface and scalp. This disease not only affects patient's physical appearance but also disturbs the mental and social health, as the lesions appears externally which are embarrassing. In Ayurveda the disease Ekakushtha resembles more with the characteristics of psoriasis. Ekakustha is described as Vata-Kaphaj disease. The exact aetiology of this disease is unknown but it is believe that there are many factors(like genetic, dietary, immunological and psychological)which helps in precipitation of this disorder. There is no treatment available for complete cure of Psoriasis. The use of various drugs such as corticosteroids, anthalin, psoralen and ultraviolet rays is recommended by modern science. which supress the immune system (if used for long time) and have negative impact on body. In Ayurveda repeated Shodhan Chikitsa (Purificatory processes) and Shaman Yogas (Pacifying) are mentioned in treatment of Kushtha (Skin diseases) . Shodhan Chikitsa (Purificatory processes) is able to give satisfactory results in Ekakustha and also used for prevention of many disorders and promotion of healthy life.A lot of work has already been done for psoriasis keeping Vaman Karma (emesis) and Virechan Karma (purgation) as the main procedures, In the present work there is a new approach towards use of Basti karma will also discussed along with these two, as the Vatadosha is suggested to be a main Dosha (among all three Doshas) in creating the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The combined effect of all the three procedures was found very effective and clinically safe as no adverse drug reactions were reported during treatment period.


A growing problem in the remote sensing community concerns the estimation of change-points in a time series of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Although the methodologies of change-point estimation have already been investigated in the literature, there are, to the best of our knowledge, no study on the expected performance for the estimation of change-points in a Wishart distributed time series. This is mainly due to the fact that few results exist on change-point estimation performance in the mathematical literature: the classical central limit theorem does not apply and the classical Cramer-Rao Bound does not exist due to the discrete nature of the parameters. To fill this gap, this paper proposes to use a lower-bound on the Mean Square Error (MSE) with fewer regularity conditions. To this end, recent works on hybrid Cramer-Rao/Weiss-Weinstein bound have been adapted to the specific SAR problematic of interest. Since estimation strategies usually rely on a set of parameters which have to be set by the user, we show how the proposed lower bound allows performing an appropriate tuning. Moreover, the proposed bound is computationally efficient which enables an extensive analysis without a high computational cost.


Political education can play a crucial role in the process of democratization precisely because it is moulding the norms and expectations of the 'ordinary' citizen. After identifying three politico‐cultural obstacles to democratization, ‐ exclusion, violence and institutional manipulation ‐ the article explains how education for democracy programmes might undermine these obstacles. An assessment of several projects follows, including a new school curriculum and non‐governmental organization programmes among young people and poor communities. Given the enthusiasm shown towards such initiatives, it is paradoxical that levels of formal political participation via the parties are very low. The article explores the credibility gap of the parties, especially notable during elections, and which is leading the parties to respond by adopting more participatory practices at the base. El Salvador is in an advantageous position precisely because of its greatest problem: the lack of a liberal democratic history which ...


Emphasis on the advantages of breast-feeding to the infant and to the nursing mother has been accompanied by resurgent interest in this practice. Although breast-feeding has many desirable features, the needs of the lactating mother and her nursing infant may not always be complementary. Possible competition between the mother's requirement for adequate contraception and the infant's nutrition or maturation is an important example. For this reason, the relationship between breast-feeding and various forms of contraception has been reviewed.
 LACTATIONAL AMENORRHEA
 Nursing mothers experience lactational amenorrhea of longer duration than postpartum amenorrhea of women who do not breast-feed their infants.1-3 In addition to a decline in maternal estrogen levels following delivery, hyperprolactinemia— enhanced by suckling—facilitiates the onset of breast milk production.4,5 Depending to some extent on the frequency of breast-feeding, modestly raised prolactin levels may be maintained for several or many months post partum.4,6-8 Many studies suggest that prolactin exerts antagonistic effects on the secretion and actions of gonadotropins, and lactational amenorrhea seems to parallel the presence of hyperprolactinemia.7,8 As breast-feeding continues, the prolactin levels usually return to normal, with some episodic increases occurring in response to suckling. The contraceptive action provided by breast-feeding alone is well established. When breast-feeding is used exclusively and amenorrhea exists, ovulation usually does not occur before the end of the tenth postpartum week.3 However, this contraceptive effect is not universal; 5% to 10% of women with lactational amenorrhea become pregnant, and an even greater proportion of nursing mothers who have reinitiated menstruation become pregnant.2,9 These data indicate that women who want to breast-feed and also avoid pregnancy need to use contraception for complete protection, beginning about four to five weeks post partum when breast-feeding is firmly established.9


Rationale: If society wishes to improve the health status of the population, food plays an important role. One way of influencing diets is to inform the citizens about the health consequences of eating different types of food. However, this type of information only works if the citizens actually include the health effects in their considerations when they purchase foods. An important question is therefore whether health is important enough for the individual to actually influence choices when purchasing food, and whether people are willing to pay extra for health. Objective: The objective of this paper is to investigate revealed preferences for health, by comparing actual purchases of milk for households with different perceptions of health effects of organic foods. If households that perceive organic food as healthier purchase more organic milk than others, this means that health plays a significant role in choice of foods. Methodology: The observed purchases of milk come from a large Danish panel of households who report all purchases of food once a week (GfK ConsumerScan - Denmark). For milk the 'diary'-data include information about the fat contents, whether the milk was organic, the price and the quantity of the milk purchased. Once a year the households report information about socio-demographics such as age, income and education. In 2002 a questionnaire about perception of organic foods was issued to the panel. In order to measure trust in health effects of organic products the question "Do you perceive the rules regarding organic production as good enough to create improvements for your own or your family's health" was included in the questionnaire. The answers to this question are used to distinguish households with and without trust in positive health effects of organic foods. The data used in the estimation cover a period of six months, and more than 1,700 households. More than 1,000 of these households also answered the questionnaire about organic foods. The estimations are conducted by mixed multinomial logit (MMNL), and investigate the effect of price and fat contents on purchase behaviour. Income, urbanisation, level of education and the perception of health related to organic foods are also included for each household. Results: The choice of organic versus conventional milk is significantly influenced by the perception of the health effect of organic foods. Households who perceive organic foods as healthier are more likely to purchase organic milk, and they therefore have a higher willingness to pay than other households. This indicates that health plays an important role when purchasing foods. Conclusion: Stated perception of health related to specific food products follows the consumers into the stores and influences their actual choice of foods. This is encouraging news for the governments who try to change the daily diet of their citizens in a more healthy direction. If the information campaigns succeed in influencing the perception of foods they are also likely to change the behaviour of the citizens and thereby their diet.


