Abstract:Demographic change and changing population needs are important drivers of increased demand for rehabilitation. These developments place significant stress on access to physical therapy services, as current resources are insufficient to meet the growing demand. This situation presents ethical challenges for physical therapists and others involved in managing wait lists and prioritizing access to services. The purpose of this study is to explore how outpatient physical therapy department (OPD) staff experience ethical issues relating to access to physical therapy services. We conducted semi–structured interviews with 13 participants who were staff at three publicly–funded OPDs in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Using interpretive description methodology, we developed four themes related to access to physical therapy services: 1) negotiating access to physical therapy services; 2) navigating a complex system with outside influences and constraints, such as professional regulation and third–party payers; 3) managing wait lists responsibly; and 4) striving to be a good professional in a non–ideal world. Across the four themes, two main sources of tension that influence the staff were identified in relation to the experience of wait list management: responsibility and power. This study highlights how difficult it is for OPD staff to balance competing interests and values, and to respond to outside influences, when making resource allocation decisions. Until resource limitations are addressed, wait lists may be an unavoidable feature of many OPDs in the Canadian public health care system. Improving fairness in the access to and distribution of services is thus important in ensuring that professionals are able to treat patients based on their clinical needs, and in a timely fashion.


Background Dengue is not well documented in Africa. In Cameroon, data are scarce, but dengue infection has been confirmed in humans. We conducted a study to document risk factors associated with anti-dengue virus Immunoglobulin G seropositivity in humans in three major towns in Cameroon. Methodology/Principal Findings A cross sectional survey was conducted in Douala, Garoua and Yaounde, using a random cluster sampling design. Participants underwent a standardized interview and were blood sampled. Environmental and housing characteristics were recorded. Randomized houses were prospected to record all water containers, and immature stages of Aedes mosquitoes were collected. Sera were screened for anti-dengue virus IgG and IgM antibodies. Risk factors of seropositivity were tested using logistic regression methods with random effects. Anti-dengue IgG were found from 61.4% of sera in Douala (n = 699), 24.2% in Garoua (n = 728) and 9.8% in Yaounde (n = 603). IgM were found from 0.3% of Douala samples, 0.1% of Garoua samples and 0.0% of Yaounde samples. Seroneutralization on randomly selected IgG positive sera showed that 72% (n = 100) in Douala, 80% (n = 94) in Garoua and 77% (n = 66) in Yaounde had antibodies specific for dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2). Age, temporary house walls materials, having water-storage containers, old tires or toilets in the yard, having no TV, having no air conditioning and having travelled at least once outside the city were independently associated with anti-dengue IgG positivity in Douala. Age, having uncovered water containers, having no TV, not being born in Garoua and not breeding pigs were significant risk factors in Garoua. Recent history of malaria, having banana trees and stagnant water in the yard were independent risk factors in Yaounde. Conclusion/Significance In this survey, most identified risk factors of dengue were related to housing conditions. Poverty and underdevelopment are central to the dengue epidemiology in Cameroon.


North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are highly endangered and frequently exposed to a myriad of human activities and stressors in their industrialized habitat. Entanglements in fixed fishing gear represent a particularly pervasive and often drawn-out source of anthropogenic morbidity and mortality to the species. To better understand both the physiological response to entanglement, and to determine fundamental parameters such as acquisition, duration, and severity of entanglement, we measured a suite of biogeochemical markers in the baleen of an adult female that died from a well-documented chronic entanglement in 2005 (whale Eg2301). Steroid hormones (cortisol, corticosterone, estradiol, and progesterone), thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)), and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were all measured in a longitudinally sampled baleen plate. This yielded an 8-year profile of foraging and migration behavior, stress response, and reproduction. Stable isotopes cycled in annual patterns that reflect the animal's north-south migration behavior and seasonally abundant zooplankton diet. A progesterone peak, lasting approximately 23 months, was associated with the single known calving event (in 2002) for this female. Estradiol, cortisol, corticosterone, T3, and T4 were also elevated, although variably so, during the progesterone peak. This whale was initially sighted with a fishing gear entanglement in September 2004, but the hormone panel suggests that the animal first interacted with the gear as early as June 2004. Elevated δ15N, T3, and T4 indicate that Eg2301 potentially experienced increased energy expenditure, significant lipid catabolism, and thermal stress approximately three months before the initial sighting with fishing gear. All hormones in the panel (except cortisol) were elevated above baseline by September 2004. This novel study illustrates the value of using baleen to reconstruct recent temporal profiles and as a comparative matrix in which key physiological indicators of individual whales can be used to understand the impacts of anthropogenic activity on threatened whale populations.


Cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki ) fossils in the Quaternary-age lacustrine sediment of the Estancia Valley provide insight into the paleolimnologic history of the valley. The presence of fish is evidence that a pluvial system overflowed into the Pecos River watershed. Most likely, the overflow occurred during the expansion of Early Lake Estancia, an Illinoian or pre-Illinoian pluvial lake known only in subcrop. Once established in the Estancia watershed, trout occupied headwater streams and only intermittently migrated and resided in developing lake systems. The headwater streams served as refugia through the Sangamon(?) and early and middle Wisconsin time when a fresh-water lake did not exist in the valley. With the advent of full-pluvial conditions during the late Wisconsin, trout migrated from headwater streams into the first of three fresh-water phases of Late Lake Estancia. On two occasions, climate shifted to warmer and drier conditions, causing significant lake-level drawdown. Salinity increased and trout were eliminated from the lake, only to be reintroduced during the next fresh-water phase. Near the close of the late Wisconsin, Late Lake Estancia waned and desiccated, but headwater streams remained as fish refugia. Following the interpluvial episode, the basin again filled, culminating in Lake Willard, considered to be of latest Wisconsin age. With evolution into a fresh-water body, trout migrated into a lake environment for the last time. Ensuing hot/dry conditions brought about the desiccation of Lake Willard and severely impacted the headwater streams. This factor, in possible combination with human fishing activity, led to the elimination of fish from the Estancia Valley after a continuous occupation of at least 130,000 yr.


We consider the application of high volume information dissemination in broadcast based mobile environments. Since current mobile units accessing broadcast information have limited battery capacity, the problem of quick and energy-e cient access to data becomes particularly relevant as the number and sizes of information units increases. We propose several randomized and Hu man-encoding based indexing schemes that are sensitive to data popularity patterns to structure data transmission on the wireless medium, so that the average energy consumption of mobile units is minimized while trying to access desired data. We then propose an algorithm for PCS units to tune into desired data independent of the actual transmission scheme being used. We also empirically study the proposed schemes and propose di erent transmission modes for the base station to dynamically adapt to changes in the number of data les to be broadcasted, the available bandwidth and the accuracy of data popularity patterns.


This thesis addresses process sequencing subject to precedence constraints which arises as a subproblem in scheduling, planning and routing problems. The process sequencing problem can be modelled as the Travelling Salesman Problem with Precedence Constraints (TSPPC). In the general Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) scenario, the salesman must travel from city to city; visiting each city exactly once and wishes to minimize the total distance travelled during the tour of all cities. TSPPC is similar in concept to TSP, except that it has a set of precedence constraints to be followed by the salesman. The exact methods that are used to find an optimal solution of the problem are only capable of handling small and medium sizes of instances. Genetic algorithms (GA) are heuristic optimization techniques based on the principles and mechanisms of natural evolution and can be used to solve larger instances and numerous side constraints with optimal or near-optimal solutions. However, the use of a conventional genetic algorithm procedure for TSP, with an order-based representation, might generate invalid candidate solutions when precedence constraints are involved. In this thesis, a new GA procedure is developed which includes chromosome's repairing strategy based topological sort to handle the precedence constraints and to generate only feasible solution during the evolutionary process. The procedure to select the task in sequence is based on the "earliest position" techniques. This procedure is combined with a roulette wheel selection, linear order crossover and inversion mutation. The effectiveness and the stability of the proposed GA are then evaluated against a wide range of benchmark problems and the solutions are compared with the results obtained from research results published in the relevant literature. The results from the computational experiments demonstrate that the proposed GA procedure developed in this thesis is capable to tackle large-size problem and reach for optimal solutions. The developed GA procedure improved the performance of the algorithm with less number of generations and less convergence time in achieving optimal solutions. The genetic operators used are capable to always introduce new fitter offspring and free from being trapped in a local optimum. Therefore it can be stated that the proposed genetic algorithm is efficient to solve process sequencing modelled as the travelling salesman problem with precedence constraints. This result will greatly help to solve many real world sequencing problems especially in the field of assembly line design and management.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether specific combinations of polymorphisms in genes encoding proteins involved in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are associated with increased risk of treatment-induced toxicity. Experimental Design: We analyzed two cohorts of 161 and 340 patients, the exploration and validation cohort, respectively. All patients were treated similarly with 5-FU–based adjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed 13 functional polymorphisms and applied a four-fold analysis strategy using individual polymorphisms, haplotypes, and phenotypic enzyme activity or expression classifications based on combinations of functional polymorphisms in specific genes. Furthermore, multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis was used to identify a genetic interaction profile indicating an increased risk of toxicity. Results: Alleles associated with low activity of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) were associated with decreased risk of toxicity [ORExploration 0.39 (95% CI: 0.21–0.71, P = 0.003), ORValidation 0.63 (95% CI: 0.41–0.95, P = 0.03)]. A specific combination of the MTHFR 1298A>C and thymidylate synthase (TYMS) 3′-UTR (untranslated region) ins/del polymorphisms was significantly associated with increased toxicity in both cohorts [ORExploration 2.40 (95% CI: 1.33–4.29, P = 0.003), ORValidation 1.81 (95% CI: 1.18–2.79, P = 0.007)]. The specific combination was also associated with increased cumulative incidence and earlier occurrence of severe toxicity during treatment. Conclusions: Our results indicate that MTHFR activity and a specific combination of the MTHFR 1298A>C and TYMS 3′-UTR ins/del polymorphisms are possible predictors of 5-FU treatment–related toxicity. Clin Cancer Res; 17(11); 3822–9. ©2011 AACR.


