Background: A reciprocal association exists between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). A quantitative evaluation of this association is necessary to identify potential areas of clinical intervention. However, the association is unclear because of methodological differences and confounders across studies. This review examines the impact of methodology and confounding variables on the magnitude of the relationship between MDD and CHD. Methods: The search terms "major depression AND coronary heart disease" were entered into an electronic multiple database search engine. Abstracts were screened for relevance and individually selected articles were collated. Results: Nine methodological issues and three confounders are identified, which have contributed to uncertainty in the quantitative relationship between MDD and CHD. More quantitative, prospective longitudinal studies are needed, which use standard definitions for MDD and CHD and define clear outcomes. Studies should clearly establish the temporal relationship between the onset of depressed mood and one or more adverse cardiac events, should use quantitative measures of depression which are treated as continuous data, and have frequent measures of mental state over time, correlated with measures of cardiac health. Study design should avoid confounding by considering demographic factors, cardiac risk factors and management of MDD in CHD patients. Conclusions: This review raises the need for a standardised methodology in future research, taking into account the biases and confounders listed. Adopting a consensus approach to methodology will facilitate the quantitative exploration of the causal network linking MDD and CHD.


We develop and demonstrate an object recognition system capable of accurately detecting, localizing, and recovering the kinematic configuration of textured animals in real images. We build a deformation model of shape automatically from videos of animals and an appearance model of texture from a labeled collection of animal images, and combine the two models automatically. We develop a simple texture descriptor that outperforms the state of the art. We test our animal models on two datasets; images taken by professional photographers from the Corel collection, and assorted images from the Web returned by Google. We demonstrate quite good performance on both datasets. Comparing our results with simple baselines, we show that for the Google set, we can recognize objects from a collection demonstrably hard for object recognition.


The aim of this project is to identify and solve the problems concerning the Payroll and Daily Time Record System of DBA enterprise -- a fast growing company which caters direct selling of AVON products throughout Mindanao. The company experiences some concerns on monitoring the attendances of their employees and the computation of the payroll of each employee. The traditional payroll and daily time record system could no longer cope with the number of branches they have all over Mindanao. Through the analysis made by the proponents, it has been found that Payroll System with Daily Time Record using Biometric Authentication may solve the current problems of the company. The study covered the cost of the proposed system, its operational functions, its benefits and its impact towards the company. The project was completed within the time span of three semesters (Academic Years 2008-2009 to 2009-2010). After the testing and evaluation, it was concluded that the automated Payroll System with Daily Time Record is really beneficial to the company. The system facilitates the generation of payroll and monitoring of attendances in a cheaper, easier and faster way. It could reduce failure of reporting and analysis, and could provide timely and accurate reliability/quality reports.


The objective of this research was to investigate the ability of anaerobic and aerobic digesters to reduce the quantity of antibiotic resistant bacteria in wastewater solids. Lab-scale digesters were operated at different temperatures (22 °C, 37 °C, 46 °C, and 55 °C) under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions and fed wastewater solids collected from a full-scale treatment facility. Quantitative PCR was used to track five genes encoding tetracycline resistance (tet(A), tet(L), tet(O), tet(W), and tet(X)) and the gene encoding the integrase (intI1) of class 1 integrons. Statistically significant reductions in the quantities of these genes occurred in the anaerobic reactors at 37 °C, 46 °C, and 55 °C, with the removal rates and removal efficiencies increasing as a function of temperature. The aerobic digesters, in contrast, were generally incapable of significantly decreasing gene quantities, although these digesters were operated at much shorter mean hydraulic residence times. This research suggests that high temperature anaerobic digestion of wastewater solids would be a suitable technology for eliminating various antibiotic resistance genes, an emerging pollutant of concern.


One kind of cheese kneading experiment test rig was designed, which can imitates artificial kneading movement. Response surface method was used to enhance the performance of the machine. It was investigated that the influence of crank rolling velocity, crank length and crank angle on kneading quality and efficiency. The results show that factors influence the working efficiency list in order as follows: the crank rolling velocity, the angle between a connecting bar and a kneading bar, the crank length. The best combination of optimised parameters are: the crank rolling velocity is 62r/min, the crank length is 28mm, the angle between a connecting bar and a kneading bar is 125°.


FOR GENERATIONS surgeons have admiringly reflected on the pioneers who have developed new operations or who have been the first to perform successfully a particular operation. Surgical progress during the past quarter century has culminated in the realization of open heart surgery, organ transplantation, and a remarkable reduction in mortality for all surgical procedures. Unlike the results of a new operation, nonoperative aspects of surgical care have been slow and not conducive to newspaper headlines. While development of improved surgical methods, equipment, anesthesia, and whole blood availability has been important, the gradual accumulation of knowledge of supportive care of the patient pre- and post-operatively has probably been the greatest single factor in this remarkable development. As a pioneer in the development of this knowledge, Dr. Darrow shares the rewards of its fruition. His influence on the development of surgical supportive care was in-direct. He was a seeker of truth, one who sought