The mining process in public blockchains with the Nakamoto consensus protocol requires solving a computational puzzle, i.e., proof-of-work, which is resource expensive to implement in lightweight devices with limited computing resources and energy. Thus, renting mining service from cloud providers becomes a reasonable solution, which is called cloud mining. This enables users who want to mine, i.e., miners, to purchase and lease an amount of hashing power from the cloud/edge providers without any hassle of managing the infrastructure. In this paper, we study the interactions among the cloud/edge providers and miners in blockchain using a multi-leader multi-follower game-theoretic approach, in order to support proof-of-work based blockchains application. Due to the inherent complexity of the formulated game, we employ the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) algorithm to investigate the optimum solution. Utilizing the decomposition characteristics and fast convergence of ADMM, we obtain the optimum results in a distributed manner. Simulation results demonstrate that with the proposed solutions, the optimization of the utilities of miners and the profits of providers can be jointly achieved.


Legal history found that the practice of judicial review has been long recognized in the Muslim community starting the period of the propthet Muhammad Rasullah Saw hundreds years ago long before Justice John Marshall of the United States of America's Supreme Court in 1803 made a decision for a constitutional case 'writ of mandamus' filed by Marbury. The US Supreme Court declared the Judiciary Act 1789 was against the Article II Section of 2 of the US Constitution. The propthe Muhammad saw was remined by Allah SWT for his statement that over the prophtet ojection to use honey as medicine was against the holly Quran. The holly Quran is the hightest-ranked sources of law in Islam. In term of the Perda Syariah should be no objection as long it is line with the holy Quran and no doubt the Perda should also considered in line with the 1945 Constituion Key words : Islamic law created by local government


We examine whether clickers affect learning in an introductory economics course when introduced on a limited 'quizzing' basis in a traditional lecture course. Based on early and end of semester surveys, we assess whether clickers are associated with changes in student course performance or changes in student engagement. Using an education production function that controls for student GPA, etc., we find no significant differences between the clicker and nonclicker sections in student attitudes toward attendance, participation or class engagement, nor do we find any difference in exam performance. We conclude instructors should be cautious patching new technologies into traditional lecture courses, and universities cautious in mandating technology use.


The thesis examines the trope of anamorphosis as a formal dimension of art practice and as a critical tool for exploring subjective vision. Anamorphosis is a technique of perspective that produces a distorted image that may only be corrected and made coherent when viewed from a specific angle. In order to re-form an oblique anamorph, it is necessary to view the image from a position that is markedly different from the conventional, frontal viewpoint. This process of eccentric viewing relies on the observer of the work to actively locate the viewing position that will re-form the image and confer meaning. The beholder of anamorphic images becomes aware of herself as a viewing subject and consequently, this act of viewing affirms the construction of vision as reflexive and self-critical. The thesis takes as its point of departure the claim of the influential art critic and theorist, Rosalind E. Krauss that the art practice of the German-American artist Eva Hesse, specifically the work, Contingent, 1969, represented a reinvention for its own time of an anamorphic condition through a mutual eclipse of form and matter. Krauss deploys the device of anamorphosis as a means of addressing the problematic of the relationship between the categories of painting and sculpture, and the debates into which Hesse's work intervened during the late 1960s. The thesis outlines the history of anamorphosis and its relation to geometric perspective from its genesis in the Renaissance to contemporary artists' engagement with anamorphic strategies of disruption. The psychoanalytical model of vision proposed by Jacques Lacan deploys anamorphosis as an exemplary structure in the elaboration of the gaze. The thesis discusses various dimensions of the anamorphic in art practice since 1970, with reference to works by Hannah Wilke, Richard Hamilton, Rachel Whiteread, Christine Borland and Shirazeh Houshiary.


INTRODUCTION
Antibiotic prophylaxis is a standard procedure in obstetric surgery and has been discussed in various investigations. Use of treatment is judged by high efficacy and good tolerance.

METHOD
In 300 patients undergoing cesarean sections we compared results of application of Piperacillin 4 g and Piperacillin/Tazobactam 4.5 g after cut of umbilical cord. Tazobactam/Piperacillin is a combination of a broad-spectrum penicillin and a beta-lactamase inhibitor with increased toxicity against staph. aureus, enterobacter, and other germs responsible for local and systemic infections in obstetric surgery.

RESULTS
We did not observe any severe adverse effects. Rate of severe wound infections was 1.3 % (Tazobactam/Piperacillin) and 2 % (Piperacillin alone). The difference showed no statistic significance (p > 0.01). During postoperative course we found a higher increase of CRP (p < 0.01) in the Piperacillin group. CRP proved to be a useful objective parameter to distinguish between patients with or without postoperative infections. No differences were found in the number of leucocytes, time in hospital and other parameters.


The technology of face recognition is a well-known subject. This paper presents a face feature extraction method based on MB-LBP. In this method, by means of pre-locating the feature points, a Multi-Block Local Binary Pattern (MB-LBP) is intensively studied and related algorithm implemented. The proposed method is then tested by using Yale face database, and how MB-LBP scale (or size of training set) influences on the face recognition results is explored. Evaluation results confirm that the implemented algorithm is both valid and effective under certain conditions.


False data injection attacks have recently been introduced as an important class of cyber attacks against smart grid's wide area measurement and monitoring systems. These attacks aim to compromise the readings of multiple power grid sensors and phasor measurement units in order to mislead the operation and control centers. Recent studies have shown that if an adversary has complete knowledge on the power grid topology and transmission-line admittance values, he can adjust the false data injection attack vector such that the attack remains undetected and successfully passes the residue-based bad data detection tests that are commonly used in power system state estimation. However, in this paper, we explain that a realistic false data injection attack is essentially an attack with incomplete information due to the attackers lack of real-time knowledge with respect to various grid parameters and attributes such as the position of circuit breaker switches and transformer tap changers and also because of the attacker's limited physical access to most grid facilities. We mathematically characterize false data injection attacks with incomplete information from both the attacker's and grid operator's viewpoints. Furthermore, we introduce a novel vulnerability measure that can compare and rank different power grid topologies against such attacks. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first study to investigate false data injection attacks with line admittance uncertainty.


Aluminium alloys are used for important applications in reducing the weight of the component and structure particularly associated with transport, marine, and aerospace fields. Grain refinement by scandium (Sc) addition can eliminate the casting defects and increase the resistance to hot tearing for high strength aluminium alloys. FSP for cast aluminium alloys have been focused and it has great advantages including solid state microstructural evolution, altering mechanical properties by optimizing process parameters. These parameters are tool rotational speeds (720, and 1000 rpm), traverse speeds (80, and 70 mm/min), and axial compressive force  at 15 kN, etc. The mechanical properties had been evaluated on FSPed aluminium alloy with different microstructural conditions. Fracture properties of aluminium alloys are very important for industrial applications. Tensile and fracture toughness properties were correlated to microstructural and fractographic features of the aluminium alloys need to explore their essential failure mechanisms.


