Epileptic seizures are manifestations of epilepsy, a serious brain dynamical disorder second only to strokes. Of the world's /spl sim/50 million people with epilepsy, fully 1/3 have seizures that are not controlled by anti-convulsant medication. The field of seizure prediction, in which engineering technologies are used to decode brain signals and search for precursors of impending epileptic seizures, holds great promise to elucidate the dynamical mechanisms underlying the disorder, as well as to enable implantable devices to intervene in time to treat epilepsy. There is currently an explosion of interest in this field in academic centers and medical industry with clinical trials underway to test potential prediction and intervention methodology and devices for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This invited paper presents an overview of the application of signal processing methodologies based upon the theory of nonlinear dynamics to the problem of seizure prediction. Broader application of these developments to a variety of systems requiring monitoring, forecasting and control is a natural outgrowth of this field.


A golden retriever was presented with a prolonged history of a persistent lameness of the hindlimbs and the recent development of a plantigrade stance. Radiography showed bilateral chronic changes associated with the origins of both the lateral and medial heads of the gastrocnemius muscles. Surgical correction was carried out sequentially, with good results three months postsurgically and after a three-year follow-up.


We examined changes in the abundance of immature Aedes aegypti at the household and water storage container level during the dry-season (June-July, 2008) in Tri Nguyen village, central Vietnam. We conducted quantitative immature mosquito surveys of 171 containers in the same 41 households, with replacement of samples, every two days during a 29-day period. We developed multi-level mixed effects regression models to investigate container and household variability in pupal abundance. The percentage of houses that were positive for I/II instars, III/IV instars and pupae during any one survey ranged from 19.5–43.9%, 48.8–75.6% and 17.1–53.7%, respectively. The mean numbers of Ae. aegypti pupae per house ranged between 1.9–12.6 over the study period. Estimates of absolute pupal abundance were highly variable over the 29-day period despite relatively stable weather conditions. Most variability in pupal abundance occurred at the container rather than the household level. A key determinant of Ae. aegypti production was the frequent filling of the containers with water, which caused asynchronous hatching of Ae. aegypti eggs and development of cohorts of immatures. We calculated the probability of the water volume of a large container (>500L) increasing or decreasing by ≥20% to be 0.05 and 0.07 per day, respectively, and for small containers (<500L) to be 0.11 and 0.13 per day, respectively. These human water-management behaviors are important determinants of Ae. aegypti production during the dry season. This has implications for choosing a suitable Wolbachia strain for release as it appears that prolonged egg desiccation does not occur in this village.


The present study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the direction and selectivity of an appropriately modified version of shoulder flexion is dependent upon initial angles of shoulder abduction. Analysis indicated that initial small angles of shoulder abduction were associated with longer electromyographic (EMG) durations of the agonist (anterior deltoid) muscle. Moreover, as initial angles became smaller, EMG onsets of the antagonist (posterior deltoid muscle) occurred nearer to those of the agonist. Modulations of duration of the agonist EMG activity can be explained by changes in amplitude of movement. Two possible interpretations of the changes of EMG onset of the antagonist in accordance with different initial angles of shoulder abduction are considered. One concerns the effect of the change on the load of the upper limb, dependent on different angles of shoulder abduction. The second concerns the changing role of the antagonist to a synergist, dependent upon decreased initial angles of shoulder abduction prior to the shoulder flexion. Based on the present findings, it is suggested that angles of shoulder abduction are an important determinant of agonist-antagonist muscle activity of the deltoid during flexion of the shoulder.


The aim of this study was to produce resistant starch (RS) from a combination of acid hydrolysis and autoclaving-cooling processes of sago starch. This study compared two methods of starch modification to produce RS, i.e. (1) acid hydrolysis treatment followed by autoclaving-cooling cycles (AH-AC), and (2) autoclaving-cooling cycles followed by acid hydrolysis treatment (AC-AH). The acid hydrolysis used 1 and 2% HCl while autoclaving-cooling process consisted of three-cycle of autoclaving at 121°C for 30 min followed by cooling at 4°C for 72 hrs. Both AH-AC and AC-AH modification methods decreased starch content, altered amylose and amylopectin ratio, and increased RS contents. Both modification methods also yielded nearly flat pasting profiles at both heating and cooling phases as compared to that of native sago starch. At the same HCl concentration, the AH-AC process yielded a higher RS content than that of AC-AH. Among all treatments, the acid hydrolysis treatment using 1% HCl followed by three cycles of autoclaving-cooling process yielded the highest RS content (74.28%). The crystallinity of RS was also lower than of native sago starch, but its A crystalline type remained the same.


We demonstrate the production of high-density cold 87Rb samples (2 x 10(14) atoms/cm3) in a simple optical lattice formed with YAG light that is diffracted from a holographic phase plate. A loading protocol is described that results in 10,000 atoms per 10 microm x 10 microm x 100 microm unit cell of the lattice site. Rapid free evaporation leads to a temperature of 50 microK and phase space densities of 1/150 within 50 ms. The resulting small, high-density atomic clouds are very attractive for a number of experiments, including ultracold Rydberg atom physics.


Although from a life course perspective women's retirement timing can be expected to be related to family events earlier in life, such as childbirth and divorce, empirical insights into these relationships are limited. Drawing on three-wave panel data, collected in 2001, 2006-2007, and 2011 among Dutch female older workers (N=420) and if applicable their partners, this study examines retirement intentions and behavior in relation to past and proximal preretirement family experiences. The results show that women who postponed childbearing and still have children living at home during preretirement years intend to retire relatively late, as well as ever divorced single women, even when controlling for established correlates of retirement. Women who repartnered after a divorce do not differ from continuously married women in terms of their retirement intentions. Only few of the predictors of retirement intentions also predicted actual retirement behavior. Generally, the results highlight the importance of the notion of linked lives for understanding women's retirement processes.


How do cannabis and opioids work together? What are we seeing in the clinic and how can we explain what we're seeing? Opioid and cannabinoid receptors are both present in pain areas of the brain. Receptors can be thought of as keyholes. And when the drug – the cannabinoid or the opioid – comes in, it fits into the receptor and it has some effect on the cell, changing its physiology. Opioid and cannabinoid receptors are also both present in other areas of the brain that have to do with addiction and behavior. We know that these receptors talk to each other. And researchers have found that administering opioids and cannabis together results in a greater-than-additive anti-pain effect.


A rapidly growing evidence showed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in tolerance to coagulation factors and may be involved in the pathogenesis of inhibitor formation in patients with hemophilia. We determined the percentage of Tregs (CD4+CD25+CD127−) in 45 children with hemophilia A compared with 45 healthy controls, and assessed their relation to the clinical characteristics of patients and factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors. Patients were studied stressing on frequency of bleeding attacks, joint pain, history of viral hepatitis, and the received therapy (FVIII precipitate/cryotherapy). FVIII activity and FVIII inhibitors were assessed with flow cytometric analysis of CD4+CD25+CD127− Tregs. According to residual FVIII activity levels, 30 patients (66.7%) had mild/moderate hemophilia A, whereas 15 (33.3%) patients had severe hemophilia A. The frequency of Tregs was significantly lower among all patients with hemophilia A compared with controls (2.59 ± 1.1 versus 3.73 ± 1.12%; P = 0.002). Tregs were significantly decreased among patients with FVIII inhibitors compared with the inhibitor-negative group (P < 0.001). Patients with hematuria or severe hemophilia A had lower Tregs levels than those without (P = 0.34 and P = 0.011, respectively). A significant positive correlation was found between the percentage of Tregs and FVIII among hemophilia A patients. ROC curve analysis revealed that the cut-off value of Tregs at 1.91% could differentiate patients with and without FVIII inhibitors, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 91.3%. We suggest that alteration in the frequency of Tregs in young patients with hemophilia A may contribute to inhibitor formation and disease severity.


This study explored 5-6 year-old children's conceptual understanding of one geometric shape, the triangle. It focused on whether children could draw a triangle from memory, and identify triangles of different types, sizes, and orientations. The data were collected from 82 children attending state preschool programs through a one-on-one interview, during which children completed five paper-pencil tasks. Findings showed that the majority of the children (93%-96%) successfully identified a prototyped triangle. Approximately half of the children experienced difficulties in identifying triangles of different sizes, types, and orientations. The most difficult area was identifying types of triangles, where an isosceles triangle and a right triangle were presented, followed by identifying triangles in different orientations, specifically flipped and rotated ones. Children appeared to identify and classify the triangle relying on the visual prototype. These findings provide support for the Prototyped Theory, van Hiele theory, and for works by Clement and colleagues.


Abstract. Assessing the rarity and magnitude of very extreme flood events occurring less than twice a century is challenging due to the lack of observations of such rare events. Here we develop a new approach, pooling reforecast ensemble members from the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) to increase the sample size available to estimate the frequency of extreme local and regional flood events. We assess the added value of such pooling, determine where in Central Europe one might expect the most extreme events, and evaluate how event extremeness is related to physiographic and meteorological catchment characteristics. We work with a set of 234 catchments from the Global Runoff Data Center for which performance of simulated floods is satisfactory when compared to observed streamflow. We pool EFAS-simulated flood events for 10 perturbed ensemble members and lead times from 22 to 46 days, where flood events are only weakly dependent (< 0.25 average correlation across lead times). The resulting large ensemble (130 time series instead of one) enables analyses of very extreme events, which occur less than twice a century. We demonstrate that such ensemble pooling produces more robust estimates with considerably reduced uncertainty bounds (by ~80 % on average) than observation-based estimates but may equally introduce biases arising from the simulated meteorology and hydrological model. Our results show that specific flood return levels are highest in steep and wet regions and are comparably low in regions with strong flow regulation through dams. Furthermore, our pooled flood estimates indicate that the probability of regional flooding is higher in Central Europe and Great Britain than in Scandinavia. We conclude that reforecast ensemble pooling is an efficient approach to increase sample size and to derive robust local and regional flood estimates in regions with sufficient hydrological model performance.