Key messagesStrong dependence on woodfuel for domestic energy consumption in Zambia increasingly puts pressure on production areas. However, miombo woodland species hold good potential for recovery through assisted natural regeneration.
Most woodfuel is sourced from customary land under the care of traditional authorities, with small amounts coming from state land. However, strategies for woodfuel management are lacking from both authorities.
Efficient and sustainable woodfuel management is hampered by weak concerted efforts, and limited communication and coordination among relevant stakeholders. Interactions are particularly limited at feedstock production and management levels.
Rules and laws aimed at regulating the use of forest resources exist within the sector, yet enforcement is generally weak and fragmented due to capacity constraints, overlapping or contradicting mandates and limited collaboration.
Actor networks along the woodfuel value chain, representing mandates regarding enforcement, extension, transportation and production, are concentrated around the Forestry Department, with links to chiefdoms, charcoal association groups, transporters and end users.
Existing producer networks can play an important role in facilitating legal and sustainable charcoal production and trade. Clarifying group and association mandates, benefits and responsibilities, and enhancing communication are key to success.


The circular layout of the heat transfer soil tank experiments on the dynamic transmission of underground storage mechanism. By analyzing and comparing the dynamic and static, with or without heat shield of the storage conditions, explore ways to make a favorable energy storage ,which has better effect on energy injected and preservation. The results show that, compared to the static continuous loading , intermittent loading and storage with heat shield are more conducive to the storage of energy injected and improve the ability of cohesion of temperature field; controlling the ratio of the heat for the heat shield to the total load is the key issues on application of heat screen.


Importance
The optimal imaging approach for identifying patients who may benefit from endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) beyond 6 hours after they were last known well is unclear. Six randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have evaluated the efficacy of EVT vs standard medical care among patients with ischemic stroke.

Objective
To assess the benefits of EVT among patients with 3 baseline imaging profiles using a pooled analysis of RCTs.

Data Sources
The AURORA (Analysis of Pooled Data from Randomized Studies of Thrombectomy More Than 6 Hours After Last Known Well) Collaboration pooled patient-level data from the included clinical trials.

Study Selection
An online database search identified RCTs of endovascular stroke therapy published between January 1, 2010, and March 1, 2021, that recruited patients with ischemic stroke who were randomized between 6 and 24 hours after they were last known well.

Data Extraction/Synthesis
Data from the final locked database of each study were provided. Data were pooled, and analyses were performed using mixed-effects modeling with fixed effects for parameters of interest.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was reduction in disability measured by the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. An evaluation was also performed to examine whether the therapeutic response differed based on imaging profile among patients who received treatment based on the time they were last known well. Treatment benefits were assessed among a clinical mismatch subgroup, a target perfusion mismatch subgroup, and an undetermined profile subgroup. The primary end point was assessed among these subgroups and during 3 treatment intervals (tercile 1, 360-574 minutes [6.0-9.5 hours]; tercile 2, 575-762 minutes [9.6-12.7 hours]; and tercile 3, 763-1440 minutes [12.8-24.0 hours]).

Results
Among 505 eligible patients, 266 (mean [SD] age, 68.4 [13.8] years; 146 women [54.9%]) were assigned to the EVT group and 239 (mean [SD] age, 68.7 [13.7] years; 126 men [52.7%]) were assigned to the control group. Among 295 patients in the clinical mismatch subgroup and 359 patients in the target perfusion mismatch subgroup, EVT was associated with reductions in disability at 90 days vs no EVT (clinical mismatch subgroup, odds ratio [OR], 3.57; 95% CI, 2.29-5.57; P < .001; target perfusion mismatch subgroup, OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 2.10-4.66; P = .001). Statistically significant benefits were observed in all 3 terciles for both subgroups, with the highest OR observed for tercile 3 (clinical mismatch subgroup, OR, 4.95; 95% CI, 2.20-11.16; P < .001; target perfusion mismatch subgroup, OR, 5.01; 95% CI, 2.37-10.60; P < .001). A total of 132 patients (26.1%) had an undetermined imaging profile and no significant treatment benefit (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.82-3.06; P = .17). The interaction between treatment effects for the clinical and target perfusion mismatch subgroups vs the undetermined profile subgroup was significant (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.11-4.70; P = .03).

Conclusions and Relevance
In this study, EVT was associated with similar benefit among patients in the clinical mismatch and target perfusion mismatch subgroups during the 6- to 24-hour treatment interval. These findings support EVT as a treatment for patients meeting the criteria for either of the imaging mismatch profiles within the 6- to 24-hour interval.


The most common vertebral fracture among the elderly and post-menopausal women is the anterior wedge-shape compression fracture and its major cause is the loss of bone mineral density (BMD) due to osteoporosis. Many surgical procedures aimed to manage this clinical condition can cause an alteration of the vertebral stiffness along the human spine, thus increasing the risk of subsequent fractures. The identification of vertebral stiffness and strength is important because they represent essential predictors of future fractures; moreover, it can be helpful for surgeons, to restore the physiological condition of the spine at time of surgery.
Therefore, the major purpose of this thesis is to assess the stiffness of human vertebrae and its variability along the spine.
In order to accomplish this goal, specimen-specific finite element models of thoracic vertebral bodies were developed from Computed Tomography (CT) scans of 4 subjects. Both the three-dimensional geometry and heterogeneous mechanical properties distribution were extracted from the CT data. Mathematical relationships taken from literature were used to assign elastic-perfectly plastic material properties to each finite element of the model. The boundary conditions defined in the simulations induced an anterior wedge-shape compression. Lastly, stiffness and failure load of each vertebra were computed.
The average stiffness in the upper thoracic spine was found to be 73% of the stiffness in the mid thoracic and 64% of the stiffness in the lower thoracic. Moreover, it increased within the upper and mid thoracic region, while decreased in the lower region. On the other hand, the average failure loads increased nearly of 2400 N from the upper to the mid thoracic, as well as from the mid to the lower thoracic region. The failure load in the upper thoracic spine was 67% of the failure load in the mid thoracic and 75% of the stiffness in the lower thoracic.
In conclusion, the present work is able to provide a first insight in the vertebral stiffness variability along the thoracic spine. This information has potential implications for the evaluation of the risks of compression fractures and the improvement of surgical procedures, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Enhancement of the current study can be obtained through the validation of the proposed methodology with cadaveric experiments, and an increased sample size.


The negative, stereotypical depictions of the Japanese and Japanese Americans in American popular culture in the first half of the twentieth century were of great importance in the promulgation of the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924, the internment of Japanese Americans following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The American public had been adequately prepared to accept inaccurate repre sentations of )apanese and Japanese Americans; therefore, there was little public outcry against these actions.


Problems addressed, in reporting from relevant sources, include population pressure, subsistence agriculture, rural poverty, natural resource depletion with emphasis on deforestation, land degradation, decline in productivity, resource rich/urban biased policies, and gender disparities. Compounded, these problems, which if isolated already pose tough challenges, seem to form an insurmountable barrier in the development path toward sustainable agriculture. Efforts made so far have had impacts below expectations. Recognizing biodiversity as the key stepping stone, the proposition is outlined that prospects will be improved significantly through the recognition of the great potential of diversity in human and technical resources as well. Needed are in‐depth research and thorough multidimensional analyses, to formulate an alternative strategy geared to mobilize the synergy yet hidden in the potential of the three‐pronged resource diversity.


Introduction: Angiography is a detailed and useful method in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. One of the steps of angiography is taking out of sheath. This aggressive procedure causes anxiety in many patients. Therefore, hemodynamic indexes (heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate) may change. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of inhaling lavender essential oil on hemodynamic indexes during taking out a sheath in patients after coronary angiography. Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Seventy patients undergoing angiography referred to a military hospital in Tehran, Iran were recruited with convenience sampling method during 2015-2016. Then, patients were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The intervention group inhaled lavender essential oil during sheath take out and in the control group the placebo of lavender extract inhalation was used. Hemodynamic indexes of patients were measured before, during, 10 minutes and 20 minutes after the aromatherapy. Data were analyzed using chi-squared test, Fisher›s exact test and ANOVA with SPSS software (version 21). Results: After the intervention, there was a statistical difference in means of respiratory rate (P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) of the two groups. The ANOVA test showed that mean of systolic blood pressure (P = 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.001), heart rate (P = 0.001), and respiratory rate (P = 0.001) in the intervention group decreased during time. and Conclusion: The use of inhaled lavender extract during sheath take out in patients after coronary angiography can reduce hemodynamic indexes. Further studies with high sample size is recommended.