In this study we report on the isolation and biological characterization of a 23.6-kDa protein from the venom of the western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox. Primary structural analysis shows the protein to be composed of a spacer/disintegrin-like domain and a cysteine-rich domain. The sequence is identical to the same carboxy-terminal domains found in the C. atrox metalloproteinase, catrocollastatin, and hence we termed the protein catrocollastatin-C. We estimate that catrocollastatin-C represents at least 0.5% of the total protein in C. atrox venom. The protein is an inhibitor of collagen-stimulated but not ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation. Reduction and alkylation of catrocollastatin-C causes a loss of platelet aggregation inhibitor activity. A synthetic, cyclic peptide designed from the catrocollastatin-C disintegrin-like domain has potent platelet aggregation inhibitory activity. This suggests that the corresponding region in the disintegrin-like domain of the protein is at least partially responsible for the inhibition of platelet aggregation previously reported for the protein. These studies underscore the biochemical and functional complexity of crotalid snake venoms due to differential proteolytic processing of precursor proteins and how the processed precursor fragments may contribute to the observed pathological effects of the venom.


Due to technological evolution with improved diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities, it is now possible to accurately diagnose and treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from a very early stage, with consequent better prognosis. The introduction of percutaneous ablative procedures, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) allowed to provide the least invasive approach, with fewer complications and improved renal preservation, and the quickest recovery available when compared with surgical techniques, widening clinical indications and increasing treatment options.


Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is a public education and advocacy group
founded in 1961 and dedicated to medical professionals' opposition to nuclear
weapons. In the early 1960s, many Boston-area doctors shared their concerns over
the threats posed by the nuclear arms race. They founded a small study group that
met at the home of Dr. Bernard Lown, a Harvard cardiologist. The group largely
comprised psychiatrists and community health specialists and was mostly academic.
It soon became formally known as PSR, and the group's first significant activity was
to prepare a series of articles for the New England Journal of Medicine , a nationally
and internationally renowned medical journal. Despite the political conservatism
of the journal'.s publisher-the Massachusetts Medical Society-and the novel nature
of the enterprise, the papers were published as a symposium entitled "The Medical
Consequences of Nuclear War" in May 1962. This was the first substantial body of
research on the likely effects of a nuclear war between the superpowers and its
potential biological, physical, and psychological impact.


Reproducing, exchanging, comparing, and building on each other's work is foundational to technology advances.1 Advancing biotechnology calls for reliable reuse of engineered strains.2 Reliable reuse of engineered strains requires reproducible growth and productivity. To demonstrate reproducibility for biotechnology, we identified the experimental factors that have the greatest effect on the growth and productivity of our engineered strains.3–6 We present a draft of a Minimum Information Standard for Engineered Organism Experiments (MIEO) based on this method. We evaluated the effect of 22 factors on Escherichia coli (E. coli) engineered to produce the small molecule lycopene, and 18 factors on E. coli engineered to produce red fluorescent protein (RFP). Container geometry and shaking had the greatest effect on product titer and yield. We reproduced our results under two different conditions of reproducibility:7 conditions of use (different fractional factorial experiments), and time (48 biological replicates performed on 12 different days over four months).


Although occupied submersibles have played an essential role in the discovery and study of hydrothermal ecosystems at depths ranging from 1500–3500 m, operational constraints at great depths have meant that the wide chemical and thermal diversity of the hydrothermal environments have long remained poorly defi ned. In the last decade, use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to substantially extend dive time and development of a new set of dedicated instruments have greatly expanded our capacity to characterize seafl oor hydrothermal habitats at the interface between hydrothermal fl uid and seawater. In particular, major breakthroughs in the fi eld of in situ chemical sensing and highpressure experimentation have led to a much better understanding of the adaptation of invertebrate species to their extreme environment.


The spinel crystal system, AB 2 O 4 , has been fertile ground in studying the effects of magnetic and orbital frustration. The experimental findings, with primary focus on neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques, are hereby reviewed in spinels with magnetic B ions. Highlighted are novel collective phenomena, such as the zero-energy excitation mode in the spin liquid phase, zero-field and field-induced novel phase transitions, the emergence of complex local spin entities, and heavy fermionic behaviors. Such a diversity in the exotic properties stems from their close proximity to critical points among degenerate states and a delicate balance among different degrees of freedom such as spin, orbital, and lattice.


The vascular supply of the proximal, middle, and distal parts of the petiole were studied in 11 caesalpinioid species with the aim of documenting any changes in vascular anatomy that occurred within and between the petioles. The characters that proved to be taxonomically useful include vascular trace shape, pericyclic fibre forms, number of abaxial and adaxial vascular bundles, number and relative position of secondary vascular bundles, accessory vascular bundle status, the tendency of abaxial vascular bundles to divide, distribution of sclerenchyma, distribution of cluster crystals, and type of petiole trichomes. There is variation between studied species in the number of abaxial, adaxial, and secondary bundles, as seen in transection of the petiole. There are also differences between leaf trace structure of the proximal, middle, and distal regions of the petioles within each examined species. Senna italica Mill. and Bauhinia variegata L. show an abnormality in their leaf trace structure, having accessory bundles (concentric bundles) in the core of the trace. This study supports the moving of Ceratonia L. from the tribe Cassieae to the tribe Detarieae. Most of the characters give valuable taxonomic evidence reliable for delimiting the species investigated (especially between Cassia L. and Senna (Cav.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby) at the generic and specific levels, as well as their phylogenetic relationships.


A new treatment is proposed to handle a deflection limit in the open-loop-onset-point (OLOP), which is commonly used in the prediction of pilot in-the-loop oscillation (PIO) due to a rate saturation. The new approach is motivated by the frequency response of a stand-alone actuator in that, unlike the suggestion by the original OLOP procedure, the rate limit onset is not delayed to a higher frequency by a deflection limit. Indeed, if a feedback control loop is closed, the rate limit onset can be shifted to a lower frequency since the controller tends to react with larger commands when deflection limited. The amplitude of the command at this onset frequency is combined with the deflection limit to estimate the associated gain reduction in the open-loop-onset-point in the final step of the OLOP process. The comparison of the new approach with the previous method reveals that an inaccurate optimism which can occur in the previous method is corrected by the proposed treatment.


The genetic model for maturity in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a series of near-isogenic lines, but they do not span the natural variation for early maturity. The objectives of this study were to determine if a single gene in OT98-17 controls early maturity and if this is a new locus. A cross was made between 'Maple Presto' and OT98-17, an early-maturing Maple Presto-derived backcross line. A total of 201 F 3 progeny rows from this population and Maple Presto were grown at Ottawa, ON, in 1999. In 2000, F 4 progeny rows were grown and 150 late-maturing and 51 early-maturing families were observed to fit a 3:1 ratio (n = 201, X 2 = 0.01, P = 0.90). The early-maturing allele was transferred to a 'Harosoy' background, and isolines were grown from 2002 to 2006 at Ottawa, ON. The isolines were 9 and 6 d earlier maturing in Maple Presto and Harosoy backgrounds, respectively. To determine the independence of this locus, simple sequence repeat molecular markers were used to identify three candidate regions. The gene E8 specifically mapped to linkage group C1 between Sat_404 and Satt136. No other maturity gene has been mapped to this region. The two other candidate regions were both related to maturity quantitative trait loci on molecular linkage group L and may be inadvertently selected along with early maturity. The gene symbol E8e8 has been assigned by the Soybean Genetics Committee. E8E8 results in later maturity and e8e8 results in early maturity. The earliest Harosoy maturity isoline is now rated as maturity group 000.