Indigenous contributions to governance in health informatics can be drawn from cultural concepts such as Kaitiakitanga. This paper explores Kaitiakitanga, its potential implementation in the New Zealand health sector, and its distinctions and contributions to our thinking. In essence, by introducing a stronger position on ethics, values and quality when managing health data, Kaitiakitanga will optimise the benefits to both Maori and non-Maori. 3 Generic term to describe Indigenous people of Aotearoa / New Zealand. The paper asks about the relevance and usefulness of indigenous models of governance and whether they can be applied in a contemporary setting. In doing so, the intention is to identify how these models might solve problems and achieve benefits. After decades of unsuccessful attempts to positively shift the status of health for Maori, we must ask whether more control by Maori over information about Maori will make a difference. Kaitiakitanga enables us to explore Maori perspectives and insights about health and information and calls for stronger inclusion of Maori in decisions. It acts as a framework to address ongoing and complex issues such as collective ownership, the responsible publication of data, and whether benefits in health for Maori can be explicitly declared and met. In addition, some discussion on perspectives about information and technology reveal that their related disciplines are not only within the reach of Maori but are simplistic as industry definitions do not include wider concepts of knowledge and understanding. The implementation of Kaitiakitanga must take into account Te Tiriti as a tool by which we can measure benefits, make use of existing structures within Maori societies, and consider the roles and responsibilities of Kaitiaki boards and their members. Aspirations would include Maori achieving mastery of information and technology so that their decisions are well informed and are being made at all levels; the need to address the Tiriti productively by balancing the rights and needs of Maori even within a limited statutory framework; and the need to validate and promote Maori concepts that return degrees of control and self-determination.


OBJECTIVE
In the Netherlands the incidence of melanomas in situ and thin invasive melanomas is rising more quickly than that of thicker melanomas. Our aim was to gain insight into this increase and to test the hypothesis that it is attributable to over-diagnosis.

METHOD
We analysed data taken from the Netherlands Cancer Registry on all primary melanomas diagnosed between 1994 and 2010. We assessed trends in European standardised rates (ESR) using joinpoint analysis, and expressed these trends as estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Thin melanomas were subdivided into four subgroups.

RESULTS
Between 1994 and 2010, 34 156 persons were diagnosed with melanoma in situ or thin invasive melanoma. The incidence of melanoma in situ doubled during this period, with an acceleration in incidence in men from 2004, and in women from 2007. In men the ESR of thin melanoma doubled, whereby the thinnest category (< 0.25 mm) rose more quickly, but not significant compared to the other Breslow thicknesses ≤ 1 mm. In women, the ESR of thin melanomas nearly doubled, with the exception of the thinnest melanoma.

CONCLUSION
Between 1994 and 2010, the incidence of melanomas increased steadily. In part, this was a real rise as a result of increased exposure to ultraviolet rays. However, from 2006 the incidence of melanomas in situ and thin invasive melanomas in men has risen comparatively more quickly. This could point to over-diagnosis, but also to increased awareness, early detection, a diagnostic shift from benign to malignant lesions and changes in the Dutch health care system.


Introduction: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an alteration in brain function brought on by external trauma. Computed Tomography (CT) scanning is the mainstay diagnostic modality for evaluating the primary injury, as well as secondary events such as oedema, mass effect, herniation, infarction, etc., which are often catastrophic and responsible for morbidity and mortality. Early cerebral infarction, unless large and in a defined vascular territory, is quite likely to be missed on CT scans and can even be confused with cerebral oedema. In the diagnosis of early infarctions, especially the lacunar types, the detection rate of lesions with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is significantly higher than that of CT. Aim: To observe the incidence, distribution, and pattern of Post-traumatic Cerebral Infarction (PTCI) and its association with neurological deterioration. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 55 patients with head injuries admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery were evaluated between 72 to 96 hours posttrauma using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain (1.5 Tesla Siemens). Observations were made regarding the presence and pattern of any infarction, as well as its impact on the patients. Results: Post-traumatic early cerebral infarction was detected in 19 out of 55 (34.5%) patients. Infarct distribution was observed in nearly all defined vascular territories, with the most common occurrence in the Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) territory. Neurological deficit was observed in four out of 19 infarcted cases during the hospitalisation period. Conclusion: Post-traumatic early cerebral infarction is common in head injuries and can lead to neurological deterioration. MRI is sensitive in detecting infarcts, especially the lacunar ones.


This study examines state certification requirements for regular and vocational teachers regarding students with disabilities, disadvantages, and multicultural backgrounds. Certification offices of the Department of Education of every state and the District of Columbia responded. In addition, the perceptions of State Vocational Special Needs Supervisors toward these certification requirements, and their states' methods of support for vocational teachers are reported. Discussion and conclusions are presented.


Cu powder extrusion developed in this work is aimed to be a pilot processing technique to plausibly replace conventional metal extrusion, which is higher in energy consumption and hence causes negative environment impact. In this study, both spherical- and irregular-shape Cu powders were used. 5 different binder formulae comprising low density polyethylene (LDPE); paraffin wax; and stearic acid of 25:70:5, 30:65:5, 35:60:5, 40:55:5 and 45:50:5 by weight were studied. Wettability between the binders and Cu powder of all formulae observed by naked eye appeared to be satisfactory. The binders were then mixed with 60% by volume of Cu powder. Rheological properties, observed using a capillary rheometer with 2 mm diameter orifice at 95°C, determined that the last 2 formulae gave sufficient green strength in the extrudate. However, only the latter binder formula gave extrudate with smooth surface. Downward extrusion with 45 cm distance from the die gave straight extrudates and no any distortion or warpage was found. Solvent debinding conditions using hexane at 40, 50 and 60°C were studied. The debinding at 50°C was the most effective in dissolving the binder and ensured that the Cu powder remained intact. The 15 cm-long Cu extrudates were sintered in H2 atmosphere at 1030°C for different times. Density and tensile strength of the sintered extrudates were determined.


The operation of a high-pressure, piston-plunger fuel pump oriented for use in the common rail circuit of modern diesel engines for providing fuel to the injectors is investigated in this study from a numerical perspective. Both the suction and pressurization phases of the pump stroke were simulated with the overall flow time being in the order of 12 × 10−3 s. The topology of the cavitating flow within the pump configuration was captured through the use of an equation of state implemented in the framework of a barotropic, homogeneous equilibrium model. Cavitation was found to set in within the pressure chamber as early as 0.2 × 10−3 s in the operating cycle, while the minimum liquid volume fraction detected was in the order of 60% during the second period of the valve opening. Increase in the in-cylinder pressure during the final stages of the pumping stroke leads to the collapse of the previously arisen cavitation structures and three layout locations, namely, the piston edge, the valve and valve-seat region and the outlet orifice, were identified as vulnerable to cavitation-induced erosion through the use of cavitation aggressiveness indicators.


Several studies have been carried out to investigate the effect of Lanthanum (La3+) ion substitution on the structural and magnetic properties of manganese-chromium (Mn-Cr) ferrite of chemical formula Mn LaxCr Fe2O4(x=0.0, 0.25 and 0.5). Such studies have made efforts to improve the magnetic and structural properties of manganese-chromium (Mn-Cr) ferrite by using lanthanum substituted nano ferrites and then synthesized using the sol-gel method and annealed at a temperature of 700oC. The changes that occurred in the structure of the nano ferrites as a result of lanthanum substitution were identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Based on Debye-Scherrer equation, the XRD data were used in measuring the particle sizes of different diffraction and average crystallite size by means of Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In analyzing the morphology of the nano ferrites, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used, elemental compassion was studied using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and the average particle diameter was determined using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. FTIR spectral analysis of the prepared samples under investigations revealed the formation of a single phase spherical particles. Two important absorption bands were observed; one (ν1) around 556 cm-1, which is attributed to the intrinsic vibrations of tetrahedral complexes, while the other low frequency band (ν2) was around 430 cm-1, and attributed to octahedral complexes.


In this paper, we present detailed experimental analysis on the optical resonance transmission properties of nano-hole arrays in metallic films. Arrays of sub-wavelength holes with different periodicity (spacing between adjacent holes) in a square lattice arrangement were fabricated in optically thick metal films (Au, Ag, and Al) on a Pyrex substrate using Electron Beam Lithography. The optical transmission spectra of the nano-hole arrays were characterized in the visible and near infrared regime. The optical resonance transmission properties were observed to depend on the type of metal film and the periodicity in the lattice arrangement.


AIM
To determine the safety and effectiveness of transarterial embolization ablation (TEA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a lipiodol-ethanol mixture.

METHODS
Between January 1 and December 31, 2009, 15 patients with HCC (13 men/two women, aged 38-75 years) accepted TEA treatment and were enrolled in this study, including five newly diagnosed patients and 10 with refractory disease. Two months after TEA, angiography and contrast computed tomography (CT) were performed, and responses were assessed using a modified version of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST version 1.1). The follow-up period was to June 30, 2010.

RESULTS
Every new case was treated once. Angiography was performed immediately after TEA, and showed that the tumor-feeding vessels were completely embolized and that lipiodol was densely deposited inside tumors. Two months after treatment, contrast CT showed no enhanced lesions. Alpha fetoprotein levels returned to normal in four patients and markedly decreased in another. mean ± SD survival after treatment was 10.8 ± 4.5 mo. All five patients survived during the follow-up period. Ten patients with refractory disease were treated a total of 14 times. Angiography immediately after TEA showed that blood flow to the tumors was obviously decreased in all cases, and contrast CT showed obvious depositions of lipiodol. Two months after treatment, the tumors had shrunk (6/10) or were stable (3/10). One had progressed after 2 mo and died of tumor rupture 3 mo after TEA. mean ± SD survival after treatment was 8.6 ± 4.3 mo; two patients survived during the follow-up period. Adverse effects included reversible hepatic decompensation, upper abdominal pain, and fever.