In recent years, the use of renewable raw materials for the production of chemicals has been the subject of different studies. In particular, the interest of the present study was the use of oleins, mixtures of free fatty acids (FFAs), and oleic acid to produce bio-based components for lubricants formulations and the investigation of the performance of a styrene-divinylbenzene acid resin (sPSB-SA) in the esterification reaction of fatty acids. This resin has shown good activity as a heterogeneous catalyst and high stability at elevated temperatures (180 °C). It was tested in the esterification reaction of oleic acid with 1,3-propanediol and of oleic acid with glycerol. In particular, the esterification reactions were performed in a steel stirred batch reactor and a PBR loop reactor. Tests were conducted varying the reaction conditions, such as alcohol type, temperature, reaction time, and catalysts, both homogeneous and heterogeneous ones. From the obtained results, acid resin (both in reticulated and not-reticulated form) showed high activity in esterification reaction of oleic acid with 1,3-propanediol and of oleic acid with glycerol and good resistance to the deactivation; thus, they can be considered promising candidates for future applications in continuous devices. Viscosity tests were performed, underlining the good properties of the obtained products as lubricant bases.


Alfred's Basic 5-String Banjo continues the Alfred Music tradition of easy-to-use, thorough, and enjoyable instruction for the absolute beginner. The basics of left- and right-hand picking are covered, including pinches, different kinds of rolls, and backup patterns. Basic left-hand techniques are introduced, including hammer-ons and slides, and chord diagrams are provided for both G-tuning and C-tuning. Important topics such as setting up the banjo, tuning, banjo heads, fingerpicks, strings, and capos are taught as well. Illustrations, diagrams, and photographs throughout the book make learning easy and fun. The accompanying CD includes 60 minutes of recordings performed by Dick Weissman that demonstrate all the exercises and songs in the book. Learning to play has never been more fun than with Alfred;s Basic 5-String Banjo -- the best choice for today's beginning banjo students.


INTRODUCTION................................................................................. 72 GEOGRAPHY AND PATHOGENICITY............................................................... 72 TAXONOMY..................................................................................... 73 BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES...................................................................... 73 ANTIGENS AND TOXIN S ........................................................................ 74 PHAGE SUSCEPTIBILITY......................................................................... 76 ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS......................................................................... 76 ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION ................................................................ 77 IMMUNOLOGICAL TESTS WITH HUMAN SERA..................................................... 80 VACCINATION................................................................................. 81 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................... 81 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................ 81


Background Numerous Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales have been developed to measure functional limitations; however, not all of these scales have not undergone rigorous validity assessments. The primary aim of our study was to internally validate a 15-item dichotomous ADL/IADL index scale. Methods Data were extracted from The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimal DataSet (TOPICS-MDS, www.topics-mds.eu), a large, public access database containing prospectively collected data in the Netherlands. To assess validity, we applied a Rasch measurement model, which assumes that the probability of item endorsement is a logistic function of the relative distance between the item's difficulty and the participant's ability. Based on this model, six aspects of the ADL/IADL scale were assessed: (1) overall fit; (2) internal consistency; (3) individual item and person fit; (4) local dependency; (5) targeting; and (6) differential item functioning (RUMM 2030). All analyses were stratified by residential setting (community-dwelling or residential care facility). Results Data were available on 21,926 community-dwelling older persons and 2,458 older persons residing in residential care facilities. 'Eating' was regarded as the easiest activity on the scale and 'performing household tasks' was the most difficult activity in both living situations. However, based on the location on the logit scale, the level of difficulty for certain items varied between residential settings, suggesting summary scores are not equivalent between these settings. Notably, the 15-item ADL/IADL scale exhibited poor fit to a Rasch model in community-dwelling older persons, suggesting sub-optimal construct validity. Moreover, the scale was poorly targeted for this population. In both residential settings, differential item functioning by gender and age group was observed for several items, underscoring potential measurement bias in the scale. Conclusion ADL/IADL scales are often summated to indicate the number of functional limitations experienced by an individual. However, when performing validity studies, reviewing only the summation of functional limitations obscures critical information regarding varying difficulty levels between ADL/IADL items. Through applying a Rasch analysis, we found that the 15-item dichotomous ADL/IADL exhibited different patterns of difficulty in community-dwelling and residential care facility settings. Unless adjustments are undertaken, ADL/IADL summary scores retrieved from older persons residing in the community or residential care facilities should not be directly combined. This 15-item scale is poorly targeted for a community-dwelling older population, and further instrumental items are warranted to better discriminate between higher functioning adults.


ABSTRACT In the early modern period both romantic love and parental love were often seen in terms of possession and ownership, in particular the possession of wives and children by a male head of household. Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice highlights this way of thinking about affection, in part because it consistently places material value on affective relationships. Drawing on premodern understandings of possession that have their roots in the writings of Plato and Cicero, this essay explores the way that Shakespeare and other early modern writers represent love and affection in terms of ownership. I argue that this model of affective relationships is profoundly different than the play of desire and absence that has frequently underpinned theoretical discourses around love and attraction, and that this difference is significant for our understanding of love and desire in the early modern period.


Isolates of the halo blight pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola were collected in the bean-producing areas in South Africa from 1991 to 1996. Of the 1,128 isolates collected, 967 were identified as P. syringae pv. phaseolicola. The majority of these isolates were obtained from a wide range of Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars, and the rest from P. coccineus and P. lunatus. Two hundred fifty-five isolates, representative of all the localities and cultivars sampled, were categorized into different races according to their reaction on a set of differential cultivars. Seven races (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9) were identified, with race 8 the most prevalent. Races 1, 2, 6, and 8 were widely distributed through the whole production area, while races 4, 7, and 9 were restricted to one or two localities.


IntroductionWe have a large cohort study of half a million people, which continually incorporates new data through health insurance, centre for disease control records, death certificates, resurveys, and ongoing quality assurance and participant information updates. To support our researchers we need data which is correct, up-to-date, and unchanging.
Objectives and ApproachWe must provide the new data, fixes and corrections to researchers, without missing anything or introducing issues. We make sequential iterations of our data available to researchers on a biannual basis; allowing a static version that can be referenced with regards to earlier work and providing the newest version of the data for new work. Due to the very large size of the data/code base and the small size of the team managing it, delivering this without error is a struggle. To mitigate this we developed testing scripts which catch issues and flag for resolution prior to release to researchers.
ResultsWe currently have 32 tests which catch all known issues which occur during a rebuild. On any occasion where a new type of issue is encountered, tests which would catch that issue and related issues are developed. As a result our last few releases have gone far more smoothly, with few if any issues reported after a release and certainly no previously encountered issues! Examples of current tests include: detection of a failed health insurance import; that we have the same number of participants; failure to increment version number between releases; checking that disease numbers have not changed dramatically over the shared timeframe.
Conclusion/ImplicationsProducing multiple static releases is a good way to balance the needs of a researcher for both static and current data, but it does introduce opportunities for both human and computer errors. Mitigating this risk with automated testing is convenient and effective.


Bone metastases is one of the most common causes of pain in cancer patients and have a significant effect on their quality of life. The most common symptom of bone metastases is pain that gradually develops. Morphine is used to relieve pain in these patients, but poorly accepted due to its adverse events. Therefore, the current study was aimed to compare the effect of sublingual buprenorphine, with certainly lower complications with morphine. Fourth patients were divided into 2 groups. In group A, metastatic cancer patients received 2.5 mg of intravenous morphine. Furthermore, in group B, sublingual tablet of buprenorphine (one-fourth of a 500 μg tablet) was administered sublingually. Pain was measured 15, 30, and 45 minutes after the onset of pain using visual analog scale ruler. Based on the obtained data, two groups A and B were compared using SPSS 23 software. There was a significant difference between the patient's pain intensity after 15 and 30 minutes from the onset of pain in both groups. Due to the fact that the duration of the effect of morphine is 3-4 hours and the duration of the effect of sublingual buprenorphine is 6-8 hours, morphine showed fast acting forms of opioids (P= 0.001). The required dose level on the first day was similar in both groups and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. While on the second and third days, the median dose in group A (morphine) was greater than group B (buprenorphine), indicating prolonged duration of action for buprenorphine compared with morphine, thus requiring lower subsequent doses. The results of this study suggested that sublingual buprenorphine is a higher effective drug compared to intravenous morphine during and after operation. With regard to easy and painless administration, it seems that its use can be useful in controlling pain due to bone metastases in cancer patients.


Microscale damages to membranes used in large-scale filtration processes for water treatment can result in severe degradation of product water quality. One promising technology to address this issue is in situ healing of compromised membranes via healing agents that are added to the feed side of a membrane system and seal the defect site because of increased hydraulic drag through damage site during filtration. We herein introduce an improved in situ membrane healing method using amine-functionalized silica microparticles that is effective under varying operating conditions, overcoming limitations faced by previous healing agents such as chitosan agglomerates. The silica microparticles are functionalized with branched polyethylenimine (PEI) molecules for efficient interparticle cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The PEI-decorated silica microparticles (SiO2@PEI MPs) were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential analysis. This study investigates the selective deposition of the SiO2@PEI MPs on the damage area using confocal laser scanning microscopy under variable cross-flow rate (0.5-2.0 L/min) and flushing time (10 to 30 min) conditions. The in situ healing technique recovered the particle rejection of compromised membranes to 99.1% of the original membrane's performance without any flux decline. The results of this study show that the use of SiO2@PEI MPs is a promising and practical approach to ensure membrane process integrity.


It is argued that innovation policy based on notions of market failure or system failure is too limited in the context of current societal challenges. I propose a third, complexity-theoretic approach. This approach starts from the observation that most innovations are related to existing activities, and that policy's additionality is highest for unrelated diversification. To trigger unrelated diversification into activities that contribute to solving societal challenges, government's main task is to organize the process of demand articulation. This process leads to clear and manageable societal objectives that effectively guide a temporary collation of actors to develop solutions bottom-up. The combination of a broad coalition, a clear objective and tentative governance are the means to cope with the inherent complexity of modern-day innovation.