Independent component analysis (ICA) is a powerful computational tool for separating independent source signals from their linear mixtures. ICA has been widely applied in neuroimaging studies to identify and characterize underlying brain functional networks. An important goal in such studies is to assess the effects of subjects' clinical and demographic covariates on the spatial distributions of the functional networks. Currently, covariate effects are not incorporated in existing group ICA decomposition methods. Hence, they can only be evaluated through ad-hoc approaches which may not be accurate in many cases. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical covariate ICA model that provides a formal statistical framework for estimating and testing covariate effects in ICA decomposition. A maximum likelihood method is proposed for estimating the covariate ICA model. We develop two expectation-maximization (EM) algorithms to obtain maximum likelihood estimates. The first is an exact EM algorithm, which has analytically tractable E-step and M-step. Additionally, we propose a subspace-based approximate EM, which can significantly reduce computational time while still retain high model-fitting accuracy. Furthermore, to test covariate effects on the functional networks, we develop a voxel-wise approximate inference procedure which eliminates the needs of computationally expensive covariance estimation. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated via simulation studies. The application is illustrated through an fMRI study of Zen meditation.


A method for collecting an isotopically representative sample of CO2 from an air stream using a zeolite molecular sieve is described. A robust sampling system was designed and developed for use in the field that includes reusable molecular sieve cartridges, a lightweight pump, and a portable infrared gas analyzer (IRGA). The system was tested using international isotopic standards (13C and 14C). Results showed that CO2 could be trapped and recovered for both δ13C and 14C analysis by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), respectively, without any contamination, fractionation, or memory effect. The system was primarily designed for use in carbon isotope studies of ecosystem respiration, with potential for use in other applications that require CO2 collection from air.


Anotation In my Bachelor's Work we introduced two branches of law: business law, which regulates so-called "professional" relations, and civil law, based on the essential principle of equality of all participants in the legal relationship. We have briefly outlined development of these branches of law, showing their sources and interrelation. These branches of law diffuse into and amend each other and it is not possible for any of them to work just by itself. If some legal relation or action is not regulated in the sources of the business law, it is resolved using the civil law, i.e. Civil Code and its provisions. LEX SPECIALIS – LEX GENERALIS Through our investigation and by studying the referred literature, we came to the conclusion that legal regulations of these two branches of law are often duplicate, fragmented, but also different, and thus (to a large extent) confusing for citizens, which may generate disputes, speculation and mistrust of citizens in the legal system. In the 21st century, such sources of law should be unified based on a monistic model. The uniform regulations would then lead to satisfaction and sense of trust and security of citizens, in both commercial and civil legal relations.


Summary

Cryopreservation of sperm and larvae of the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) was carried out to assess their performance characteristics using methods commonly employed in fish spermatozoa and other oyster species. Sperm was cryopreserved in Calcium-free Hanks' balanced salt solution in the presence of cryoprotectants methanol and dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) at concentrations of 5 or 10%. The highest post-thaw motility (progressive: 3 ± 6%, static: 8 ± 10%) was observed with 10% DMSO with a noted decrease in comparison to fresh sperm (progressive: 13 ± 6%, static: 63 ± 23%). Membrane integrity of spermatozoa was measured by live-dead fluorescent staining. The highest percentage of membrane-intact cells (60 ± 6%) was also observed when 10% DMSO was used. A 30-min exposure of trochophorae and veliger larvae to 5, 10, 15 or 20% DMSO was carried out to test the toxicity of this cryoprotectant on early life stages, resulting in the highest survival of veligers (99 ± 2%) exposed to 10% DMSO. Cryopreservation of veligers was carried out in two steps [(i) at 13 cm above the level of liquid nitrogen for 10 min, (ii) 10 cm for 12 or 23 min] in the presence of 5 or 10% DMSO. The highest post-thaw survival of larvae (59 ± 31%) was observed at 12 cm of the second step and 10% DMSO. However, none of the larvae survived for 24 h after thawing probably due to the inaccuracies of the freezing protocol, thus, further studies are needed to standardize cooling conditions.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the incidence of bleeding in critically ill children with malignancy and to describe associated patient characteristics, interventions, and clinical outcomes.

DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.

SETTING
PICU in a specialized cancer hospital.

PATIENTS
Children with malignancy or hematopoietic cell transplant 0-18 years of age were admitted to the PICU from November 2020 to November 2021.

INTERVENTIONS
None.

MEASUREMENTS
Patient demographic data, laboratory values, and PICU outcome data were collected. Bleeding was classified according to the Bleeding Assessment Scale in Critically Ill Children.

MAIN RESULTS
Ninety-three bleeding patients were enrolled, and a total of 322 bleeding days were recorded. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 5.8 (2.9-11.8) years and 56% (52/93) of the patients were male. There were 121 new bleeding episodes, in 593 at-risk person-days, translating into a 20% incidence rate per day (95% CI, 17-24%). The incidence of severe, moderate, and minimal bleeding was 2% (95% CI, 1-3), 4% (95% CI, 3-6), and 14% (95% CI, 12-17), respectively. Of the new bleeding episodes, 9% were severe, 25% were moderate and 66% were minimal. Thrombocytopenia was the only laboratory value independently associated with severe bleeding (p = 0.009), as compared to minimal and moderate bleeding episodes. History of radiation therapy was independently associated with severe bleeding (p = 0.04). We failed to identify an association between a history of stem cell transplant (p = 0.49) or tumor type (p = 0.76), and bleeding severity. Patients were transfused any blood product on 28% (95% CI, 22-34) of the bleeding days. Severe bleeding was associated with increased length of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.003), longer PICU stays (p = 0.03), and higher PICU mortality (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS
In this prospective cohort of children with malignancy, the incidence rate of bleeding was 20%. Most events were classified as minimal bleeding. Low platelet count and radiation therapy were variables independently associated with severe bleeding episodes.


Relating cell response to stimulus parameters is an important analytic method by which neural systems are understood. We inferred neurally encoded stimulus parameters by training artiicial neural networks to predict single cell response to auditory stimuli. A relatively simple time-delay architecture modeled each cell. For three cells, models successfully predict response to complex song stimuli based on optimization using much simpler artiicial stimuli. For these models, average error predicting song response is less than 40% of the cell's response variance. Model parameters are directly comparable to stimulus parameters and thereby estimate a neuron's spectro-temporal receptive eld. We show that variation in model parameters can be used to assess cell sensitivity to stimulus parameters.


Phenol formaldehyde was filled with glass powder (GP) to optimize the strength and impact toughness of the composite for structural applications by a research center at the University of Southern Queensland. To reduce costs, the center wished to fill as much of the glass microspheres as possible to maintain sufficient strength and impact toughness in the composites in structural applications. In this project, we varied the weight percentages of the GP in the composites, which were then subjected to tensile tests. The best weight percentage of GP that could be added to the phenolic resin to give the optimum yield, tensile strengths, Young's modulus, and cost was found to be about 10%. The contribution of this study was the finding that if the tensile properties are the most important factors to be considered in the applications of the composites, GP is not a suitable filler.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Tissue factor (TF) expression increases cancer stem cell (CSC) activity in breast and lung cancer. There are ongoing studies focused on targeting CSCs via anti-TF treatment, for breast and lung cancer therapy. Herein, the aim was to determine whether targeting TF could have an anti-CSC therapeutic role in colorectal cancer (CRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Evaluation of colonosphere-forming efficiency (CFE) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) expression level was used to quantify CSC activity in two CRC cell lines, after TF knockdown (TFKD) or TF over-expression (TFOE).