CONCLUSION
TEA is an effective therapy for patients with HCC and might be more effective than transcather arterial chemoembolization for treating refractory disease.


Finite magnesium oxide nanotubes are investigated. Stacks of four parallel squares, hexagons, octagons, and decagons are constructed and studied by the pseudopotential density functional theory within the local-density approximation. Optimized structures are slightly distorted stacks of polygons. These clusters are insulators and the band gap of 8.5 eV is constant over an investigated range of the diameters of stacked polygonal rings. Using the Löwdin population analysis a charge transfer towards the oxygen atoms is estimated as 1.4, which indicates that the mixed ionocovalent bonding exists in investigated MgO nanotubes.


We present a method to learn the 3D surface of objects directly from a collection of images. Previous work achieved this capability by exploiting additional manual annotation, such as object pose, 3D surface templates, temporal continuity of videos, manually selected landmarks, and foreground/background masks. In contrast, our method does not make use of any such annotation. Rather, it builds a generative model, a convolutional neural network, which, given a noise vector sample, outputs the 3D surface and texture of an object and a background image. These 3 components combined with an additional random viewpoint vector are then fed to a differential renderer to produce a view of the sampled object and background. Our general principle is that if the output of the renderer, the generated image, is realistic, then its input, the generated 3D and texture, should also be realistic. To achieve realism, the generative model is trained adversarially against a discriminator that tries to distinguish between the output of the renderer and real images from the given data set. Moreover, our generative model can be paired with an encoder and trained as an autoencoder, to automatically extract the 3D shape, texture and pose of the object in an image. Our trained generative model and encoder show promising results both on real and synthetic data, which demonstrate for the first time that fully unsupervised 3D learning from image collections is possible.


One of the greatest challenges to ultrafast laser techniques these days is the possibility of tracking and controlling the electronic wave packet dynamics in atoms and molecules. To resolve these processes light pulses of a few femtoseconds or shorter are required. Moreover high energy pulses of a few femtosecond duration are expected to extend the generation of high order harmonics to the soft x-ray spectral region. Over the past few years new technology based on Ti:sapphire laser systems allowed the generation of -20-fs pulses with gigawatt',' or t e r a ~ a t t ~ ' ~ peak power. Recently a powerful pulse compression technique based on spectral broadening in a hollow fiber filled with noble gases has demonstrated capability of handling high energy pulses.5 In this work we show that combination of the hollow fiber technique with a broadband dispersive system resulted in the compression of high energy 20-fs input pulses down to 4.5 fs and output energy up to 70 pJ. These pulses are the shortest generated to date and contain less than two oscillations of the optical radiation. A Tisapphire amplifier seeded by 8-fs pulses from a Kerr-lens modelocked mirrordispersion-controlled Tisapphire oscillator provided 20-fs pulses with energies up to 300 pJ. Spectral broadening by self-phase modulation was achieved by coupling the pulses into a 160-pm diameter and 60-cm-long fused silica hollow fiber filled with krypton or argon. The hollow fiber technique combines the advantages of a guiding element with a large diameter single mode and a fast nonlinear medium with high threshold for multiphoton ionization. A typical broadened spectrum of the beam emerging from the fiber, as obtained for a krypton pressure o fp = 2.1 bar and an input peak power Po = 2 GW, is shown in Fig. 1. The spectrum extends over more than a 250 nm bandwidth. The beam was found to be diffraction limited and to maintain the same linear polarization of the input beam. Pulse compression is achieved by a double pass through two pairs ofantireflection coated, fused silica prisms of small apex angle (20") and by two reflections on a broadband chirped mirror of special design. The reduced propagation length through quartz presents the advantage of a smaller material group delay dispersion (GDD). This permits a reduction of 1.0


Objective To investigate the criminal pattern in men between 15 and 70 years of age diagnosed with 47,XXY (Klinefelter's syndrome (KS)) or 47,XYY compared to the general population. Design Register-based cohort study comparing the incidence of convictions among men with KS and with 47,XYY with age- and calendar-matched samples of the general population. Crime was classified into eight types (sexual abuse, homicide, burglary, violence, traffic, drug-related, arson and 'others'). Setting Denmark 1978–2006. Participants All men diagnosed with KS (N=934) or 47,XYY (N=161) at risk and their age- and calendar-time-matched controls (N=88 979 and 15 356, respectively). Results The incidence of convictions was increased in men with KS (omitting traffic offenses) compared to controls with a HR of 1.40 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.59, p<0.001), with significant increases in sexual abuse, burglary, arson and 'others', but with a decreased risk of traffic and drug-related offenses. The incidence of convictions was significantly increased among men with 47,XYY compared to controls with a HR of 1.42 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.77, p<0.005) in all crime types, except drug-related crimes and traffic. Adjusting for socioeconomic variables (education, fatherhood, retirement and cohabitation) reduced the total HR for both KS and 47,XYY to levels similar to controls, while some specific crime types (sexual abuse, arson, etc) remained increased. Conclusion The overall risk of conviction (excluding traffic offenses) was moderately increased in men with 47,XYY or KS; however, it was similar to controls when adjusting for socioeconomic parameters. Convictions for sexual abuse, burglary, arson and 'others' were significantly increased. The increased risk of convictions may be partly or fully explained by the poor socioeconomic conditions related to the chromosome aberrations.


Author(s): Gu, Han | Advisor(s): Cohen, Yoram; Christofides, Panagiotis D | Abstract: Dwindling fresh water supplies from traditional sources, such as surface and ground water, coupled with rapid population growth in developing countries and frequent drought conditions across the globe, have intensified the need for developing alternative and sustainable potable water supplies. In recent years, seawater and brackish water desalination and water reuse technologies have been implemented in various regions of the U.S. and around the globe as part of the movement to diversify the portfolio of available water resources. Generation of the above non-traditional water resources often involves reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane technology for desalination and as a barrier against multiple contaminants. However, membrane fouling and scaling are major impediments for robust and effective operation of membrane desalination. Membrane scaling is the result of surface crystallization of sparingly soluble mineral salts and/or the deposition of bulk-formed mineral salt crystals onto the membrane surface. Membrane surface scaling leads to water permeate flux decline and potential membrane damage, thereby limiting recovery and increasing water production cost. Membrane fouling by particulate, colloidal matter, organic, and biofoulant results in reduced membrane permeability and thus result in increased applied pressure requirement for a given target flux, decreased permeate quality, increased frequency of required chemical cleaning and consequently shortening of membrane longevity and as a consequence increased water treatment cost. In order to alleviate the adverse impact of membrane fouling and mineral scaling, the present work focused on developing a novel approach of self-adaptive operation of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalination (including pretreatment). The goal of the approach is to enable effective self-adaptive RO desalination and feed pretreatment operation even when confronted with temporal variability of source feed water quality. In this approach fouling and scale indicators are quantified in real time and the desalination plant autonomously adjust its operating conditions (e.g., triggering of cleaning cycles, coagulant dose setting, feed pretreatment operational strategy). In order to mitigate mineral scaling, a self-adaptive operation of spiral-wound RO desalting in a cyclic mode of feed-flow reversal (FFR) was evaluated for desalting of brackish water of high mineral scaling potential. Self-adaptive operation was enabled by triggering of FFR once the onset of mineral scaling was detected via a novel ex-situ membrane scale monitoring system. Subsequently, in order to ensure effective RO feed pretreatment the use of ultrafiltration (UF) was explored in a uniquely integrated UF-RO system whereby the RO concentrate was utilized for enhanced UF backwash. The RO concentrate stream was utilized (as both a continuous stream and a high flux pulse achieved using hydraulic accumulators) for UF backwash, with backwash triggering based on by thresholds levels of fouling indicators. The applicability of different fouling indicators for real time performance assessment of UF feed pretreatment and optimization of UF operating conditions (e.g., backwash duration and coagulant dosing strategy) in RO seawater desalination was explored in an extensive field study using an integrated seawater UF-RO desalination pilot plant. Fouling indictors were evaluated with respect to quantification of UF backwashability, unbackwashed fouling resistance and UF fouling rate.


Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) measurements are frequently considered as part of routine core analysis (RCA) programmes, and a fair number of MICP samples are then taken from each core brought to surface. MICP data in combination with log data are used in building saturation-height functions that in turn are necessary to calculate STOIIP and initialise reservoir simulation models. From a physics point of view, MICP has a resemblance to porous plate (PP) measurements: at a preselected number of pressure steps the amount of injected fluid is measured after equilibration, that is, when fluid movement has come to a stand-still. It is well known that PP experiments, just like other special core analysis (SCAL) measurement methods are subject to interference between capillary forces and viscous forces due to relative permeability. For that reason, state-of-the-art SCAL data are extracted from experiments through interpretation-by-simulation. In SCAL relative permeability experiments, the impact of such interpretation is often significant (e.g. residual oil saturations may reduce by 10 to 15 units). Some 40 samples have been investigated by MICP, under various measurement protocols, to study a possible saturation shift due to an interference with relative permeability similar to what is observed in other SCAL experiments. The measurements were designed using an adapted version of the license-free SCAL simulator SCORES. In line with the simulations, the experiments show that mainly recordings of the saturations of the plateau of the capillary pressure curve do not reach equilibrium conditions in conventional MICP measurements. The plateau values should be shifted to lower wetting phase saturations by 10 to 15 units. In hydrocarbon reservoirs with an extensive transition zone, the transition zone may be significantly reduced and a sizeable effect on STOIIP and therefore on reserves can be expected. The paper presents detailed information on an improved MICP measurement protocol. INTRODUCTION For many years, the industry has been aware of the mutual interference of relative permeability and capillary pressure in flow experiments. Several authors [1, 2] showed


In 2015, the Governor of Maryland cancelled a light rail project planned for Baltimore City. Around that time, governors in five states had also cancelled federally funded, mass transit rail projects. Each cancellation was similarly justified by claims that the transportation projects were unwise and unnecessary. This trend is concerning because public transportation is often crucial to low- and moderate-income people. The cancellations raise the question whether there should be some circumstances when a state should not be able to cancel transportation projects. The federal framework for public transportation funding allows seemingly unfettered discretion to cancel, while not acknowledging the perverse incentives that now exist to refuse funding for projects perceived as beneficial to stigmatized racial and class groups. Most strikingly, principles of development worked in reverse. Instead of pursuing economic development through guaranteed infrastructure investment and the multiplier potential of construction jobs and transit-oriented development likely to take place, the state decided to reject development under a rationale that such investment would be wasteful. This Essay argues that there is room in the federalism logic of the Spending Clause to ex ante consider pervasive and systemic racial hostility to public transportation and a discriminatory exercise of discretion. Federal mass transportation decision-making should be structured in a way that accounts for the pervasive, consistent, and structural hostility to Black mobility and projects perceived to benefit Black people. Because mobility is crucial to self-determination, economic survival and flourishing, the veto of rail projects like Baltimore's Red Line is an opportunity to consider the limitations of ex post racial remedies such as the equity-infused planning framework and Title VI disparate impact litigation. The Essay considers how racial equity and racial realism principles can inform the obligations of federal public transportation funding decision-making.


In this work we study an extension of a light-cone QCD-inspired model, where the interacting part of the mass squared operator consists of a harmonic oscillator potential as confinement, a Coulomb-like interaction and a zero-range spin interaction acting on the S0 states. The renormalization of the model is performed by using as a input the pion mass to fix the strength of the spin interaction. We apply the extended model to study the splitting of theS1 andS0 ground state mesons and the spectrum in the light meson sector. We show that the experimental values of the splitting between the masses of S1 andS0 ground state mesons as a function of the ground state pseudoscalar mass is reproduced by the model. In the botonium case our result is consistent with other theoretical estimates.


The angle of thoracic kyphosis tends to increase with age resulting in hyperkyphosis in some individuals. While the term "kyphotic" is occasionally used to describe someone with accentuated thoracic curvature, hyperkyphosis is preferred since kyphosis itself refers to the normal sagittal angle of thoracic curvature. Epidemiolo-gic studies have demonstrated that age-related hyperkyphosis commonly affects the elderly population with estimates ranging from 20% to 40%. In addition, hyperkyphosis affects a substantial number of older men. Apart from being a cosmetic deformity, older persons who suffer from hyperkyphosis are at increased risk for a variety of adverse health outcomes that include poor physical function, pulmonary compromise, falls, fractures, and even earlier mortality. Most clinicians and patients have assumed that thoracic hyperkyphosis is a result of underlying spinal osteoporosis, but approximately two thirds of those who are most hyperkyphotic don't have vertebral fractures. Over the past few years, there has been increased awareness and focus on potential effective treatments for age-related hyperkyphosis. Of these treatments, exercise based interventions and spinal orthoses are conservative rehabilitation management techniques that have shown promise in potentially improving health outcomes for affected patients. To date, all of these types of trials have been small in scale, and most short in duration. In the future, larger rigorously designed clinical trials will be needed to test and confirm the efficacy and feasibility of the most promising treatments for age-related hyperkyphosis. This invited review will discuss hyperkyphosis in terms of its etiology, clinical associations, and treatment in elderly individuals.


The importance of risk-taking in business ventures has been emphasised by many. Attempts to distinguish entrepreneurs on their risk-taking propensity have produced conflicting results. Data on two measures of risk-taking propensity were collected from entrepreneurs, prospective entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneur others. While the groups did not differ significantly on risk-taking propensity as measured by the Choice Dilemma Questionnaire, entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs differed significantly from others on the Magnitude of Loss Questionnaire. Similarly, entrepreneurial aspirants differed significantly from the nonentrepreneur group. These results highlight the significance of loss, an important aspect in risk-taking, which is often ignored in entrepreneurial and managerial studies. The riskiness in business ventures which has been the main stumbling block for many is not the low probability of success but the high stakes involved in entrepreneurship.


Abstract Currently, there is a paucity of research concerning the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform's Schools to Watch national school improvement program. Of the handful of existing studies, very few have examined or addressed student learning or achievement. In this this study we systematically collected and analyzed data from the 34 Illinois Horizon Schools to Watch (IHSTW) schools participating in the National Forum's Schools to Watch (STW) program. Using multiple sources of data, we examined the demographic characteristics and teacher-reported levels of best middle grades school practices in the IHSTW middle level schools that have participated in the STW program since 2003. In addition, we conducted an analysis of state-level, standardized student achievement test scores for participating IHSTW schools. We found that IHSTW schools that have participated in the program for longer periods of time demonstrated higher levels of middle school practices and standardized student achievement outcomes.


Small intestine bacterial overgrowth in patients with chronic pancreatitis Background: Previous reports describe 30-40% of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), SIBO is a cause of persistent symptoms in this group of patients even when they are treated with pancreatic enzymes. Aim: To asses the frequency of SIBO in patients with CP. Patients and methods: We studied 14 patients with CP using an hydrogen breath test with lactulose to detect SIBO, a nonabsorbable carbohydrate, whose results are not influenced by the presence of exocrine insufficiency. Main symptoms and signs were bloating in 9 (64%), recurrent abdominal pain in 8 (57%), intermittent diarrhea in 5 (36%) and steatorrhea in 5 (36%). At the same time we studied a healthy control group paired by age and sex. Results: SIBO was present in 13 of 14 patients with CP (92%) and in 1 of 14 controls (p<0.001). The only patient with CP and without SIBO was recently diagnosed and had minimal morphologic alterations in computed tomography and endoscopic pancreatography. Conclusions: SIBO is common in CP and may be responsible for persistent symptoms. Proper diagnosis and treatment could alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life (Rev Med Chile 2008; 136: 976-80). (Key words: Gastrointestinal contents; Malabsorption syndrome; Pancreatitis, chronic)


Analyses of climate measurement series from Rwandan weather stations revealed that the division into the four formerly described Rwandan climate zones is not correct any more. This could be shown in a more detailed analysis based on currently available data. In the course of discussions held with the Service Meteo Rwanda it emerged that the climate charts used in Rwandan atlases and school books are based on data covering the period from 1931 to 1960. Fortunately, since then a mass of new data have been collected, which, however, until now have only been evaluated in isolated instances for a specific local as needed. This led to the initiation of the ReCCiR project. The project's aim was to conduct a regional climatic analysis covering all of Rwanda and visualizing it on new maps.


Background: The FK506-binding protein 4 ( FKBP4 ), a tumor-related gene, plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. The study is aimed to clarify the effect of FKBP4 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Relying on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, the FKBP4 expression difference between LUAD tissues and non-tumor tissues was first detected, and verified with public tissue microarrays (TMAs), clinical LUAD specimen cohort and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort. Then, logistic regression analysis and chi-square test were applied to detect the correlation between FKBP4 expression and clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression model were utilized to evaluate the effect of FKBP4 expression on survival. Signaling pathways related to LUAD were obtained via employing Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Results: The FKBP4 expression level in LUAD samples was dramatically higher than that in non-tumor samples. High FKBP4 expression in LUAD is associated with gender, pathological stage, T classification, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. The Kaplan-Meier curve indicated a poor prognosis for LUAD patients with high FKBP4 expression. Multivariate analysis suggested that the high FKBP4 expression was a vital independent predictor of poor overall survival (OS). GSEA showed that a total of 15 signaling pathways were enriched in samples with high FKBP4 expression phenotype. Conclusions: FKBP4 may be an oncogene in LUAD, and is promised to become a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for LUAD.


Cell differentiation is achieved by sequential gene expression. Late differentiation marker genes are already regulated at the chromatin level prior to differentiation in embryonic stem cells and many cell line models. Therefore, we hypothesized that 'stem-ness' of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are programmed by epigenetic mechanisms and attempted to reveal the molecular mechanisms in hematopoietic gene expression. Histone H3 molecule, which is one of the most basic components of chromatin, has at least three variants: H3.1, H3.2, and H3.3. Previous studies have shown that one of the H3 variants, H3.3, was consistent with open chromatin structure. Here we found that the incorporation of histone variant H3.3 initiates on hematopoietic genes in HSPCs prior to differentiation. HSPC fractions were purified from C57BL/6J mouse bone marrow, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIPSeq) analysis was performed using newly-established monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize endogenous H3.3. Although previous conventional studies have demonstrated that H3.3 deposition dominantly occurred in the "gene body", our sensitive ChIPSeq analysis revealed that more than half of the H3.3 existed in the inter-genic regions around hematopoietic genes. The region of H3.3 incorporation changed during differentiation, i.e., virtually all genes were marked with H3.3 in embryonic stem cells, while all hematopoietic genes were marked with H3.3 in LSK, and more lineage specific genes were marked when cells are differentiated. Furthermore, our analysis visualized that within the regions incorporated with H3.3, transcriptionally active regions marked by H3K4me3 and repressed regions marked by H3K27me3 are mutually exclusive. These data suggest that in hematopoietic differentiation, H3.3 incorporation initiates around relatively wide ranges of hematopoietic genes, and then either of active or repressive histone modification sequentially occurs. Interestingly, in leukemic cells, such selective H3.3 incorporation appeared to be disorganized. To identify factors that induce H3.3 incorporation defect in leukemic cells, we used a public database provided by the ENCODE project. We have constructed a system to manage all these datasets and to comprehensively explore the factors closely related to H3.3. Interestingly, correlations of our H3.3 ChIPSeq data with the ENCODE transcription factors' binding site data were significantly different between analyses of AML and normal cells. By this approach, we identified hematopoietic transcription factors such as CEBPB and YY1 were associated with impaired H3.3 incorporation in AML. In addition, by comparing these transcription factors and single nucleotide variants (SNVs) obtained from Exome-Sequence, we found links between these transcription factors and particular SNVs in common pathways. These data suggest that this H3.3 ChIPSeq analysis should also be useful to extract oncogenic variants from many SNVs obtained by conventional Exome-Sequence analysis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if a Transprofessional, care-management approach (experimental group) produces different patterns of retention in home treatment as compared to a Traditional treatment approach (control group). The care-management approach utilizes an interdisciplinary mix of allied health professionals who adhere to a service delivery protocol based on active medical, surgical treatment (curative services) as well as on pain, symptoms, and emotional care (palliative services). Initially, the Transprofessional Model should lead to a greater retention rate in the program as patients bond to blended care managers, but in later stages clients needing hospice should be moved off-services resulting in lower retention rates in the medical-surgical home care venue.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING
Data were collected from 549 AIDS patients admitted for medical/surgical home-care services to the Visiting Nurse Association of Los Angeles (VNA-LA). Demographic and disease-specific data were collected from admitting records; service-utilization data were collected from the VNA-LA's computerized data system.