The case is presented ofa 59 year old Saudi Arabian woman with sternal and vertebral tuberculous osteomyelitis and a benign breast mass simulating metastatic disease. This case illustrates the diagnostic difficulties that may be encountered in the diagnosis of tuberculous osteomyelitis. (Thorax 1995;50:1223-1224)


Abstract Although marine research on anthozoans began at the end of the 1800s with some reports on the occurrence in Turkey, comprehensive knowledge about their biotic features remains limited. This study is the first detailed diversity assessment of scleractinian corals inhabiting the Turkish waters. The surveys conducted on rocky habitats between 2011 and 2014 around the Dardanelles and Marmara Sea provided the distributional data of nine corals, five of which (Caryophyllia inornata, Paracyathus pulchellus, Polycyathus muellerae, Phyllangia mouchezii, Leptopsammia pruvoti) were recorded for the first time from the above-mentioned regions. During the surveys carried out at 200 stations down to 50 m depth, a total of 1072 scuba dives were made and the ecological features of habitats, physical characteristics of coral species and an updated list of corals as a contribution to the scleractinian fauna of Turkey were provided. The abundance rate of Polycyathus muellerae and Cladocora caespitosa in Eceabat and Dardanos regions was higher than at the other stations.


To procure materials, maintain in-process inventory and delivery products to customers, companies provided traditional logistics activities. Operational traditional logistics included inbound logistics, intern logistics and outbound logistics, the flow of physical goods, are being managed separately. In the time being, companies cannot handle many problems such as customer service satisfaction. To solve many problems, synchronized management of the flow of physical goods and associated information from sourcing to delivery products to customers, integrated logistics, being provided instead of operational traditional logistics. But problems stand still. Where is the product, now'? By separating the flow of physical goods and the flow of information through information technology, problem can be answered. Supply Chain Management and Technology. Traditional Logistics Integrated Logistics Supply Chain Management


Defect prediction models help software organizations to anticipate where defects will appear in the future. When training a defect prediction model, historical defect data is often mined from a Version Control System (VCS, e.g., Subversion), which records software changes at the file-level. Software metrics, on the other hand, are often calculated at the class- or method-level (e.g., McCabe's Cyclomatic Complexity). To address the disagreement in granularity, the class- and method-level software metrics are aggregated to file-level, often using summation (i.e., McCabe of a file is the sum of the McCabe of all methods within the file). A recent study shows that summation significantly inflates the correlation between lines of code (Sloc) and cyclomatic complexity (Cc) in Java projects. While there are many other aggregation schemes (e.g., central tendency, dispersion), they have remained unexplored in the scope of defect prediction. In this study, we set out to investigate how different aggregation schemes impact defect prediction models. Through an analysis of 11 aggregation schemes using data collected from 255 open source projects, we find that: (1) aggregation schemes can significantly alter correlations among metrics, as well as the correlations between metrics and the defect count; (2) when constructing models to predict defect proneness, applying only the summation scheme (i.e., the most commonly used aggregation scheme in the literature) only achieves the best performance (the best among the 12 studied configurations) in 11 percent of the studied projects, while applying all of the studied aggregation schemes achieves the best performance in 40 percent of the studied projects; (3) when constructing models to predict defect rank or count, either applying only the summation or applying all of the studied aggregation schemes achieves similar performance, with both achieving the closest to the best performance more often than the other studied aggregation schemes; and (4) when constructing models for effort-aware defect prediction, the mean or median aggregation schemes yield performance values that are significantly closer to the best performance than any of the other studied aggregation schemes. Broadly speaking, the performance of defect prediction models are often underestimated due to our community's tendency to only use the summation aggregation scheme. Given the potential benefit of applying additional aggregation schemes, we advise that future defect prediction models should explore a variety of aggregation schemes.


Blood substitutes are oxygen-carrying plasma expanders intended to be used instead of blood. Their development is a long-standing quest and seen as being one of the several most important prizes of biotechnology. Their value, both in the clinic and market place, is virtually limitless. Most of the emphasis today, both in research and development, is on hemoglobin-containing solutions, although modern perfluorocarbon emulsions have considerable advantage over the first-generation products.


We present a novel method for determining the surface density of protoplanetary disks through consideration of disk "dust lines," which indicate the observed disk radial scale at different observational wavelengths. This method relies on the assumption that the processes of particle growth and drift control the radial scale of the disk at late stages of disk evolution such that the lifetime of the disk is equal to both the drift timescale and growth timescale of the maximum particle size at a given dust line. We provide an initial proof of concept of our model through an application to the disk TW Hya and are able to estimate the disk dust-to-gas ratio, CO abundance, and accretion rate in addition to the total disk surface density. We find that our derived surface density profile and dust-to-gas ratio are consistent with the lower limits found through measurements of HD gas. The CO ice line also depends on surface density through grain adsorption rates and drift and we find that our theoretical CO ice line estimates have clear observational analogues. We further apply our model to a large parameter space of theoretical disks and find three observational diagnostics that may be used to test its validity. First, we predict that the dust lines of disks other than TW Hya will be consistent with the normalized CO surface density profile shape for those disks. Second, surface density profiles that we derive from disk ice lines should match those derived from disk dust lines. Finally, we predict that disk dust and ice lines will scale oppositely, as a function of surface density, across a large sample of disks.


We propose a spatial calibration method for wide field-of-view (FoV) near-eye displays (NEDs) with complex image distortions. Image distortions in NEDs can destroy the reality of the virtual object and cause sickness. To achieve distortion-free images in NEDs, it is necessary to establish a pixel-by-pixel correspondence between the viewpoint and the displayed image. Designing compact and wide-FoV NEDs requires complex optical designs. In such designs, the displayed images are subject to gaze-contingent, non-linear geometric distortions, which explicit geometric models can be difficult to represent or computationally intensive to optimize. To solve these problems, we propose neural distortion field (NDF), a fully-connected deep neural network that implicitly represents display surfaces complexly distorted in spaces. NDF takes spatial position and gaze direction as input and outputs the display pixel coordinate and its intensity as perceived in the input gaze direction. We synthesize the distortion map from a novel viewpoint by querying points on the ray from the viewpoint and computing a weighted sum to project output display coordinates into an image. Experiments showed that NDF calibrates an augmented reality NED with 90° FoV with about 3.23 pixel (5.8 arcmin) median error using only 8 training viewpoints. Additionally, we confirmed that NDF calibrates more accurately than the non-linear polynomial fitting, especially around the center of the FoV.


At the core of this article is an improved, sharp dispersive estimate for the anisotropic linear semigroup e R 1t arising in both the study of the dispersive SQG equation and the inviscid Boussinesq system. We combine the decay estimate with a blow-up criterion to show how dispersion leads to long-time existence of solutions to the dispersive SQG equation, improving the results obtained using hyperbolic methods. In the setting of the inviscid Boussinesq system it turns out that linearization around a specific stationary solution leads to the same linear semigroup, so that we can make use of analogous techniques to obtain stability of the stationary solution for an increased timespan.


Ayurveda the ancient traditional system of Indian medicine has two basic principles Tridosha And Panchbhuatic Chikitsa Siddhant. The elements of nature Earth, Water, Space, Fire and Air. All these elements are linked to the possibility of human life on Earth, and also contain compounds, minerals and nutrients that can improve our health. Krishna Mrittika is one of the most important elements of these and contains a lot of vital nutrients essential for the human body. The Acharyas told that Krishna Mrittika has Shothahar and Shoolhar Gunas. Krishna Mrittika can expel toxins from human body therefore is very useful in therapeutic and preventing many diseases. Ayurveda recommends Krishna Mrittika Chikitsa as a specialized therapy for good management of diseases. It is very Economic and effective also. It can be make easy methods. Its black colour absorbs all the colours of sun and According to the disease, affects the body organ. Solid and heavy human organs in the body are related to the Prithavi Mahaboot. As mentioned in Atharvaveda (12/1/6) that Prithavi detains lots of essential minerals, nutrients in it And by these minerals Prithavi nourishes the human Beings. This article, explaining how to use Krishna Mrittika as a therapeutic properties.


Abstract. The Alqueva reservoir (southeast of Portugal) being the largest artificial lake in Western Europe and strategic freshwater supply in the region is of scientific interest in terms of monitoring and maintaining the quality and quantity of water and its impact on the regional climate. To solve these tasks we conducted numerical studies of the thermal and gas regimes in the lake over the period from May 2017 to March 2019, supplemented by the data observed at the weather stations and the floating platforms during the field campaign of the ALOP (ALentejo Observation and Prediction System) project. One-dimensional model LAKE2.0 was used for the numerical studies. Being highly versatile and adjusted to the specific features of the reservoir, this parameterization is capable to simulate its thermodynamic and biogeochemical characteristics. Profiles and time series of water temperature, sensible and latent heat fluxes, concentrations of CO2 and O2 reproduced by the LAKE2.0 model were validated against the observed data and were compared with the thermodynamic simulation results obtained with the FLake model. The results demonstrated that LAKE2.0 model has good ability in capturing the seasonal variations in the water surface temperature and the internal thermal structure of the Alqueva reservoir, and satisfactorily captured the seasonal gas regime.