RESULTS
TFKD resulted in increased levels of ALDH in SW620 (1.31±0.04-fold, p<0.001) and DLD-1 (1.63±0.14-fold, p=0.04) cells. CFE was increased in SW620 (1.21±0.23% vs. 2.03±0.29%, p=0.01) and DLD-1 (0.41±0.12% vs. 0.68±0.9%, p=0.01) cells. Conversely, TFOE decreased ALDH expression (0.72±0.04-fold, p=0.001) and CFE (0.33±0.05% vs. 0.66±0.14%, p=0.006) in DLD-1, but had no impact on SW620 cells.

CONCLUSION
In the examined CRC cell lines, TF expression was inversely related to CSC activity suggesting that anti-TF therapies may not have a role in CRC treatment.


Endothelial damage is a critical step in the development of (xeno) transplantation‐related and cardiovascular pathology. In humans, the amount of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) correlates to disease intensity and functions as a valuable damage marker. While (xeno) transplantation and cardiovascular research is regularly performed in porcine models, the paucity of antibodies against porcine endothelium epitopes hinders the use of CEC as damage marker.


The view is commonly held that calcium salts inhibit the formation of effusions. The literature dealing with the experimental work on this subject seems to indicate that calcium is extremely effective for that purpose. It has not proved so in clinical practice in the manner in which the calcium salts are generally given. In a previous paper, 1 I described experiments that confirm the view that the calcium salts inhibit the formation of experimental exudates and pointed out some of the limitations that might readily vitiate the clinical usefulness of this antagonism. From that study, it appeared evident that the absolute inhibitory effect of the calcium salts is rather limited; that it depends on the dose of calcium and the intensity of the irritation; that an extremely large dose of calcium is necessary to inhibit the effects of moderate irritation, and that the effect of more intense irritation is practically uninfluenced


In many jurisdictions, the existence and contents of patent applications are unknown to third parties until the application is published by the patent office at least 18 months after the initial filing. The patent applicant can expedite this public awareness of the existing application and the respective technology by announcing the patent application before its automatic publication. In our model, the applicant balances a negative effect of disclosure on its informational advantage in the short run (value of secrecy) with a positive long-run effect stemming from potential deterrence of a rival's R&D (value of deterring innovation). We give conditions under which announcing the pending patent deters a rival's innovation. We show that, in equilibrium, the applicant's decision to announce and the rival's decision to innovate are non-monotonic in the strength of the application and the strength of the patent.


The Lima field, located offshore in North West Java Indonesia, encountered major challenges to both drilling and cased off problematic zone during running casing operation due to severe lost circulation conditions. Specifically, severe mud losses in the major loss zone were recorded in Pre-Parigi formation. The operator has experienced massive loss problems while drilling the 8-1/2 inch section. Unsuccessful sidetracking operations with conventional drilling technique has urged operator to look for alternative drilling methods to case off the massive thief zone. The drilling with casing system has been identified as one drilling technique that may repairthe troublesome thief zone. This non-retrievable system, which utilizes casing as drill string, allows the string to immediately be cemented in place once targeted depth is achieved, hence eliminating the risk of casing tripping failure through massive lose zone with conventional drilling method. The special designed aluminum crown casing bit is drillable by subsequent section conventional bit without additional clean out trip. This paper will discuss the planning, implementation and finally the results of 7 inch drilling with casing technique through the problematic Pre-Parigi lost circulation zone.


Care of patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the UK is divided between primary care, diabetologists and nephrology. In a retrospective analysis, we examined the distribution of care provision for patients with diabetes and CKD. Nephrology services see a minority of diabetic patients with CKD, but they see the majority of those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <30 ml/min. Of those followed in nephrology, 70% showed no evidence of progressive renal dysfunction. The nephrology cohort were significantly younger that those seen by primary care physicians or diabetologists. Half of the patients with diabetes and CKD seen in either the primary care and diabetology cohorts, with no nephrology input, had a rate of fall of eGFR of >5 ml/min/yr. This suggests that older age might deter referral to nephrology, which is based predominantly on CKD stage. This results in a significant proportion of patients with stable renal function being seen by nephrology, and in the under-referral of a large cohort of patients with progressive CKD.


We refer to a multimedia environment, consisting of workstations and servers connected by a network dealing with video and audio streams. These streams require Real-Time (RT) handling. Fortunately the requirements are not so demanding as those in Hard Real Time (HRT) systems. Therefore resources are easier to obtain and less restrictive in use. This implies a more relaxed behaviour of workstation kernels with respect to timeliness and opens the possibility of having a better average use of resources. Such a kernel may (1) respond in an opportunistic way by serving the most demanding process immediately and not caring about the others or it may (2) make flexible Quality Of Service (QoS) contracts with applications. In case of emergency it should be possible to break a contract. Both types of kernels are considered and (dis)advantages are compared.


Backgroud Data are limited about the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on prognosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) and the 3-year outcomes in such population.Methods 377 ACS patients with HFmrEF (left ventricular EF 40–49%) underwent PCI (132 diabetic and 245 nondiabetic patients) were included into analysis. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of all-cause death or HF rehospitalization. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier test were used to assess the effect of diabetes on the primary outcome. Sensitivity analysis was conducted with propensity score-matching analysis.Results During a follow-up of three years, diabetic patients had a higher incidence rate of the primary outcome than nondiabetic patients (96.1 vs. 44.6 per 1000 patient-years, incidence rate ratio 2.301, 95% confidence interval 1.334–3.969; P=0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that diabetes mellitus was associated with a significant increase in the composite outcome of all-cause death or HF rehospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio 2.080, 95% confidence interval 1.115–3.878, P=0.021). Sensitivity analysis further confirmed that diabetes mellitus was an independent prognostic factor of long-term adverse outcome for ACS patients with HFmrHF who underwent PCI (adjusted hazard ratio 3.792, 95% confidence interval 1.802-7.980, P<0.001).Conclusions Among ACS patients with HFmrEF underwent PCI, complicating with T2DM was significantly associated with worse long-term outcomes.