STUDY DESIGN
Upon admission for home-care services, patients were randomly assigned to an experimental (Transprofessional) or control (Traditional) treatment group. Service levels were comparable. PRIMARY FINDING: In the earliest stages, Transprofessional patients tend to be more likely to stay in treatment, probably due to the greater bonding to the program. After about one year, the Transprofessional patients are more likely to leave the program as they are transitioned into hospice care.

CONCLUSIONS
An integrated model of service delivery, which is based on interdisciplinary care-management and blended modalities of service, provides a quality of life enhancing and a cost-effective method in the provision of home-care services for terminally ill AIDS patients.


Abstract Extensive research exists on students who are the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education, i.e. first-generation college students. But what about first-generation students who pursue careers in education? This study highlights the experiences of first-generation college students, then graduate students, turned teachers and may shed light on how teacher preparation programs could improve persistence among first-generation college and graduate students and support this population as they embark on careers in K-12 settings. First-generation college students who become teachers frequently share demographic characteristics with students in high-need schools, i.e., many are of low socioeconomic status and/or are people of color. Thus, these teachers may help to fill a critical need as they may be more likely to persist as teachers in high-need schools, which are typically hardest to staff and have high turnover.


The problem of approximation of attractors for semidynamical systems (SDSs) in a metric space is studied. Let some (exact) SDS possessing an attractor M be inaccurately defined, i.e. let another (approximate) SDS, which is close in some sense to the exact one, be given. The problem is to construct a set , which is close to M in the Hausdorff metric. The suggested procedure for constructing is finite, which makes it possible to use it in computations. The results obtained are suitable for numerical approximation of attractors for a rather large class of semidynamical systems, including ones generated by the Lorenz equations and the Navier–Stokes equations.


While male participation in competitive cycling in the United States has grown tremendously, a lack of growth in female participation indicates there are discouraging factors at play. Critical examination of sport organizations can reveal structures and policies that exclude women from full participation. This study critically examines USA Cycling's racing structure and policies with the goal of identifying exclusionary practices that might reduce women's participation and advancement in competitive cycling. Using multiple data sources, including interviews with 10 competitive female cyclists, this study revealed multiple practices that strongly discourage women's advanced participation in competitive cycling. Suggestions for practice are offered. Subscribe to JASM


A portfolio is a collection of assets. The assets may be physical or financial like shares, bonds, debentures, preference shares. The investor would not like to put all his money in the shares of one company that would amount to great risk. He would therefore follow the principle that one should not put all the eggs into one basket so that risk may be diversified and overall risk will reduce to a minimum.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major age-related malignancy because an increase in age correlates with increased risk for developing this neoplasm. Recently, we have shown that Sirt1, a member of the NAD+ dependent histone deacetylase family of sirtuin proteins, was overexpressed in PCa cells and human PCa tissues compared to normal prostate cells and the adjacent normal prostate tissue, respectively. We also demonstrated that chemical inhibition or genetic knockdown of Sirt1 resulted in a significant inhibition in the growth and viability of human PCa cells while having no effect on normal human prostate epithelial cells (PrEC). Studies have suggested a link between the cellular metabolic function of Sirt1 and the circadian rhythm, and the disruption of circadian rhythm has been linked with an increased risk for some cancers. Interestingly, a decreased production of the pineal hormone melatonin, a known regulator of circadian rhythm, has been shown to cause deregulation in the circadian rhythm and an increase in susceptibility to cancer. Further, disruption in circadian rhythmicity has also been associated with aging. It has been reported that as an individual ages, the ability to produce melatonin at night is decreased and PCa patients have been reported to have decreased levels of melatonin. Here we tested the hypothesis that the circadian rhythm regulator melatonin will impart anti-proliferative response against PCa via inhibiting Sirt1. Our data demonstrated that melatonin treatments (high, low acute, low chronic doses) significantly inhibited Sirt1 protein and activity in vitro in multiple PCa cell lines (LNCaP, 22Rv1, DU145, and PC3). Melatonin-mediated Sirt1 inhibition was accompanied with a significant decrease in the proliferative capacity of PCa cells while having no effect on PrEC, as assessed by Trypan blue and anchorage-independent growth assays. Further, we found that overexpression of Sirt1 in PCa cells was able to partially rescue the cells from the anti-proliferative effects of melatonin, suggesting that Sirt1 is a direct target of the anti-proliferative effects of melatonin. Finally, employing male TRAMP mice, we found that oral administration of melatonin at human achievable doses significantly inhibited PCa growth. Melatonin treatment was found to result in a significant decrease in (i) prostate and genitourinary weight, (ii) serum IGF-1/IGFBP3 ratio, (iii) mRNA and protein levels of the proliferation markers (PCNA, Ki-67), and (iv) a down-regulation of Sirt1 in prostatic tissue. Our data identified melatonin as a novel inhibitor of Sirt1 and suggested that this pineal hormone can inhibit PCa growth via Sirt1 inhibition.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5478.


Urban developments cause serious changes to watersheds conditions by decreasing storage area, introducing pavement and channeling. As a result, the peak discharge has been increasing and the arrival time of peak flow becomes early. The purpose of this study is to investigate the empty capacity of irrigation ponds in the Mikasa River watershed and to clarify flood control capacity of them. The result of this study, the catchments area of all irrigation ponds was about 18%, the capacity of flood control was about 450,000m in the Mikasa river watershed. To estimate the flood control ability of irrigation ponds, we applied the distributed runoff model considering ponds effects about flood disaster in July 19, 2003. The result of calculation showed that the peak discharge at the Sanno Bridge decreased 36m/s by the irrigation ponds.


Plasmonic biosensing techniques employ metal nanostructures, commonly gold (Au), often with biomolecules attached to their surfaces either directly or via other linkers. Various surface chemistry methods based on dispersion and covalent interactions are used to attach biomolecules to Au. As a result, when immobilizing a molecule on a metal surface, quantitative estimates of binding efficiency and stability of these surface chemistry methods are needed. Most prior work to compare such methods deals with bulk/thin film configurations or spherical nanoparticles, and very little is known about immobilization of biomolecules on plasmonic nanostructures of different shapes. Besides, due to rapid advancement of modern nanofabrication techniques, there is a growing need to determine an efficient surface chemistry method for immobilization of biomolecules on non-spherical plasmonic nanostructures. In the present study, we compared four representative Au surface functionalization methods and estimated how efficient these methods are at attaching biomolecules to non-spherical plasmonic Au nanostructures. We estimated a concentration of immobilized antibody that is specific to human C-reactive protein (anti-hCRP) by measuring the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) shifts after exposing the surface of Au nanostructures to the antibody. The highest concentration of anti-hCRP was immobilized using 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) chemistry, and we demonstrated that immobilized antibodies retained their stability and specificity towards hCRP throughout the immunoassay. These findings have important implications for the fields of biosensing and diagnostics that employ non-spherical plasmonic nanostructures since an overall performance of these devices depends heavily on efficient biomolecule immobilization.


Model Predictive Control (MPC) is typically characterized for being computationally demanding, as it requires solving optimization problems online; a particularly relevant point when considering its implementation in embedded systems. To reduce the computational burden of the optimization algorithm, most solvers perform as many offline operations as possible, typically performing the computation and factorization of its expensive matrices offline and then storing them in the embedded system. This improves the efficiency of the solver, with the disadvantage that online changes on some of the ingredients of the MPC formulation require performing these expensive computations online. This article presents an efficient algorithm for the factorization of the key matrix used in several first-order optimization methods applied to linear MPC formulations, allowing its prediction model and cost function matrices to be updated online at the expense of a small computational cost. We show results comparing the proposed approach with other solvers from the literature applied to a linear time-varying system.


Background. Outpatient surgery is increasingly delivered at freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which are thought to deliver quality care at lower costs per episode. The objective of this study was to understand potential facilitators and/or barriers to the introduction of freestanding ASCs in the United States. Methods. This is an observational study conducted from 2008 to 2010 using a 20% sample of Medicare claims. Potential determinants of ASC dissemination, including population, system, and legal factors, were compared between markets that always had ASCs, never had ASCs, and those that had new ASCs open during the study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine characteristics of markets associated with the opening of a new facility in a previously naïve market. Results. New ASCs opened in 67 previously naïve markets between 2008 and 2010. ASCs were more likely to open in hospital service areas that were urban (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-10.96), had higher per capita income (adjusted OR, 3.83; 95% CI, 1.43-10.45), and had less competition for outpatient surgery (adjusted OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.02-4.45). Legal considerations and latent need, as measured by case volumes of hospital-based outpatient surgery in 2007, were not associated with the opening of a new ASC. Conclusions. Freestanding ASCs opened in advantageous socioeconomic environments with the least amount of competition. Because of their associated efficiency advantages, policy makers might consider strategies to promote ASC diffusion in disadvantaged markets to potentially improve access and reduce costs.