: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a biologically heterogeneous disease, with many small renal masses (SRMs) exhibiting an indolent natural history, while others progress more rapidly to become life-threatening. Existing multiphase contrast-enhanced imaging methods, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, cannot definitively distinguish between benign and malignant solid tumors or identify histologic subtype, and early results of molecular imaging studies (positron emission tomography [PET]) in the evaluation of SRMs have not improved on these established modalities. Alternative molecular markers/agents recog-nizing aberrant cellular pathways of cellular oxidative metabolism, DNA synthesis, and tumor hypoxia tracers are currently under development and investigation for RCC assessment, but to date none are yet clinically applicable or available. In contrast, immuno-PET offers highly selective binding to cancer-specific antigens, and might identify radiographically recognizable and distinct molecular targets. A phase I proof-of-concept study first demonstrated the ability of immuno-PET to discriminate between clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and non-ccRCC, utilizing a chimeric monoclonal antibody to carbonic anhydrase IX (cG250, girentuximab) labeled with I-girentuximab PET); the study examined patients with renal masses who subsequently underwent standard surgical resection. A follow-up phase III multicenter trial confirmed that 124 I-cG250-PET can accurately and noninvasively identify ccRCC with high sensitivity (86%), specificity (87%), and positive predictive value (95%). In the challenge to appropriately match treatment of an incidentally identified SRM to its biological potential, this highly accurate and histologically specific molecular imaging modality demonstrates the ability of imaging to provide clinically important preoperative diagnostic information, which can result in optimal and personalized therapy.


We consider a superprocess in a random environment represented by a random measure which is white in time and colored in space with correlation kernel $g(x,y)$. Suppose that $g(x,y)$ decays at a rate of $|x-y|^{-\alpha}$, $0\leq \alpha\leq 2$, as $|x-y|\to\infty$. We show that the process, starting from Lebesgue measure, suffers longterm local extinction. If $\alpha < 2$, then it even suffers finite time local extinction. This property is in contrast with the classical super-Brownian motion which has a non-trivial limit when the spatial dimension is higher than 2. We also show in this paper that in dimensions $d=1,2$ superprocess in random environment suffers local extinction for any bounded function $g$.


The first case of Kawasaki disease in Pernambuco, Brazil, is described. An 18-month-old by presenting with fever, adenomegaly and mucocutaneous rash, had right and left coronary arteries dilation and aneurysm detected on echocardiography. Treated with a high dosage of aspirin, the patient is asymptomatic after a 7-month follow-up, with regression of coronary lesions.


The article developed a path planning method for mobile robots moving to the target position on the unknown environment, and uses the dynamic programming algorithm to solve the minimum displacement techniques. The mobile robot has the shape of cylinder and its diameter, height and weight is 8cm, 15cm and 1.5kg. The controller of the mobile robot is MCS-51 microchip. The mobile robot contains a controller module (including DC motor driver), an obstacle detection module, a voice module, a wireless RF module, an encoder module, and a compass module. Mobile robots can modify the error of the orientation using the compass module, and use encoder module to calculate displacement. We design the grid platform to implement the proposed method using the mobile robot. In the experimental results, the supervised computer controlled the mobile robot moving to the target position on the unknown environment, and receives the pulse numbers from the mobile robots via wireless RF interface. The supervised computer fined out the minimum displacement, and compared to the previous trajectories, and controlled the mobile robot moving to the start position according to the minimum displacement.


PCT No. PCT/JP93/00291 Sec. 371 Date Sep. 9, 1994 Sec. 102(e) Date Sep. 9, 1994 PCT Filed Mar. 10, 1993 PCT Pub. No. WO93/17667 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 16, 1993A composition for oral preparations, having a complex formed by dispersing or dissolving an unpleasantly tasting basic drug and a functional polymer compound in a substance having a low melting point, 10 to 70% by weight, based on the composition, of sugar alcohol and 0.1 to 7% by weight, based on the composition, of basic oxide. The composition for oral preparation is excellent in masking unpleasantly tasting basic drugs and has excellent performance in biological use.


In many mining regions of the world, pollution of surface water and groundwater by drainage water originating from mines aiming waste poses either a serious threat to the environment, or a severe environmental problem. During the last two and a half decades, treatment of mine drainage water in constructed and natural wetlands has emerged as an alternative to more conventional methods to handle the problem. In this thesis, the major biogeochemical processes behind metal immobilization in wetlands are summarized. Factors that influence the efficiency and longevity of these processes are discussed based on a review of previous experiences from wetlands exposed to mine drainage waters. The potential for successful treatment is largely determined by the characteristics of the drainage, the morphology of the wetland, and the degree of maintenance planned. In maintenance-free wetland, factors that have to be considered include: changes in drainage water production and wetland performance over the years, the total metal accumulating capacity of the wetland, and the post treatment integrity of the wetland. Results from a case study indicated that no or little immobilization of metals occured in natural wetlands situated along a mining region recipient (the river Vormbacken, northern Sweden). However, Fe supplied from the catchment area appeared to favor the fraction of As, Cu, and Pb recovered in particles, a mechanism that could be of interest for the polishing of treated mine drainage waters, especially when combined with settling in a downstream wetland. Laboratory experiments showed that such a process is likely to be favored by addition of Fe in its ferrous form, higher water temperatures, presence of Ca, and absence of dissolved organic matter.


Larry Cohen has been a great inspiration for our work; the indicators Arsenazo III and di-8-ANNEPS, introduced by Larry and his colleagues to biology,1,2 were crucial for the elucidation of photo- and chemotransduction pathways in photoreceptors and sperm cells, respectively. During the heydays of research on signaling in retinal photoreceptors in the 1980s, central questions concerned (1) the identity of the cellular messenger transducing the absorption of light into an electrical signal and (2) the nature of the ion channels gated by that messenger. For good reasons, both Ca2+ and cGMP had been proposed to carry the signal from the visual pigment rhodopsin in the disk membrane across the cytosol to the ion channels in the plasma membrane. In 1985, in one fell swoop, a series of papers identified in rod photoreceptors of amphibians and cow a conductance, which is directly gated by cGMP without involving phosphorylation by protein kinase G.3,4,5 We and others discovered a cGMP-induced Ca2+ efflux from isolated Ca2+-filled disks,4,6 suggesting that the cGMP-gated channel is also localized in the disk membrane. The release of Ca2+ from isolated disks was detected by the metallochromic Ca2+-indicator dye Arsenazo III. This dye, for the first time, was used by Brown et al.1 to measure minute Ca2+ changes in the squid giant axon evoked by changes in membrane voltage. Recordings from excised membrane patches or truncated rod outer segments revealed that the cGMP-gated channel is, in fact, located in the plasma membrane.3,5 It turned out that robust cytoskeletal filaments connect plasma and disk membranes;7 therefore, during permeabilization of photoreceptors and purification of their membrane fractions, plasma and disk membranes partially fuse. This process is prevented by mild trypsinization of cytoskeletal elements.8 Although the presence of the cGMP-gated channel in disks was a consequence of the isolation procedure, it allowed for the channel's molecular identification, purification, and cloning of the gene. We characterized the cGMP-gated channel by functional reconstitution into artificial liposomes.9,10 Membrane proteins of rod outer segments were solubilized and separated by affinity and size-exclusion chromatography; protein fractions eluting from the column were reconstituted into liposomes and tested for channel activity using the Arsenazo III-based Ca2+ flux assay.9 This assay also allowed identifying the channel's accessory 240 kD β-subunit11 and the first Na+/Ca2+ exchanger protein.12 Finally, partial amino-acid information derived from the purified 63 kD pore-forming α-subunit and the β-subunit paved the way to clone the genes of the CNG channel subunits and their functional expression in heterologous cell systems.13,14

It came as a surprise that relatives of these CNG channels are essential components of chemotactic signaling in sperm.15,16,17 Stimulation of sea urchin sperm with chemoattractants, short peptides, causes a hyperpolarization followed by a transient Ca2+ response. Electrical recording from mouse and human sperm had been established,18,19,20 whereas direct probing of electrical events in sea urchin sperm by the patch-clamp technique was unsuccessful. Instead, fluorescent potentiometric probes had been employed to record changes in membrane voltage. Owing to their "Nernstian mechanism" of voltage sensing, the dyes initially used for sperm studies exhibit slow response times and, moreover, are prone to solvatochromic artefacts.21 We sought the advice of Larry Cohen, who recommended di-8-ANEPPS, a dye that exclusively intercalates into the plasma membrane and exhibits a rapid response at the millisecond time scale. Its electrochromic mechanism of voltage sensing allows ratiometric measurement of ΔVm and, thereby, overcomes potential artefacts resulting from unspecific solvatochromic effects.17 The necessity of ratiometric measurements is illustrated in Fig. 1. Di-8-ANEPPS faithfully and, most importantly, quantitatively reports ΔVm in intact, freely moving sperm; optoelectrical recordings from sperm revealed that stimulation with a single chemoattractant molecule evokes a ΔVm of about 2.5 mV,17 similar to the single-photon response of rod photoreceptors. The dye also allows using flash photolysis of caged compounds that exhibit absorption spectra around 400 nm.15,17 Competing dyes like the Annine collection of potentiometric probes require excitation wavelengths <500  nm, which interferes with the uncaging of cyclic nucleotides at ca. 410 nm, using coumaryl-based caging groups.22–24 In conclusion, up to this day, di-8-ANEPPS has been key for delineating the sequence of signaling events during chemotaxis of sea urchin sperm and for identifying the underlying signaling molecules.25,26

Fig. 1

Quantitative fluorescence optical recordings of chemoattractant-induced voltage responses in sea urchin sperm in suspension stained with di-8-ANNEPS were mixed in a stopped-flow device with the chemoattractant peptide "resact." The dye ...