BackgroundAdverse effects of vaccines are common, yet the reaction to vaccines widely varies between people. Companies provide an adverse effects list of their products. Adverse reactions might indicate the effectiveness of vaccines and that the immune system is responding. Case presentationIn this study, we present unusual side effects of the Pfizer/BioN-Tech vaccine. The patient had severe continuous pain related to the lower left first molar after the second dose of the Pfizer/BioN-Tech vaccine. The symptoms are typically resembling symptomatic apical periodontitis cases.ConclusionPfizer/BioN-Tech vaccine might lead to symptoms that mimic symptomatic apical periodontitis. The patient who develops such symptoms shortly after the covid -19 vaccine without an apparent cause should be assured and kept under observation for one to two weeks. A tentative diagnosis and treatment plan should be considered in the follow-up visit.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract probably resulting from an aberrant immune response to luminal microbial antigens in a genetically predisposed host. Despite significant progress in the understanding and treatment of IBD, patients have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. We have previously shown that CD24 plays an important role in the multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis and that it may be a target for chemoprevention and antitumor therapy (Sagiv, Gastroenterol, 2006; Sagiv, Can Res, 2008; Shapira, Gastroenterol 2011). However, the role of CD24 in mediating colitis has not been elucidated. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CD24 gene have been associated with disease risk and progression in autoimmune diseases and may impact breast cancer prognosis.

Aim: Evaluate whether CD24 SNPs are associated with a risk for IBD.

Methods: The CD24 polymorphisms: C170T (rs8734), TG1527del (rs3838646), A1626G (rs1058881) and A1056G (rs1058818) were assessed in a case-control study of an Israeli cohort comprising 138 IBD patients and 105 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed using BstX1, Bsr1, Mfe1, and BstU1 restriction enzymes, respectively. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by logistic regression models.

Results: C170T carriers had more IBD (OR=3.022, 95% CI: 1.748-5.223, p=0.001): UC (OR=3.002, 95% CI: 1.661-5.427, p=0.001) and CD (OR=3.077, 95% CI: 1.334-7.095 p=0.008). Carrying the A1626G and A1056G SNPs was a risk factor for IBD: OR=2.460, 95% CI: 1.420-4.259, p=0.001 and OR=1.856, 95%: 1.011-3.405, p=0.01, respectively, specifically UC: OR=2.218, 95% CI: 1.207-4.075, p=0.01 and OR=1.944, 95% CI: 0.995-3.798, p=0.01, respectively, but not for CD (p=0.086, p=0.299). A1626G and TG1527del were associated with a younger age of IBD onset (p=0.022, p=0.027, respectively).

Conclusions:

1. The CD24 C170T polymorphism is associated with IBD risk.

2. CD24 A1626G and A1056G SNPs might be specifically associated with UC risk.

3. CD24 SNPs associated with an earlier onset of IBD (A1626G and TG1527del) may have a protective role.

4. CD24 may be a new IBD genetic susceptibility factor, with clinical implications in the prediction of IBD phenotype, the course of the disease, and colitis-associated cancer.

Citation Format: Victoria Lisiansky, Sarah R. Kraus, Inna Naumov, Dina Kazanov, Ilana Nabiochtchikov, Ohad Toledano, Moshe Leshno, Doran Avivi, Menachem Moshkowitz, Iris Dotan, Nadir Arber. CD24 polymorphisms and susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3645. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3645


To the Editor. —We read with interest about the patients, as described by Keane, 1 with repetitive, spontaneous downward and inward movements followed by a slower than normal return to the primary position. Keane suggested that these patients did not have true ocular bobbing and he termed the movements "pretectal pseudobobbing." We would like to suggest that these patients did in fact have true (albeit atypical) ocular bobbing 2 in association with other signs of midbrain dysfunction, specifically convergence spasm. This possibility is suggested by a similar patient with increased intracranial pressure who manifested a spontaneous ocular movement similar to that in Keane's patient with intermittent downward and inward jerks followed by a slower than normal return to the primary position, as well as true typical ocular bobbing without a convergent movement and intermittent convergence spasms without any downward component. Report of a Case. —A 60-year-old man was well until


Digital watermarking has been proposed for copyright protection of multimedia data. Most current researchers focus on the robust watermarking techniques to embed a perceptually invisible watermark in the image without considering the multiple ownership deadlock problem of the watermarked image. We propose a digital watermark technique to resolve the rightful ownerships of a digital image. The original image is processed by a standard hash algorithm to generate a hash value, which can be viewed as the fingerprint of the image. The hash value is used as a secret key for a standard encryption algorithm such as data encryption standard (DES) or the advanced encryption standard. (AES). A meaningful watermark is then encrypted by the standard encryption algorithm We then develop a robust technique based on wavelet transform to embed the encrypted watermark in the image. In our simulation, we use the secure hash algorithm SHA and the block cipher RC6, which was a candidate of the AES, to encrypt the watermark. Experimental results shows that the proposed method can be effective and robust to resolve the rightful ownerships of digital images.


Introduction: uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the female genital tract. They associate a varied symptomatology, from the absence of symptoms to more disabling bleeding or pain [1,2]. There are multiple treatments directed against different targets such as ulipristal acetate which has proven effective in reducing the size of the fibroids and their symptoms [7]. Our preliminary study seeks to find the relationship between ulipristal acetate and angiogenesis of uterine fibroids, by measuring ultrasound vascularization of the fibroid throughout the treatment. Material and Methods: A prospective observational study has been designed, in which 24 patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids have been included and given 4 cycles of Ulipristal Acetate. The size and vascularization of the fibroids were measured at the beginning and end of treatment; as well as on several occasions throughout the follow-up. Myoma vascularization was measured by power doppler 3D ultrasound through different parameters that define the vascularization in a more objective way: Vascularization Index (VI), Flow Rate (FR), Flow Vascularization Index (FVI). Result: A significant reduction in the size of the fibroids has been observed, as well as their vascularization in terms of vascularization indices measured by 3D PW ultrasound. These changes were evident at the end of treatment and were maintained over time. Conclusion: There is a correlation between myoma vascularization and treatment with Ulipristal Acetate. SPRMs may provide effective treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids by two ways: supports selective progesterone receptor modulators and reduced angiogenesis. In addition, the use of vascularization markers of 3DPW ultrasound and the colour map allow us to monitor the response to medical treatment of myomas in a non-invasive and easily reproducible way.


Baby Boomers and the Vietnam War: A Life Course Approach to Aging Vietnam Veterans Miles Steven Marsala Department of Sociology, BYU Master of Science The sheer size of the baby boomer cohort has prompted a great deal of research on life outcomes and potential social strain or benefit of such a large cohort. A major contingency for the baby boomers was the experience of the Vietnam War. Many young men had their life course trajectories interrupted when they were drafted to military service or enrolled in college in an effort to evade the draft. This study uses the Life Family Legacies data to investigate how the Vietnam War may have affected later-life health outcomes of this cohort. Comparing physical health as captured by activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), this study found that baby boomer veterans' outcomes are similar to those of their nonveteran peers. When comparing mental health outcomes by prevalence of PTSD, findings show that those veterans who served in combat or combat support units are much more likely to show persistent signs of PTSD. Findings from this study suggest that the effects of combat are a crucial distinction when comparing outcomes between veterans and nonveterans.