Abstract Road traffic accident is one of the major causes of death in Nigeria. Road accidents have taken away so many lives in Nigeria today that hardly does any single disease match its mortality prowess. People have died prematurely and properties worth several millions of Naira have been lost as a result of road traffic accident. This paper gives a full discussion on road traffic safety issues and the methodology used were through the collection of data using questionnaire and accident information from the Nigeria Police Force, FRSC etc. The primary information for this research was sourced through the use of structured questionnaire, personal observation and interviews of road users in the study area. Secondary data emanated from published and unpublished sources such as government records, internet, journals, books etc. The findings were presented in descriptive and inferential form using frequencies, percentages, tables, mean and chi-square analytical techniques. The findings from the study revealed among many others; that Male involved more in road accident compare to female counterpart in Minna Niger State. Private car had more accident compare to Taxi, The number of accident in each zone does not depend on the population of that zone, etc.


We present a high-speed and uninterrupted communication network for high-speed trains using a switchable wavelength-division multiplexing fiber-wireless backhaul system. We successfully transmitted high-speed signals over the switched fiber-wireless links in the downlink and uplink directions. An ultrafast radio-cell switching of less than 10 μs was experimentally demonstrated in both downlink and uplink directions.


Coenzyme Q (CoQ or ubiquinone) is a lipid‐soluble component of virtually all types of cell membranes and has been shown to play multiple metabolic functions. Several clinical diseases including encephalomyopathy, cerebellar ataxia and isolated myopathy were shown to be associated with CoQ deficiency. However, the role of CoQ in immunity has not been defined. In the present study, we showed that flies defective in CoQ biosynthetic gene coq2 were more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections, while were more resistant to viruses. We found that Drosophila contained both CoQ9 and CoQ10, and food supplement of CoQ10 could partially rescue the impaired immune functions of coq2 mutants. Surprisingly, wild‐type flies fed CoQ10 became more susceptible to viral infection, which suggested that extra caution should be taken when using CoQ10 as a food supplement. We further showed that CoQ was essential for normal induction of anti‐microbial peptides and amplification of viruses. Our work determined CoQ content in Drosophila and described its function in immunity for the first time.


In the United States, radical cystectomy is viewed as the gold standard and, with few exceptions, is the only treatment recommended for patients with invasive bladder cancer. In many areas of cancer treatment, however, the trend in the 1990s has been toward organ conservation using combined chemotherapy and radiation with or without conservative local surgery. For patients with breast, esophageal, anal, and laryngeal cancers as well as limb sarcomas, conservative therapy often is recommended. However, invasive bladder cancer has not been viewed generally as a condition that allows for conservative management. In the past 15 years, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) has completed six prospective protocols of combined‐modality therapy for patients with muscle‐invasive cancer who were candidates for cystectomy. Bladder preservation with intravesical surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy were combined as initial treatment, with radical cystectomy recommended for incomplete responders. Five of the RTOG protocols were Phase I–II trials of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and one protocol was a Phase III trial that tested the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate, cisplatin, and vinblastine. A total of 415 patients were entered on these trials. The 5‐year overall survival rate was approximately 50%, with three‐quarters of those patients achieving a cure for their bladder cancer while maintaining a functioning bladder. The current RTOG protocol and its successor are directed toward better tolerated and potentially more effective chemotherapy regimens that may result in a high protocol compliance rate and, possibly, a higher overall survival rate. The trimodality therapeutic approach used in all of these RTOG protocols was more effective compared with the radiation monotherapy offered in the 1970s and with protocols that used only chemotherapy. Trimodality therapy with selective bladder preservation is not designed to take the place of radical cystectomy; however, it may be offered as a reasonable alternative to patients with invasive bladder cancer who are not willing to undergo radical cystectomy and urinary diversion. A bladder‐sparing strategy may be offered appropriately to highly selected patients with the understanding that radical cystectomy is an available option in those who fail combined radiation and chemotherapy with no diminution in survival related to the delay in cystectomy. Cancer 2003;97(8 Suppl):2115–9. © 2003 American Cancer Society.


UNLABELLED
The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between temporo-mandibular dysfunction (TMD), and disturbances of occlusion and gingival recession (GR) in a group of youth students.

METHODS
The following measurements were performed: Anamnestic Index by Helkimo (AI), Diagnostic Index by Helkimo (DI), clinical evaluation of centric (CO) and excentric (EO) occlusion, clinical estimation of malocclusion and tooth malposition, anamnestic and clinical analysis of the occurrence of occlusal and non-occlusal parafunctions, anamnestic dysfunction of the vertebral column (ADVC), number of patients with GR > or = and/or < or = 2mm.

RESULTS
Higher incidence of malposition teeth and ADVC were noted in a group of patients with CO disturbances. In the group of patients with disturbances of EO a significant higher number of patients with GR < or = 2 mm and a significant malposition of the teeth was observed. In the group of patients with clinical dysfunctions of TMD anamnestic dysfunction was more frequent. In the group of patients with GR a significant dependence on the age was proved. In this group there was also an increased occurrence of malposition of the teeth as well as malocclusions. The multifactor etiology of TMD and GR shows necessity of the more sharp diagnosis based on the movement system test.


Surgery, which is currently the only curative treatment for malignant melanoma, is suspected, in particular presentations, to induce adverse effects such as an increase of metastasis spread. A literature review was performed in order to examine the alleged causes of such phenomena. A medline search covering the 1985-1999 period was performed first. The chosen articles and the study of the references of each of them produced additional articles. The hypothesis is based on the alleged existence of tumor dormancy as micrometastates at an early stage of the disease. Surgery could induce metastasis spread directly by increasing the rate of circulating tumor cells and indirectly above all by disturbing complex mechanisms of tumor regulation such as the balance between activating and inhibiting factors of tumor angiogenesis. Surgery itself as well as the surgical stress could also make easier metastasis spread owing to antitumor immune mechanisms disturbance. Currently, there is no adequate evidence to induce a modified approach in the management of cutaneous melanoma. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. However, basic research on angiogenesis and immunity must be carried on.


OBJECTIVE
To present a novel method for accurately characterizing the position of the globe relative to the orbital rim. The appearance and function of the eyelids are dependent on the underlying orbital bony architecture and globe position; however, no comprehensive language to describe these complex 3-dimensional relationships exists.

METHODS
Three-dimensional orbital reconstructions were generated from computed tomographic scans of 15 Occidental and 12 Oriental orbits without orbital pathologic disease. Globe and orbital rim anatomy were identified and outlined. Reference points were measured along 2 independent axes: (1) the distance between a plane defined by the corneal apex and the sagittal projection of the orbital rim and (2) the distance between the circumference of the globe and the coronal projection of the orbital rim.

RESULTS
For Occidental orbits, the mean (SD) elevation of the sagittal projection of the orbital rim relative to the anterior projection of the globe was 4.6 (4.2) mm superiorly, 5.9 (3.0) mm nasally, 12.6 (3.7) mm inferiorly, and 20.6 (2.6) mm laterally. The mean (SD) radial distance between the coronal projection of the orbital rim and the circumference of the globe was 3.7 (2.1) mm superiorly, 7.6 (1.8) mm nasally, 6.6 (2.2) mm inferiorly, and 4.6 (2.3) mm laterally. For Oriental orbits, the mean (SD) elevation of the sagittal projection of the orbital rim relative to the anterior projection of the globe was 5.0 (4.5) mm superiorly, 6.8 (4.1) mm nasally, 11.1 (4.3) mm inferiorly, and 17.5 (3.3) mm laterally. The mean (SD) radial distance between the coronal projection of the orbital rim and the circumference of the globe was 2.1 (1.2) mm superiorly, 8.2 (2.0) mm nasally, 6.5 (1.9) mm inferiorly, and 4.5 (1.7) mm laterally.

CONCLUSIONS
Comparison of Occidental and Oriental orbital rim and globe configurations revealed quantitative and qualitative differences. In addition to differences in soft-tissue anatomy, bony architectural variations may contribute substantially to racial differences in the surface anatomy of the periorbital area. Anatomic analysis, based on 3-dimensional orbital imaging, may provide a rational approach to surgical planning for aesthetic and reconstructive orbitofacial surgery.


Sixty-five premature infants were given CHAT type 1 live poliovirus vaccine. Seventeen other infants were retained as controls. Although 92% of the infants were infected with the attenuated poliovirus, only 59% of infected infants had a definite antibody response. The size of the infant did not seem to influence the duration of intestinal infection.
 In 86% of the infants there were significant levels of transplacentally acquired antibodies with an over-all half-life estimated at 23 days. Moderately high titers of homotypic maternal antibodies in the infants did not interfere with infection, nor was there obvious inhibition of active immunologic responses.
 Thirty-one of the infants were given a second feeding of the CHAT virus 2 to 5 months after the first administration. The primarily immunized infants were relatively, but seldom completely, resistant to re-infection. In contrast, infants that did not form antibodies after the primary infection seemed to be fully susceptible to re-infection. Moreover, there was no evidence of immunologic tolerance to poliovirus in these infants, for after the second infection poliomyelitis antibodies were invariably found.
 We concluded that, while premature infants are highly susceptible to infection with CHAT poliovirus, their immunologic responsiveness—just as in newborn full-term infants—is distinctly less than in infants 2 or 3 months old, but that exposure to poliovirus in early life does not impair later immunologic functioning.