Apart from our love for dyes and photonics, we share an appreciation for sweet German Spatlese or Auslese Rieslings. We promise to continue to import them to the US. For more than 10 years, Larry has been generously hosting Benjamin Kaupp and his wife, Sigi, in his Woods Hole home during the summer. We do not want to miss the great conversations and jokes at the dinner table, the unique blend of food, wine and people, and, most importantly, Larry's tireless hospitality. He is a great scholar and friend!


Kidney transplant recipients often receive antibody induction. Previous studies of induction therapy were often limited by short follow-up and/or absence of information about complications. After linking Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data with Medicare claims, we compared outcomes between three induction therapies for kidney recipients. Using novel matching techniques developed on the basis of 15 clinical and demographic characteristics, we generated 1:1 pairs of alemtuzumab-rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) (5330 pairs) and basiliximab-rATG (9378 pairs) recipients. We used paired Cox regression to analyze the primary outcomes of death and death or allograft failure. Secondary outcomes included death or sepsis, death or lymphoma, death or melanoma, and healthcare resource utilization within 1 year. Compared with rATG recipients, alemtuzumab recipients had higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.03 to 1.26; P<0.01) and death or allograft failure (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.28; P<0.001). Results for death as well as death or allograft failure were generally consistent among elderly and nonelderly subgroups and among pairs receiving oral prednisone. Compared with rATG recipients, basiliximab recipients had higher risk of death (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.16; P=0.03) and death or lymphoma (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.23; P=0.03), although these differences were not confirmed in subgroup analyses. One-year resource utilization was slightly lower among alemtuzumab recipients than among rATG recipients, but did not differ between basiliximab and rATG recipients. This observational evidence indicates that, compared with alemtuzumab and basiliximab, rATG associates with lower risk of adverse outcomes, including mortality.


The knowledge of bone and soft tissue healing can b e applied to enhance the success of dental implants as the process of osseointegration depends on vascular supply at the surgical site and the primary stability of the endosseous implants. To ac hieve successful bone and soft tissue regeneration, factors such as systemic health of th e patient, biocompatibility and characteristic of t he implant surface, surgical protocol and quality and quantity of the bone at the implant site must be taken into consideration. Histomorphometric analysi s can determine the microstructure of bone trabeculae, reflecting the bone density and quality . Furthermore, molecular analysis of the bone cell can provide vital information during treatment plan ning in dental implantology, which can help in the prediction of its success.


Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders have been synthesized via sol-gel solution route in order to obtain thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) from sol-gel. Conventional method of preparation of sol and gel has been used for coating and thermal analysis respectively. Prepared gel is heated at 150°C for 3h and 250°C for 3 h and thermal analysis of powder is carried out. At this stage two routes are followed to get the sintered powder. Sintered powder-1 is obtained after heat treatment of 800°C for 3 h and sintered powder-2 is obtained by heat treatment at 1300°C for 3 h. Thermal analysis of both gel and dried powder at 150°C for 3 h show the exothermic process of 187.5°C, indicating the start of the nucleation process of crystallization of the tetragonal phase of YSZ powder. Sintered powder obtained after heating the powder at 1300°C for 3 h is found to have more identical grain size distribution of YSZ powder in comparison to powder sintered at 800°C for 3 h. The total mass loss of gel and powder obtained by drying gel at 150°C for 3 h is found to be 31.4% and 31.0% respectively, indicating amorphous behavior at this stage.


The triad is the junctional association of transverse tubule with sarcoplasmic reticulum terminal cisternae. A procedure for the isolation of highly enriched triads from skeletal muscle has been described in the previous paper. In the present study, the structural features of isolated triads have been examined by thin-section, negative-staining, and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. In isolated triads, key features of the structure observed in situ have been retained, including the osmiophilic "feet," junctional structures between the transverse tubule and terminal cisternae. New insight into triad structure is obtained by negative staining, which also enables visualization of feet at the junctional face of the terminal cisternae, whereas smaller surface particles, characteristic of calcium pump protein, are not visualized there. Therefore, the junctional face is different from the remainder of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. Junctional feet as viewed by thin section or negative staining have similar periodicity and extend approximately 100 A from the surface of the membrane. Freeze-fracture of isolated triads reveals blocklike structures associated with the membrane of the terminal cisternae at the junctional face, interjunctional connections between the terminal cisternae and t-tubule, and intragap particles. The intragap particles can be observed to be closely associated with the t-tubule. The structure of isolated triads is susceptible to osmotic and salt perturbation, and examples are given regarding differential effects on transverse tubules and terminal cisternae. Conditions that adversely affect morphology must be considered in experimentation with triads as well as in their preparation and handling.


The specimens of polycrystalline pure aluminum were irradiated with high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB). The microstructure of vacancy defect clusters has been investigated in detail by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal that large numbers of vacancy cells including dislocation loop and even stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) can be formed in the specimens of polycrystalline pure aluminum irradiated with HCPEB. For the specimen irradiated with one pulse, vacancy dislocation loops were formed in the vacancy cells. SFTs became the dominating structures after five pulses. For the specimen irradiated with ten pulses, dislocation loops were frequently present and SFTs were only formed in some local zones of vacancy cells. In the vicinity of SFT formation, dislocation-free or very low dislocation densities were observed. It is suggested that high stress and strain rate induced by rapid heating and cooling due to HCPEB irradiation could cause the shifting of whole atomic planes synchronously. This is the more probable mechanism of the formation of SFTs.


Abstract PurposePurpose Results of an evaluation of the physical and chemical stability of extemporaneously prepared adult and pediatric ophthalmic solutions containing combinations of phenylephrine, tropicamide, and cyclopentolate are reported. MethodsMethods A stability study was conducted to help determine the feasibility of innovative formulations to meet an unmet clinical need for combination mydriatic ophthalmic eyedrops. An adult mydriatic ophthalmic solution containing phenylephrine hydrochloride 2.5% and tropicamide 1.0% and a pediatric formulation containing phenylephrine hydrochloride 2.5%, tropicamide 0.5%, and cyclopentolate hydrochloride 0.5% were prepared using proper aseptic techniques. Triplicate samples of each formulation were stored for 60 days at refrigeration temperatures (2–8 °C) and analyzed on day 0 and days 7, 14, 28, and 60. At each time point, the stability samples were assessed by visual inspection, pH measurement, and stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. ResultsResults Over the 60-day storage period, there was no significant change in the visual appearance or pH level of any of the adult or pediatric solution samples. The results of HPLC analysis indicated that all samples retained 97–102% of the initial drug concentrations for up to 60 days. ConclusionConclusion Both adult and pediatric ophthalmic formulations containing combinations of phenylephrine, tropicamide, and cyclopentolate were stable physically and chemically for up to 60 days when stored at refrigeration temperatures (2–8 °C).


The paper discusses data from focus groups carried out as part of the Transforming Drivers project in partnership with NRMA Motoring and Services, focusing on the significance of gender in shaping young people's relationships to cars. Little analysis from a socio-cultural framework has been applied to the specific practices and experiences afforded by cars as they exist within a broader driving culture, especially for younger people. It is important therefore to link larger social categories such as gender with the ways in which gender is expressed through cars. Analysis of focus group discussions showed distinct differences in the ways in which young men and women 'perform' in cars and how cars are a significant aspect of their evolving identities. Employing the idea of 'hydraulic masculinities' from the work of Linley Walker, the paper will outline the concept, relating it to the focus group data and indicating the involvement of danger in this form of masculinity as it is expressed through cars. The importance of age and gender as a social norm significantly shaping young men's relationship to cars is emphasised. Suggestions are made in conclusion, as to how gender performance might be appropriately addressed in road safety. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E215375.


Much of the excitement in the mid-2000s and 2010s about the potential for new technologies such as mobile phones, wireless high-speed internet, and social media software to aid in the prevention and prosecution of mass atrocities has evolved into deeper analysis of whether these tools can really do everything we thought possible. The development of the ICT for atrocity prevention field is at a stage where praxis, the use of practice to inform the development of theory, is crucial. Deeper theory, grounded in empirical examples, can lead to better data collection and thus a better understanding of the impact of ICTs on atrocity prevention in both research and practice. This collection of articles in this symposium on humanitarian technologies and atrocity prevention theoretically and empirically pushes these issues further, building on existing policy and field experience to develop frameworks that can guide both empirical research and policy development for using ICTs in atrocity monitoring


Objective: To study the visual outcome, factors affecting visual recovery, complications encountered during cataract surgery in Anterior Uveitis. Materials & Methods: The present study was undertaken in the Department of Ophthalmology, Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh. The patients reporting to Out Patient Department (OPD) of Ophthalmology department were selected with prefixed criteria. The selected cases after proper preoperative examination and investigation, underwent Cataract Surgery in the Operation Theater (OT) of the department. Results: A total of 28 eyes of 28 patients having cataract with anterior uveitis were operated. The male female ratio was 1:1. In the present series, 25 cases (89.20%) were of idiopathic type, while 1 case each was of Ankylosing spondylitis, Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis and juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. On 1 post-operative day, 9 cases (32.1%) developed excessive anterior chamber reaction while the other 19 cases (67.9%) had usual expected anterior chamber reactions. Recurrence of uveitis was most commonly seen in as many as 10 cases, while 8 cases had striate keratopathy, 4 cases developed hyphaema, 3 cases had raised IOP, 2 cases had corneal edema and 1 case of hypopyon 1 day after surgery. The best corrected visual acuity of 21 cases were in the range of 6/6 to 6/12, while 4 cases attained BCVA in the range of 6/18 to 6/36. The most common late post -operative complication seen on the 45 postoperative seen was pigments over the IOL surface, Posterior synechia was seen in 7 cases, PCO was noted in 5 cases, Vitreous Haze developed in 2 cases and cystoid macular edema was seen in only one case. Conclusion: With proper case selection, well planned meticulous surgery and good post-operative management surgical and visual outcome in these cases are quite satisfactory. Both ECCE and SICS with PCIOL implantation are safe procedures in properly selected cases of cataract with anterior uveitis and can give a predictably good visual result.