Industrial sector currently increasing along with the development of technology based on computer. To achieve the objective 3 latest technologies are produced consists of Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). These technologies in industrial sector are used to reduce time, quality guarantee and cost optimization in the development of the product.This project is developed to define the optimal tool types in developing a processing machine of coconut milk. The Mastercam 8.1.1 software is used to design the product and generate NC code in 3 dimensions to be used in the development of the product.This software also provides design, mill, lathe and wire applications. Therefore, the optimization has to be concerned in choosing the suitable tool types and machine parameter because it will affects the cost and time of the product development. Expected outputs from this project are product design, graph tool table, NC code, simulation and final product. Research and analysis on the characteristics of the product need to be done to meet the user need if it will be produced soon. This project involves the actual manufacturing process held at the faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM) and Circle Spin Precision Engineering.


The chromosome numbers and morphology in 92 populations belonging to 49 species and three varieties in the genus Delphinium L. (Ranunculaceae), mostly from the Hengduan Mountains region of south-west China, were studied. Forty seven species and three varieties were diploid, with 2n = 16, one species was tetraploid, with 2n = 32, and one species had diploid and tetraploid cytotypes. Three species had B chromosomes, representing the first time the occurrence of B chromosomes has been reported in the genus. The karyotypes of all the diploid species were quite uniform, commonly bimodal, and usually consisted of one pair of large median-centromeric (m), one pair of large submedian-centromeric (sm), five pairs of medium-sized subterminal-centromeric (st), and one pair of smaller sm (rarely st) chromosomes. The low incidence of polyploids in Delphinium from the Hengduan Mountains region indicates that polyploidy has played a minor role in the speciation of this highly diversified genus in the region. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 172–188.


This research studies Chinese students' choice of transnational higher education in the context of the higher education market. Through a case study of the students in the transnational higher education programs of W University, the research finds that Chinese students' choice of transnational higher education is a complicated decision-making that is influenced by push factors related to domestic higher education and overseas higher education, pull factors related to transnational higher education and student's characteristics such as economic condition, academic aptitude, and future plans. Compared with domestic higher education and overseas higher education, transnational higher education is a second choice. It is being used by the majority of students as a tool to regain access to high-quality domestic higher education institutions and to gain access to overseas higher education. Currently, there exist information gaps between students and transnational higher education programs, which prevent students from making an informed decision when they choose a particular program.


diol were measured.2 We found no consistent pattern of hormonal or electrolyte change in the five subjects, and no consistent pattern of weight change in relation to menstruation. Interestingly, no obvious natriuretic effects were observed in any of the patients during progesterone administration, even (in one subject) with daily intramuscular injections of 100 mg progesterone. I believe that both our failure to find any consistent changes and the inconsistent progesterone findings of Mr O'Brien and other workers3 4 are a reflection of at least two factors. Firstly, it is difficult to elucidate the aetiology of any condition until one has an accurate definition of the condition. There are many problems in defining the type, timing, and intensity of premenstrual symptoms. Sampson and Jennerl report on a control study in which 71% of subjects reported premenstrual symptoms, 82% recorded significant changes in fluid retention premenstrually, and 53% had significant changes in mood premenstrually. The suggestion is therefore that some mood and fluid retention changes are normal and not pathological. Where then is the borderline between "normal" and "'having premenstrual syndrome?" Clinical studies5 6 find that the majority of women actively seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms are parous and in their later reproductive years (30-50 years). However, many of the studies on the aetiology of premenstrual syndrome were undertaken on women who were not actively seeking help, their age range is younger, and they are childless. Most studies use different definitions of "premenstrual syndrome" and because of this results from differing studies are not comparable. Secondly, the failure to find one consistent aetiological factor for premenstrual syndrome is that, as in other psychosomatic disorders, many aetiological factors are implicated. It appears logical that in a disorder which fluctuates regularly in relation to menstruation there will be hormonal changes which both precede and follow the symptoms of the disorder. Our understanding of the normal physiological and psychological changes of menstruation is growing and, hopefully, we will with time be able to quantify which physiological and psychological changes are normal and which become abnormal in that group of women we classify as having premenstrual syndrome. GWYNETH SAMPSON


Additive manufacturing (AM) of metal has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years by employing a variety of techniques. Among them, selective laser melting (SLM) of metal exhibits advantages in terms of its capabilities to build complex geometries, good surface finish, and high dimensional accuracy. Due to these benefits, SLM has demonstrated the ability to create metallic parts that can be applied in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. However, most parts are geometrically complex with curved surface features, which would be difficult to be fabricated through traditional manufacturing methods. In order to increase the adoption and effectiveness of SLM for metal parts fabrication, the as-built surface finish and dimensional accuracy of the parts with curved surface features should be well understood. Great attempts have been made to investigate the surface texture of SLM as-built parts with various surface types. Most investigations characterize the surface texture of SLM-fabricated specimens with planar surface features. However, little is known about the surface finish and dimensional accuracy of SLM-fabricated metal parts with curved surfaces. Directly applying knowledge derived from planar surfaces to curved ones can be misleading. In this work, stainless steel 316L parts with curved surface features were built using SLM to examine the surface finish and dimensional accuracy. The results showed that 11 surface texture variables were significant at five different curvatures and the three most significant roughness variables were Sk, Spc, and Vmc. It was found that curvatures C1 and C5 significantly differed from the other curvatures (C2, C3, and C4) in all the 11 surface texture variables. In addition, the thickness of the as-built curved surface part at varied curvature locations would be almost constant.


The preparation Craviten (M-71) produced by POLFA Pharmaceutical Works in Cracow (2S, 2'S) N, N'-dimethyl-N, N'-bis-[1-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyloxy)-butyl]-2-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride) prevents and abolishes heart rhythm disturbance induced in the rat with BaCl2, CaCl2, adrenaline or aconitine. The doses effectively preventing arrhythmia development were in the range from 0.035 to 0.175 mg/kg. They are many times lower than the doses of lidocaine, hexobendine, procaine amide and D,L-propranolol producing a similar effect. Craviten has a much more favourable therapeutic index than these antiarrhythmic agents. Craviten causes sinus bradycardia and slows down myocardial conduction. It exerts a spasmolytic effect about 70 times as strong as papaverine. It has no influence on the central nervous system, on urine excretion, and after topical application it has no irritating or local anaesthetic effect. The 2R, 2'R isomer of Craviten has a similar profile of pharmacological action but its antiarrhythmic and spasmolytic effects are many times weaker.


Scientists and researchers in many disciplines frequently resort to modeling and model–based reasoning to concretize abstract ideas, to simplify and clarify complex phenomena, to predict trends, and to explain mechanisms and processes. National projects working to reform science education explicitly recommend the development of an appreciation for the centrality of models in the teaching and learning of science. This article describes a model–centered, computer–supported, semester–long science curriculum for middle–school students designed to encourage conceptual understanding and to foster the development of model–based reasoning skills. In the Model–based Analysis and Reasoning in Science (MARS) project, an attempt is made to create an environment conducive to fostering conceptual understanding and reasoning about scientific phenomena that involve "balance of forces." Visual models that are dynamic and interactive are presented not only to concretize abstract ideas but also as reasoning tools that give students the leverage to solve problems in a variety of contexts. This model–centered curriculum focuses on a network of concepts important for understanding hydrostatics; that is, floating and sinking, as an exemplar for the general principle of balance of forces. How students understand these concepts and use models as a disciplinary resource to engage in chains of reasoning that integrate concepts into networks of relations is of special interest for study. How students use that understanding in new situations within the same explanatory system is also being studied. A major pedagogical question is how middle–school students can be taught to engage in model–based reasoning, a form of reasoning that scientists routinely use. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.