Original Research Article Introduction: Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely around the world of which more than 1 million die as a result of prematurity. Premature infants are considered to be at high risk for developing osteopenia due to their reduced bone mineral content. Mothers milk containing 25-35 mg/dl of calcium and 10-15 mg/dl of phosphorus simply does not contain enough minerals to support skeletal growth of growing premature infants. Supplement of calcium and phosphorus along with breast milk can reduce the rate of osteopenia and improve the growth of premature infants. Objective of the study: To determine the efficacy of calcium and phosphorus supplementation for prevention of metabolic bone disease and improvement of growth in preterm infants. Methodology: A randomized clinical trial study was conducted at the Department of Neonatology, BSMMU, from 16 th August 2016 to 27 th August 2017. It involved monitoring 50 premature neonates over a period of six weeks. The babies who were fed with breast milk were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group received supplement of calcium and phosphorus along with breast milk while other group did not receive any supplement. Serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase levels as well as growth parameters (including weight, length, and head circumference) were measured at enrollment and at 6 weeks post birth. At the end of 6 weeks, wrist X-ray was done for evaluation of osteopenia. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Radiological and biochemical evidence of metabolic bone disease were found in 6 (28%) supplemented group and 7 (35%) non supplemented group (p=0.45). S. calcium, S. inorganic phosphate and S. alkaline phosphatase level were comparable at enrollment between two groups. At 6 weeks S. calcium, S. inorganic phosphate level were more (9.5±0.4 mg/dl Vs 9.4 ± 0.5, and 357±253 U/L Vs 4.4 ± 1.2 respectively) and S. alkaline phosphatase level were less (4.8±1.1mg/dl Vs 4.4±1.2mg/dl) in supplemented group than non-supplement group, but no significant change was observed between two groups. The mean of weight, length and head circumference were also comparable at enrollment between two groups. At 6 weeks' growth velocity considering weight, length and head circumference were more at supplemented group but no significant change were observed between two groups. Conclusion: Infants of supplemented group showed better growth velocity and lower incidence of metabolic bone disorders than non-supplemented group. But this difference between supplemented group and nonsupplemented group were not statistically significant. However, his study does not provide any evidence to suggest the effectiveness of supplementary calcium and phosphorus in osteopenia.


The identification of sub-populations of cells present in a sample, and the comparison of such sub-populations across samples are among the most frequently performed analyzes of single cell data. Current tools for these kind of data however fall short in their ability to adequately perform these tasks. We introduce a novel method, PopCorn (single cell sub-Populations Comparison), allowing for the identification of sub-populations of cells present within individual experiments while simultaneously performing sub-populations mapping across these experiments. PopCorn utilizes several novel algorithmic solutions enabling the execution of these tasks with unprecedented precision. As such, PopCorn provides a much needed tool for comparative analysis of populations of single-cells.


The feed efficiency of dairy cows is important because of the relationship between cow efficiency and income over feed cost. Gross feed efficiency is defined as the ratio between feed used to produce a certain amount of milk. Herd efficiency could also be estimated for the total herd output vs. the total production cost. This could comprise of the herd's total milk, fat or protein yield, total beef production and sales of surplus heifers and bulls for breeding. Comparing the feed efficiency of cows between breeds and farms is difficult as a number of factors affect production. This should only be considered within similar production systems, breeds, lactation number (age) and lactation stage. When comparing breeds, milk yield should be corrected to a similar level, i.e. energy or fat corrected milk yield. To estimate feed efficiency, an indication of feed intake is required. In a zero-grazing system feed intake could be determined by weighing the amount of feed provided on a daily basis. To be correct, the refusals of a specific day's feed allocation should also be weighed back the following day as usually in these systems, feed is provided in excess of the daily feed requirement to ensure an ad libitum intake. For pasture-based systems supplemental feeds, such as concentrate and hay or silage, should be determined on a daily basis. Pasture intake should be determined from the pasture available before grazing and residual pasture after grazing. It is incorrect to use a standard pasture intake for cows under all pasture production systems. Feed efficiency is therefore a complex trait and its definition requires clear descriptions. Some suggest that total output in terms of farm income versus total cost is the best way to define efficiency. However, improving efficiency of different parts of the dairy herd could make a major contribution towards improving the total efficiency of a farm. In this paper considerations for improving feed efficiency in dairy cows will be discussed.


The ubquitin–proteasome pathway is a key regulator of homeostasis within cells, degrading misfolded or redundant proteins, and also those involved in mediating transcription, cell-cycle progression and apoptosis. Inhibition of the 26S proteasome results in accumulation of such proteins and ultimately leads to cell death. Malignant cells are more susceptible to proteasome inhibition due to their higher proliferation rates, protein production and their dependence on anti-apoptotic molecules for cell survival. Bortezomib has recently gained European Commission approval for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma on the basis of clinical trials demonstrating its efficacy, tolerability and superiority to high-dose dexamethasone. Preclinical data demonstrates the ability to synergise with other chemotherapeutic agents and overcome drug resistance, and hence combination studies are underway. This review describes the pharmacology, toxicity, preclinical and clinical activity of bortezomib, predominantly in the setting of multiple myeloma.


Objectives To study the effect of standard of care therapy on antibody (Ab) response and functionality of Abs following pneumococcal vaccination using 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in patients with systemic vasculitis compared to healthy controls. Methods In total 49 patients with vasculitis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis=21, Churg-Strauss vasculitis=8, giant cell vasculitis=13; Takayasu=4 and other vasculitis=3) and 49 controls were immunized with a single dose (0.5 ml) PCV13 intramuscularly. Vasculitis patients were treated with azathioprine (n=11), cyclophosphamide +prednisolone (n=6), MTX (n=9), prednisolone without DMARD (n=16), rituximab+DMARDs (3); anti-TNF (n=2), mycophenolate mofetil (n=1) and no active treatment (n=1). Only patients with unchanged dose of DMARDs for at least 4 weeks before vaccination were eligible for the study. Blood samples were taken immediately before and 4–6 weeks after vaccination. Standard ELISA was used to determine pre- and post-PCV13 serotype-specific Ab concentrations for serotypes 6B and 23F. The measurement of functional Abs against one of serotypes (23F) was performed using opsonophagocytic (OPA) assay. Proportions of individuals with postvaccination Ab concentrations ≥1.0 μg/mL (i.e. putative protective levels) for both serotypes were determined, and groups were compared using Chi2 test. Proportion of individuals with positive Ab response (i.e. ≥2-fold increase from pre-PCV13 concentrations) for both serotypes was calculated. Geometric mean Ab concentrations (GMCs) were calculated. Pre- and post-PCV13 Ab levels were compared using paired T-test. Controls were younger (mean age 50.6 years vs 61.5 years) at vaccination and a larger proportion were women (63% vs 51%). Mean disease duration in vasculitis patients was 5.2 years. Results Pre- to post-PCV13 Ab concentrations increased significantly for 6B and 23F in both patient and control groups (p<0.001). Compared to controls, patients with vasculitis had lower pre- and postvaccination Ab levels for serotype 23F (p=0.012 and p=0.033, respectively) and numerically but not statistically significant lower pre- and post-PCV13 levels for 6B (Table). OPA shows significant increase after vaccination in both patients and controls (p<0.001) although this was numerically more pronounced in controls. Patients receiving any DMARD had significantly lower proportion of subjects reaching protective Ab concentrations (≥1.0 μg/mL) for both serotypes (p=0.04) compared to controls. In addition, patients on DMARDs had lower proportion of responders for both serotypes which was most pronounced for azathioprine and rituximab+DMARD. Prednisolone without DMARD was not associated with impaired Ab responses. Patients with vasculitis Controls Pre PCV13 GMC Pn6B (95% CI) 0.5 (0.3–0.9) 0.8 (0.5–1.3) Post PCV13 GMC Pn6B (95% CI) 1.7 (0.9–2.9) 3.1 (1.9–5.0) Pre PCV13 GMC Pn23F (95% CI) 0.3 (0.2–0.4) 0.6 (0.4–1.0) Post PCV13 GMC Pn23F (95% CI) 1.8 (1.2–2.8) 3.3 (2.0–5.5) Conclusions PCV13 was immunogenic in patients with established vasculitis. Functionality of serotype specific antibodies was confirmed in both patients and controls although the opsonophagocytotic activity was more pronounced in controls. Treatment with DMARDs, mostly azathioprine or rituximab combined with DMARD but not systemic prednisolone lead to impaired antibody response. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Suisynchron treatment was applied to platform-kept gilts over 20 days. The dosage was 100 mg per animal and die. This was followed by 1,000 I.U. PMS and 250 I.U. HCG. Artificial insemination was applied five days after the first hormone administration and followed by one Gravigonan injection after another twelve to 15 days. Blood samples were drawn from those animals as well as from 20 gilts synchronised in the above way and another 20 untreated gilts from a production unit during the various phases of treatment and cycle. Those samples were used for assessment of cholesterol, lipoid-P, free fatty acids, triglyceride, and beta-lipoproteids. The levels of free and total cholesterol went up along with Suisynchron feeding, whereas lipoid-P and beta-lipoproteids declined. Free fatty acid levels went down with significance (P less than 0.01), and triglycerides increased (P less than 0.05). Cholesterol levels were not altered by PMS/HCG administration. The levels of lipoid-P, free fatty acids, and beta-lipoproteids rose to their magnitudes prior to Suisynchron treatment. Tirglycerides rose by 50 per cent. At the time of full oestrus triglyceride levels doubled (P less than 0.01). Unimportant rises were recorded also for cholesterol, beta-lipoproteids, free fatty acids, and lipoid-P. In animals with spontaneous oestrus all lipid parameters were ligher than in sows with full oestrus after synchronisation.


PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) is an integral protein in the mitochondrial membrane and maintains mitochondrial fidelity. Pathogenic mutations in PINK1 have been identified as a cause of early-onset autosomal recessive familial Parkinson's disease (PD). The ubiquitin proteasome pathway is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated whether mutations of PINK1 affects the cellular stress response following proteasome inhibition. Administration of MG132, a peptide aldehyde proteasome inhibitor, significantly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in rat dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and in the SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line. The induction of HO-1 expression by proteasome inhibition was reduced in PINK1 G309D mutant cells. MG132 increased the levels of HO-1 through the Akt, p38, and Nrf2 signaling pathways. Compared with the cells expressing WT-PINK1, the phosphorylation of Akt and p38 was lower in those cells expressing the PINK1 G309D mutant, which resulted in the inhibition of the nuclear translocation of Nrf2. Furthermore, MG132-induced neuronal death was enhanced by the PINK1 G309D mutation. In this study, we demonstrated that the G309D mutation impairs the neuroprotective function of PINK1 following proteasome inhibition, which may be related to the pathogenesis of PD.


Alfa-interferon is the standard treatment of chronic hepatitis B. However, the response rate varies widely in patients from different parts of the world, reflecting differences in the natural history of the disease and the immune reactivity of the population studied. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of alfa-interferon in the treatment of Kuwaiti patients with chronic replicative hepatitis B infection. Twenty-two adult Kuwaiti patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis B were treated with alfa-interferon after an observation period of six months. All patients had abnormal transaminase levels and were HBeAg and HBV-DNA positive. Alfa-interferon-2b, 5 million units, was administered five days a week for 16 weeks. Patients were followed for at least 12 months after completing therapy. One of the 22 patients dropped out of the study after a single dose of interferon, because of side effects. Of the remaining 21 patients, three (14%) had a sustained loss of HBV-DNA and HBeAg. None of the patients lost HBsAg. There were no episodes of hepatic decompensation or deaths during the study. One patient developed hepatocellular carcinoma 28 months after completing treatment with interferon. Overall, Kuwaiti patients with chronic replicative hepatitis B responded poorly to interferon therapy.


Abstract The most important factor in pedestrian injuries from vehicle collisions is the impact velocity. In cases where the impact configuration can be ascertained, the most common method now used to determine vehicle speed involves the pedestrian projection distance. The more traditional method of using tyre brake marks is losing applicability as ABS braking systems become more common. The two most common impact configurations are wrap projection and forward projection, these being determined by the vehicle/pedestrian geometry and the initial conditions of the impact. In this paper, two models are presented for pedestrian forward and wrap projection impacts. These models are predicated on separating the total projection distance into the individual projection distances occurring during three principal phases of the collision. The models are novel as they use a rigid single-segment body representation of the pedestrian, include explicit modelling of the impact phase, and also allow for uncertainty in the input parameters. Published data are used to provide distributions for the input variables such as pedestrian and vehicle masses, etc. The model predictions of impact speed from overall projection distance are validated by comparison with real-world accident data.


Deformable Models, which includes the popular snake models (Kass et al., 1988) and deformable surfaces (McInerney & Terzopoulos, 1996; Suri & Editors, 2006), are well known techniques for boundary extraction and tracking in 2D/3D images. Basically, these models can be classified into three categories: parametric, geodesic snakes and implicit models. The relationships between these models have been demonstrated in several works in the literature (Sapiro, 1997). Parametric Deformable Models consist of a curve (or surface) which can dynamically conform to object shapes in response to internal (elastic) forces and external forces (image and constraint ones) (Suri & Editors, 2006). Snake models, also called active contour models, are 2D deformable models proposed by Kass at al. (Kass et al., 1988) which have been successfully applied in a variety of problems in computer vision and image analysis. Its mathematical formulation makes easier to integrate image data, an initial estimated, desired contour properties and knowledge-based constraints, in a single extraction process (Suri & Editors, 2006). In fact, despite of the mentioned capabilities, parametric models in general can not deal with topological changes. Among the approaches to deal with the topological limitations of the traditional snake model (Bischoff & Kobbeit, 2004; Oliveira et al., 2004), the T-Snakes has the advantage of being a general one (McInerney & Terzopoulos, 1999). Besides, parametric models are too sensitive to their initial conditions due to nonconvexity problems (see (Davatzikos & Prince, 1999) and references therein). To address this limitation some authors have proposed multiscale techniques (Leymarie & Levine, 1993), dynamic program (DP) (Amini et al., 1990)and dual methods, also called dual snakes (Gunn & Nixon, 1997). The non-invariance under affine transformations is another limitation of the traditional snake models. As a consequence, the internal energy is sensitive to distortions due to changes in viewing geometry. From a dynamical point of view, it means that the elastic forces may


Aim. Assessment of the quality of life and physical activity level in students with and without symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) according to questionnaire "7×7" (7 symptoms per 7 days).Materials and methods. Symptoms of FD and IBS were surveyed using the "7×7" questionnaire. Level of physical activity was evaluated according to the short IPAQ, and quality of life — to WAM questionnaires.Results. The study surveyed 92 students aged 20.7 ± 0.2 years (56 men and 36 women). We report borderline manifestations of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in 51.1 %, and FD and/or IBS symptoms of mild to moderate severity in 23.9 % of respondents. Symptoms of FD and/or IBS were equally common in men and women. Severity of FD and/or IBS symptoms was rated 4 [[3; 7] in men and 4 [[4; 11] in women (p = 0.25). Physical activity of 57.6 % in students corresponded to a moderate level. Healthy students were more likely to exhibit higher physical activity than individuals with FD and/or IBS symptoms, 56.5 and 31.9 %, respectively (p = 0.04). The level of wellbeing and severity of FD and/or IBS symptoms correlated negatively (r = –0.28, p = 0.01). Wellbeing and mood correlated directly with physical activity, r = 0.33, p = 0.001 and r = 0.27, respectively (p = 0.01).Conclusions. 1. Symptoms of FD and/or IBS occur widely among students and equally in men and women. Functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract of mild to moderate severity occur in 23.9 % of students, with borderline symptoms registered with every second individual. 2. Healthy students significantly more often exhibited higher physical activity compared to individuals with FD and/or IBS symptoms of varying severity in the ratios of 56.5 and 31.9 % (p = 0.04). 3. Severity of FD and/or IBS in students negatively correlates with the wellbeing component of quality of life (r = –0.28, p = 0.01).


Various fiber-optic connectors have been developed during the 40 years since optical fiber communications systems were first put into practical use. During the first two decades, as the domain of optical fiber communication systems expanded from trunk lines to subscriber lines and customer premises, the main focus changed from performance improvement to miniaturization and cost reduction. After that, new interconnect technologies were continuously developed to meet new requirements such as high-power transmission, high-density on-board wiring, and multicore fiber interconnection. Despite many improvements, the principle and basic structure of the optical connector have hardly changed. Zirconia ferrules and split sleeves are used for single fiber coupling, MT ferrules are used for multifiber connectors, and both types use physical contact technology. This paper describes the key technologies for fiber-optic connectors, a brief history of optical connector improvements and recent technical issues related to fiber-optic interconnect technologies.


Unlike its deterministic counterpart, static and stochastic vehicle routing problems (SS-VRP) aim at modeling and solving real-life operational problems by considering uncertainty on data. We consider the SS-VRPTW-CR introduced in Saint-Guillain et al. (2017). Like the SS-VRP introduced by Bertsimas (1992), we search for optimal first stage routes for a fleet of vehicles to handle a set of stochastic customer demands, i.e., demands are uncertain and we only know their probabilities. In addition to capacity constraints, customer demands are also constrained by time windows. Unlike all SS-VRP variants, the SS-VRPTW-CR does not make any assumption on the time at which a stochastic demand is revealed, i.e., the reveal time is stochastic as well. To handle this new problem, we introduce waiting locations: Each vehicle is assigned a sequence of waiting locations from which it may serve some associated demands, and the objective is to minimize the expected number of demands that cannot be satisfied in time. In this paper, we propose two new recourse strategies for the SS-VRPTW-CR, together with their closed-form expressions for efficiently computing their expectations: The first one allows us to take vehicle capacities into account; The second one allows us to optimize routes by avoiding some useless trips. We propose two algorithms for searching for routes with optimal expected costs: The first one is an extended branch-and-cut algorithm, based on a stochastic integer formulation, and the second one is a local search based heuristic method. We also introduce a new public benchmark for the SS-VRPTW-CR, based on real-world data coming from the city of Lyon. We evaluate our two algorithms on this benchmark and empirically demonstrate the expected superiority of the SS-VRPTW-CR anticipative actions over a basic "wait-and-serve" policy.


Abstract I clarify in what sense one might want to claim that thought or language are public. I distinguish among four forms that each of these claims might take, and two general ways of establishing them that might be contemplated. The first infers the public character of thought from the public character of language, and the second infers the latter from the former. I show that neither of these stategies seems to be able to dispense with the claim that thought and language are interdependent, and that the second strategy raises more difficulties than the first. I then examine the reasoning by which Davidson means to establish that thought depends on language. I claim that this reasoning is not conclusive, and that it can be adapted in such a way as to establish a version of the thesis that thought is public which does not presuppose that language is public, and a version of the thesis that language is public which does not imply that thought depends on language. I conclude with the suggestion that despite appearances to the contrary Davidson's doctrine is defensible only if it implies at least the conceivability of intentional systems that would lack language altogether.


American Heart Association developed in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. J Am Coll Cardiol 2009; 53: 1573–619. 8 Mukerjee D, St George D, Knight C, Davar J, Wells AU, Du Bois RM et al. Echocardiography and pulmonary function as screening tests for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology 2004; 43: 461–6.