Standing in line for the bathroom, I recited the ABCs. My mother was shocked because she'd never heard anything come from my threeyear- old mouth other than the curse words I had learned from my father. I was as surprised as she was. The letters flowed off my tongue like water from a spigot. With three older siblings, I must have heard them recite the alphabet. I never thought of letters before because my mind was always focused on playing outdoors. I would walk up our old dirt road to the Armory about an eighth of a mile away and ask Skippy for a nickel to buy a Coke. In shock he asked, "Where's your mother, boy?" My mom wasn't a watchful person and I was an out of control child who couldn't sit still for more than five seconds. Mom said only God could watch over me and I believed her.


PLL is an important part of the RF front-end module,its performance is directly related to stability and accuracy of the RF base-band signal extracted. A FPGA-based all-digital PLL is implemented in this thesis, Hilbert digital phase detector (HDPD) ,Numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) and FIR digital loop filter module implemented using Verilog language ensure accuracy and stability to Sample input Baseband signal modulated. The experiments confirmed that the all-digital PLL designed in this thesis can overcome the defects of DPLL based on semi-analog circuits; and has high Operating frequency, exact capture time, precision adjustable, simple interface, and so on; can be widely used in radio frequency identification (RFID) and automatic control system.


Micrometeorites with diameter ≈100–200 μm dominate the flux of extraterrestrial matter on Earth. The vast majority of micrometeorites are chemically, mineralogically, and isotopically related to carbonaceous chondrites, which amount to only 2.5% of meteorite falls. Here, we report the discovery of the first basaltic micrometeorite (MM40). This micrometeorite is unlike any other basalt known in the solar system as revealed by isotopic data, mineral chemistry, and trace element abundances. The discovery of a new basaltic asteroidal surface expands the solar system inventory of planetary crusts and underlines the importance of micrometeorites for sampling the asteroids' surfaces in a way complementary to meteorites, mainly because they do not suffer dynamical biases as meteorites do. The parent asteroid of MM40 has undergone extensive metamorphism, which ended no earlier than 7.9 Myr after solar system formation. Numerical simulations of dust transport dynamics suggest that MM40 might originate from one of the recently discovered basaltic asteroids that are not members of the Vesta family. The ability to retrieve such a wealth of information from this tiny (a few micrograms) sample is auspicious some years before the launch of a Mars sample return mission.


In recent years the demand for high data rate satellite links in Earth Observation (EO) missions has increased because of the adoption of instruments with higher resolution. The high data rate systems envisaged require then very large bandwidth and for this reason the use of the Ka band for the Earth Observation Satellites has been planned. In the case of Space Exploration Systems (SES), the continuous development of payload and ground segment technologies enables the exploitation of the higher frequency bands with respect to the standard X-band baseline used in the last 30 years. The use of frequencies at the Ka band and above poses some constrains because of the high atmospheric attenuation (marginal at X band frequencies) and needs an accurate estimate of the propagation channel. In this contribution the main propagation issues related to EO and SES/DRS systems will be reviewed with a particular focus on attenuation and sky noise temperature.


Introduction. To solve the problems of collecting data on sanitary and epidemiological well-being it is necessary to automate and digitalize processes. Analysis of foreign experience shows the feasibility of developing domestic specialized software products that could be more consistent with the tasks of social and hygienic monitoring (SGM) with a comprehensive analysis of health indicators or environmental factors of the population in the context of macroregions over a long period of time. The purpose of the study was to develop a software product for automating the process of combining large amounts of data on environmental factors with the formation of a combined database. Materials and methods. The results of studies of environmental factors carried out by the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) within the framework of the SGM for the period from 2007 to 2019 in the context of individual municipalities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are part of the Russian Arctic have been studied. Results. To solve the problem of forming a combined database from separate files in the MS Office Excel format, a software product (SP) in Python 3.6 has been developed that automates the processes of creating a database from a large number of separate files, which are characterized by a common structure. The SP was tested on the example of the analysis of the results of the SGM in the context of municipalities of the subjects of the Russian Arctic for 2019. The approbation showed the correct performance of the program, which was confirmed by the results obtained manually. The average time it took to create a merged database from 60 source files was 7 minutes. Conclusion. The created SP allows you to automatically combine a large number of separate Excel files containing in a standardized form data on the factors of the population's habitat, collected as part of the SGM maintenance, with the formation of a combined database. The software can be used by the institutions of Rospotrebnadzor in the formation of combined databases in the context of any territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation for practical and scientific problems. Contribution: Gorbanev S.A. — the concept and design; Novikova Yu.A., Fedorov V.N. — the concept and design, writing text; Kovshov A.A., Tikhonova N.A. — collection and processing of material; Rakova V.V., Bolsunovskaia M.V. — editing, approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.  Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.


In 'Literary Theory', Terry Eagleton disparaged humanism as 'a suburban moral ideology'. Humanist hermeneutics have often been criticized as politically impotent or lightweight owing to an emphasis on human kindness rather than systems of power and exploitation, yet close scrutiny of films labeled as humanistic or human drama reveals deep concern with antisocial behaviors, group politics, and the political consequences of our attempts to identify and ostracize transgressors. This paper uses adaptations of Tom Perrotta's novels 'Election' and 'Little Children' to articulate a concept of abject humanism, asking how we can acknowledge negative affect and maleficence without becoming convinced that they are representative of all human experience. In turn, Perrotta's works depict the problems we encounter when we do not admit darkness in our lives; they take us to the brink of human cruelty in American suburbia, and then see what is salvageable.


There is no visual art without the eye, just like no music without the ear. Visual art does not happen in the eye, but it has to go through the eye. Even for artworks with little visual focus, as in Conceptual Art, we need eyes to create and receive them. In order to see we need to move our eyes. It is therefore not surprising that, for centuries, the eye and its movements have been a major topic of literature on art. It is equally unsurprising that along recent technological improvements of eye tracking, this technology has become prolific for studying visual arts. This special issue of the Journal of Eye Movement Research is the first platform that provides a broad picture of recent developments in this area. In this introduction we present a history of eye movement in art literature, followed by a sketch of some of the oculometric parameters used for studies of visual art. In the third section we showcase each contribution to this special issue.


Textile honeycomb composites, with an array of hexagonal cells in the cross section, is a type of textile composites having the advantage of being light weight and energy absorbent over the solid composite materials. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of the geometric parameters on textile honeycomb composites on their mechanical performances under low velocity impact, which can be used to help designer control over the textile honeycomb composites.Four groups of textile honeycomb composites, involving 14 varieties, have been systematically created for the experimental analysis. The geometric parameters of the honeycomb composites, including the cell opening angle, cell size, cell wall length ratio and structural parameters such as composite thickness, composite volume density are studied for their influence on the honeycomb composites under low-velocity impact. Followed by experimental work, honeycomb composites with 12 varieties are modelled by finite element method (FEM) to further investigate the honeycomb structure performance under various loading condition including different impact energy (6J, 8.3J and 10J) and impactor shape (cylindrical and spherical).The 3D honeycomb fabrics are successfully manufactured and converted into textile honeycomb composites. It was found through the experimental and finite element analysis (FEA) that changes in geometric and structural parameters of the textile honeycomb composites have noted influences on the energy absorption, force attenuation and damage process of the structure. The length ratio of cell wall and the cell opening angle are the most effective parameters for controlling the energy absorption of the composites and composites with medium cell sizes tend to have more reliable mechanical performances under various loading conditions. And it is also found in FEA that cylindrical impacts are more threatening to human beings than the ball shaped impact. The methodology has been established by using FEM to investigate the composites more systematically in the current study. This helps to provide a faster and economic design cycle for the honeycomb composites, which can substantially decease the time to take products from concept to the production.


Given the increasing length and complexity of financial market disclosures, high-quality summarization becomes ever more important, especially for retail investors. However, little is known about the informativeness of summaries in disclosure documents such as security prospectuses. In this study, we develop an automatic approach for evaluating the quality of a summary in bond prospectuses. Based on this, we investigate (1) the determinants of the summary quality, (2) the reaction of retail investors to different quality levels, and (3) the informativeness of the summary quality regarding the security's future performance. Our results suggest that firms with poor performance tend to provide low-quality summaries. Quality manipulations include significant differences in readability, specificity, tonality, use of boilerplate, and dissimilarity in content between the summary and the full prospectus. Unfortunately, retail investors seem unable to detect these reporting biases. Prospectus summaries can nevertheless be shown to be informative as their quality is closely related to the securities' future performance, thus helping to improve investment decisions.