We have previously produced transgenic mice carrying the human renin gene, whose expression is regulated in a tissue-specific manner. In the present study, we further characterized expression of the transgene. Northern blot analysis showed that the human renin gene is expressed in the kidney but not in the liver of two lines of transgenic mice with 10 and 50 copies of the transgene, suggesting that the integrated copy number of the human renin gene does not influence the dominant-renal expression pattern. Immunohistochemical study using a monoclonal antibody specific for human renin demonstrated that expression of human renin in the transgenic mouse kidney is confined to the epithelioid juxtaglomerular cells. Transfection experiments indicated that the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion gene containing the 3-kb upstream sequences of the renin gene is activated only in human epithelioid embryonic 293 cells derived from kidney but not in human HepG2 cells from liver. These findings suggest that transfer of the cloned renin gene into mice and in vitro cultured cell lines can give rise to cell type-specific expression.


Pediatric clinical pharmacists are an integral part of the health care team. By practicing in an ambulatory care clinic, they can reduce the risk of medication errors, improve health outcomes, and enhance patient care. Unfortunately, because of limited data, misconceptions surrounding the role of pharmacists, and reimbursement challenges, there may be difficulty in establishing or expanding pediatric clinical pharmacy services to an ambulatory care setting. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of considerations for establishing or expanding pharmacy services in a pediatric ambulatory care clinic. The primer will discuss general and pediatric-specific pharmacy practice information, as well as potential barriers, and recommendations for identifying a practice site, creating a business plan, and integrating these services into a clinic setting.


Epigenetic regulation, has been very scarcely explored in familial breast cancer (BC). In the present study RASSF1A and RAR beta promoter methylation and miR17, miR21, miR 124, and let‐7a expression were investigated to highlight possible differences of epigenetic regulation between male and female familial BC, also in comparison with sporadic BC. These epigenetic alterations were studied in 56 familial BC patients (27 males and 29 females) and in 16 female sporadic cases. RASSF1A resulted more frequently methylated in men than women (76% vs. 28%, respectively, P = 0.0001), while miR17 and let‐7a expression frequency was higher in women than in men (miR17: 66% in women vs. 41% in men, P < 0.05; let‐7a: 45% in women vs. 15% in men, P = 0.015). RASSF1A methylation affected 27.6% of familial BC while 83% of familial cases showed high expression of the gene (P = 0.025); on the contrary, only 17% of familial BC presented RAR beta methylation and 55% of familial cases overexpressed this gene (P = 0.005). Moreover, miR17, miR21, and let‐7a resulted significantly overexpressed in familial compared to sporadic BC. RASSF1A overexpression (86% vs. 65%, P = 0.13) and RAR beta overexpression (57% vs. 32%, P = 0.11) were higher in BRCA1/2 carriers even if not statistical significance was reached. BRCA mutation carriers also demonstrated significant overexpression of: miR17 (93% vs. 35%, P = 0.0001), let‐7a (64% vs. 16%, P = 0.002), and of miR21 (100% vs. 65%, P = 0.008). In conclusion, the present data suggest the involvement of RASSF1A in familial male BC, while miR17 and let‐7a seem to be implied in familial female BC. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1264–1269, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Objective Asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI) is a predominant form of cognitive impairment in young HIV-infected patients. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder have not been clarified. We aimed to evaluate the altered patterns of functional brain activity in young HIV-infected patients with ANI by quantifying regional homogeneity (ReHo) and region of interest (ROI)-based functional connectivity (FC). Methods The experiment involved 44 young HIV-infected patients with ANI and 47 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neurocognitive tests. Reho alterations were first explored between the ANI group and HC groups. Subsequently, regions showing differences in ReHo were defined as ROIs for FC analysis. Finally, the correlation of ReHo and FC with cognitive function and clinical variables was assessed. Results Compared with HCs, ANI patients had a significant ReHo decrease in the right lingual gyrus (LING. R), right superior occipital gyrus (SOG. R), left superior occipital gyrus (SOG. L), left middle occipital gyrus (MOG. L), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG. R), cerebellar vermis, ReHo enhancement in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG. L), and left insula (INS L). The ANI patients showed increased FC between the LING. R and MOG. L compared to HC. For ANI patients, verbal and language scores were negatively correlated with increased mean ReHo values in the MFG.L. Increased mean ReHo values in the INS. L was positively correlated with disease duration—the mean ReHo values in the LING. R was positively correlated with the abstraction and executive function scores. Increased FC between the LING. R and MOG. L was positively correlated with verbal and language performance. Conclusion The results suggest that the visual network might be the most vulnerable area of brain function in young HIV-infected patients with ANI. The middle frontal gyrus, cerebellar vermis, and insula also play an important role in asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment. The regional homogeneity and functional connectivity of these regions have compound alterations, which may be related to the course of the disease and neurocognitive function. These neuroimaging findings will help us understand the characteristics of brain network modifications in young HIV-infected patients with ANI.


The research is proposing a new way of tackling the process of creation of e-learning solutions as interactive environments by integrating and undertaking the software engineering approach based on e-learning indicators. The study proposes and recommends as starting point in any e-learning initiative assessment, measurement and evaluation of concepts and factors that influence e-learning further represented as e-learning indicators. The main research was focused towards software engineering 3 (three) different e-learning interactive environments based on e-learning indicators approach taking into consideration theories of learning and pedagogical approach in their development. The main focus was set on assessing and evaluating the e-learning indicators and based on them designing and building the e-learning software solutions. In order to further analyze issues and propose solutions several e-learning software solutions are designed and build and further analyzed as case study experiments. Also a methodology for evaluation of the e-learning effectiveness is also proposed and assessed. This research makes several contributions: First it proposes a new development methodology called e-learning indicators methodology approach to creation of e-learning software solutions. Secondly it proposes an assessment and evaluation novel methodology called ELUAT (E-learning Usability Attributes Testing) and as measuring instrument the PET (predefined evaluation tasks) inspection technique and gives insights and evaluation of their usage. Thirdly it investigates different learning approaches: 1) the content-oriented, 2) the tool-oriented, and the 3) task-oriented approach and analyses of these models in supporting: project, problem and task based learning.


In this paper, we study the rainbow Erdős-Rothschild problem with respect to 3-term arithmetic progressions. We obtain the asymptotic number of $r$-colorings of $[n]$ without rainbow 3-term arithmetic progressions, and we show that the typical colorings with this property are 2-colorings. We also prove that $[n]$ attains the maximum number of rainbow 3-term arithmetic progression-free $r$-colorings among all subsets of $[n]$. Moreover, the exact number of rainbow 3-term arithmetic progression-free $r$-colorings of $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is obtained, where $p$ is any prime and $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is the cyclic group of order $p$.