During and after the closure of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean and progressive collision of the Tauride-Anatolide Platform with the Sakarya Continent, widespread magmatism occurred in NW Anatolia. This magmatism is manifested in a NW-trending belt along the northern border of the Menderes Massif. Due to the complex geodynamic setting of this region, the exact emplacement depth of the granitoids is still a matter of debate. Here we present Al-in-hornblende barometrical data and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the Early Miocene Alacam granite. The results imply a shallow emplacement depth of this granite (4.7±1.6 km) in contrast to previous studies which suggested emplacement along the brittle-ductile boundary of the crust. Furthermore, an evaluation of literature data let us reconsider the general emplacement mechanism of the Alacam and other Early Miocene granitoids in the region. Initial isotopic signatures of the Alacam granite are 87Sr/86Sr(I)= 0.70865-0.70915, eNd(I)= -5.8 to -6.4, d18O= 9.5-10.5, 206Pb/204Pb isotope ratios vary between 18.87 and 18.90. These features indicate an assimilation-dominated crustal crystallization and melt derivation from an older middle crustal protolith.


A 12 year-old Chinese schoolgirl presented with left-sided scoliosis at the age of 9 years. She has a rare defect in lipid metabolism, which is not known to be associated with spinal deformity. Her scoliotic curve deteriorated despite bracing. We report a rare occurrence of scoliosis in patient with lipodystrophy and the difficulty of using instrumented fusion in treating this condition.


Bone drilling is a major part of modern orthopaedic surgery associated with the principles of
internal fixation of fractured bones. At present, information related to drilling forces, rate of
drill bit penetration and drill bit rotational speed is not available to orthopaedic surgeons,
clinicians and researchers as bone drilling is performed manually. This research demonstrates
that orthopaedic surgery involving the drilling of bone can greatly benefit from the technology
of automation/ mechatronics, which allows the collection and storage of the drilling data for
analysis as well as for the improvement of the drilling procedure. The research also represents a
significant contribution to the development of a drilling system for the enhancement of safety
and/or as a diagnostic tool for the evaluation of bone strength. A novel automated experimental
rig, which enables drilling tests to be carried out in a controlled environment, has been
developed.
The investigation for the enhancement of safety involves the detection of drill bit break-through
on a femoral shaft in the presence of system compliance and inherent fluctuation of drilling
forces. Since these two factors affect the detection of drill bit break-through, a robust and
reliable method based on a modified Kalman filter has been developed. When applied to the
force difference between successive samples and the rotational speed, the modified Kalman filter
has been found to be very effective in establishing trends and ironing out major fluctuations
caused by the system compliance and inherent drilling force fluctuation.
The evaluation of bone strength related to the cancellous bone at the proximal femur has
resulted in the establishment of a positive relationship between the average drilling force and
bone mineral density (BMD), obtained from bone densitometry, which is used to estimate bone
strength in clinical practice. The correlation has been found to depend on the direction of
drilling. This is indicated by a linear relationship obtained in the anterior-posterior direction
(perpendicular to the cervical axis), which is not interchangeable with the relationship in the
direction of the cervical axis. Findings of this research have indicated that analysis of bone
drilling forces has the potential to provide additional information about the strength of bone.


ABSTRACT By far the most common species of woodworms perceived to be the main cause of damage to wood, and in particular to wooden art objects, are Anobium punctatum de Geer and Hylotrupes bajulas of Coleoptera family. In search of non-chemical methods for eradicating these wood pests, microwave (MW) heating can be an effective tool to help control the insects in their different life stages (eggs, larvae, and adult). The effect of 2.45 GHz frequency MW exposure on wooden art objects is described and discussed. MW heating time is reported in connection with lethal temperature of the pest and moisture content of the treated wooden object. The treatment was carried out using Microwood 12, especially conceived for portability, easy operation, and control. Microwood 12 consists of a switch mode high-voltage power supply and an industrial continuous wave magnetron connected to a rectangular-shaped horn antenna. The measure of temperature and control of operation is done via a built-in infrared thermometer.


Nb-doped TiO2 (anatase) nanoparticles were synthesized using a continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis reactor using a supercritical water flow as a reagent and crystallizing medium. The as-prepared nano-powders with ca. 25 at% Nb5+ (<6 nm diameter) were used as possible anodes for lithium-ion batteries without any further heat-treatment. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling tests were performed in the range of 1.2 to 3.0 V vs. Li/Li+. The Nb-doped TiO2 samples showed superior capacity retention at high current rates compared to the corresponding undoped nano-TiO2. The superior performance of the doped samples (at specific currents up to 15 A g−1) was attributed to higher electronic conductivity and a greater charge storage contribution from surface effects like pseudocapacitance (Faradaic processes) as well as Helmholtz double layer charge storage.


Liver biopsy has long been an important tool for assessing the degree of liver fibrosis. Information on the presence and degree of liver fibrosis is useful before making therapeutic decisions or predicting disease outcomes. The need to stage liver fibrosis, however, should decrease as treatment options become more successful (as has occurred with viral hepatitis). In recent years, noninvasive tests have demonstrated a reasonable ability to identify significant fibrosis, cirrhosis in particular, nor is it surprising that liver disease specialists and patients favor a noninvasive approach. However, only those tests with the highest diagnostic accuracy, cost‐effectiveness, and availability should be implemented. Apart from their diagnostic accuracy, the potential ability of these tests to predict disease outcomes (a more relevant endpoint) should be compared with that of liver biopsy. Indeed, the use of a standardized system to evaluate the utility of biomarkers would facilitate their implementation in clinical practice. (HEPATOLOGY 2011.)


Since the publication of the comprehensive account of the genus Nicotiana by Goodspeed and his collaborators (1954), extensive collecting by the author has revealed the existence of a number of undescribed species and has resulted in the compilation of data which allow a better understanding of specific relationships between those previously known. In this paper the morphological characters by which species can be recognized are discussed, and five new species and two new subspecies are described. Two of the new species proved to have 23 pairs of chromosomes, thus filling a gap in the series of from 16 to 24 pairs which, with the exception of 17 pairs, has now been recorded for the Australian taxa. Notes on the relationships, the more important morphological features, and the geographical distribution are provided for all previously recognized species.


We report a case of intrathoracic kidney that has additional congenital anomalies and an interesting follow up. A 30 month old female patient with history of spinal disraphism, anterior ectopic anus who were followed up for recurrent urinary tract infection by Tc-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy is presented. An interesting observation was noticed in her follow up that the left kidney displaced between two different time point static renal images into the left thorax. To our best knowledge, this is the reported first case of wondering intrathoracic kidney observed in Tc-99m DMSA follow up.


Background In our region and hospital pharmacy the values are Trust, Wholeness, Openness and Professionalism. We trust that all employees wish to make a difference for our patients. We engage in an open and honest dialogue and we focus on enabling all employees to think and act for themselves. These values inspired us to introduce self-management to one of our production units employing 22 people. Self-management (self-direction) is a way to empower employees and thereby create more passion and job satisfaction within the organisation.1 We believe that it will help prepare our organisation to meet future development in a proactive way. Purpose Our goal is to introduce and, with time, obtain a self-management culture in the unit. We focus on enabling the single individual but always with the goals of the unit in mind. Material and methods Introducing self-management in a unit include changes for both employees and managers. Focus for the leaders has been on giving more feedback to employees and setting the direction for the unit in opposition to micromanaging. It has never been the intention to cut down the group of leaders. Employees were introduced to self-management in workshops, Kaizen meetings and in the unit's everyday work. The employees were invited and supported to bring up topics where they as individuals or a group could see potential in self-managing. The job satisfaction was measured every 3 months in a questionnaire and followed up on a daily basis. Results Most employees found the changes challenging in a good way. As expected, the employees embraced the changes at different paces and identified relevant topics of different complexity. For chosen topics, a group of employees initiated the needed changes with support from management or other departments in the hospital pharmacy. Initial chosen topics included production planning, skills development and recruitment. Conclusion We started the process working bottom-up, thereby ensuring the employees were included in every step. The process so far has been successful and has enabled the employees to approach areas they had not previously. We are changing the culture, but the transformation is an ongoing process. Reference and/or acknowledgements Frederic Laloux. Fremtidens organisation. 1. Ed. p25 (Eng: Reinventing Organizations). No conflict of interest.


This paper discusses particle deposition in rectangle air-conditioning duct using RSM (Reynold Stress Model) and random trajectory particle model. Particle with nominal diameters of 10-200μm are simulated at each of three nominal air speed: 4m/s, 6m/s and 8m/s, respectively, in the cross-section sizes of 160×120, 500×250, 1000×320mm. In simulation, the paper compares and analyzes the influence factors of particles deposition in volume surface ratio of the given duct. The results show that: 1) particle deposition velocity increases with volume surface ratio; 2) As the inlet air speed increasing, when the particles deposited to floor and vertical wall, the image of dimensionless deposition velocity Vs dimensionless relaxation time shows a coincident trend when the duct cross-section sizes are 500×250, 1000×320mm, but has great differences with the image of 160×120mm.


The operations of expansion and refinement on non-deterministic matrices (Nmatrices) are composed to form a new operation called rexpansion. Properties of this operation are investigated, together with their effects on the induced consequence relations. Using rexpansions, a semantic method for obtaining conservative extensions of (N)matrix-defined logics is introduced and applied to fragments of the classical two-valued matrix, as well as to other many-valued matrices and Nmatrices. The main application of this method is the construction and investigation of truth-preserving ¬-paraconsistent conservative extensions of Gödel fuzzy logic, in which ¬ has several desired properties. This is followed by some results regarding the relations between the constructed logics.