Summary

Solanum elaeagnifolium (silverleaf nightshade) is an invasive perennial weed in Australia, with aerial growth commencing in spring from either the perennial root system or the soil seedbank, with senescence occurring in autumn. A total of 642 S. elaeagnifolium individuals were collected at flowering from 92 locations in south-eastern Australia to study morphological variation and its implications for management. Large morphological variation was found between individuals from different locations. Leaf length, width and area ranged from 1.44 to 10.6 cm, 0.39 to 4.09 cm and 0.41 to 25.8 cm2 respectively. Plants from higher rainfall regions were significantly taller and had larger leaves, suggesting a possible correlation between rainfall and morphology. Scanning electron microscopy comparison of leaf surfaces showed lower trichome and stomatal densities on the adaxial surface (67.0 ± 3.3 trichomes mm−2 and 603.4 ± 29.2 stomata mm−2 respectively) than on the abaxial surface (131.9 ± 7.2 trichomes mm−2 and 813.7 ± 30.5 stomata mm−2 respectively). The morphological plasticity of S. elaeagnifolium highlighted in this study could probably contribute to its adaptability and partly explain its establishment and continuing expansion in Australia.


The detection of Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) puts severe constraints on the reionization history. In this paper, we derive the properties of very high-z LAEs predicted in the only two reionization scenarios shown in a previous paper to be consistent with the current data on 15 independent evolving global (or averaged) cosmic properties regarding luminous objects and the intergalactic medium and the optical depth to electron scattering of ionized hydrogen to cosmic microwave background photons: one with a monotonic behavior, which is completed by z = 6, as commonly considered, and another one with a nonmonotonic behavior with two full ionization events at z = 6 and z = 10. We find that the Lyα luminosity functions of very high-z LAEs are very distinct in those two scenarios. Thus, comparing these predictions to the observations that will soon be available thanks to new instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope, it should be possible to unveil the right reionization scenario. In the meantime, we can compare the predicted redshift distribution and UV (or Lyα) luminosities of very high-z LAEs to those of the few objects already observed at z > 7.5. By doing that, we find that such data are in tension with the single reionization scenario, while they are fully compatible with the double reionization scenario.


While tens of millions of dollars have been spent on land acquisition and planning for current and future floodplain and wetland restoration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, knowledge of the historical processes and landscape heterogeneity that are helpful in guiding the environmental restoration are often scarce. This study used palaeoenvironmental reconstruction to increase the historical perspective, with the aim of improving environmental management. Twelve sediment cores collected from the McCormack-Williamson Tract (MWT) leveed farmland and the juxtaposed Delta Meadows (DM) tidal wetland were sampled for a suite of environmental proxies. MWT was a non-tidal flood plain during much of the late-Holocene, with a mosaic of other habitats including dry uplands, riparian forests, and freshwater wetlands persisting nearby. Comparison with the regional sea-level history suggests that the upper delta gradually came under tidal influence 3000–800 calendar years before present (cal BP). Despite this, floodplain landforms and habitats prevailed at DM from 3650–330 cal BP, after which wetlands expanded, suggesting that a flood-based disturbance regime typified the upper delta for most of the late-Holocene. Recently, the upper deltaic plain has been profoundly disturbed by agriculture and other activities, rendering significant loss of habitat. It is believed that a flood-based disturbance regime will recur at MWT if the levees surrounding the tract are intentionally breached as planned for restoration, culminating in a variety of habitats similar to pre-agricultural conditions. Concentrations of Hg, Pb, As, and P pollutants elevated several-fold in surficial sediments are of particular concern, potentially becoming problematic after restoration.


In the first sessions, the issues we discussed centred on the workload that large classes imposed on lecturers, the scope for ICTs to save time, and what lecturers needed to do to maintain the integrity of their assessments. In Kumasi, we shared examples of the assessments we set our students and the discussions went deeper. Margaret Crabbe's description of how she had used elements of peer assessment in one of her courses stimulated an animated discussion about whether this might provide one way of 'squaring the assessment circle'. Online searches quickly produced a range of resources and demonstrated that this was an established practice in both Europe and North America. Rob Paton reported on some of the research on peer assessment that had prompted the OU to explore how it might be adapted for use in distance learning.
Buoyed by this new information, peer assessment became the


Background: The prevalence of birth defects including orofacial clefts (OFC) in Ethiopia is not known and there is no established birth defects registration system. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and incidence of OFC in Ethiopia. Design: Retrospective hospital-based descriptive study. Methods: The authors obtained data from the Smile Train database on Ethiopian patients with OFC who underwent surgical treatment from June 2007 to December 2013 at 31 hospitals distributed throughout the country. Data related to live births in Ethiopia during the mentioned period were obtained from the Federal Ministry of Health database for estimates of the incidence and prevalence rates. Results: The total number of life births during the study period was 18,811,316. During this same period, 18,073 cleft patients approximately ranging from 1 to 75 years old were examined and treated at the hospitals mentioned earlier. The incidence rate estimated from the total number of affected children during the study period (N = 8232) is 0.44/1000 live births. The prevalence rate is 0.20/1000 and this was estimated using the number of total population in 2013 (N = 88,703,914). There is a significant difference in frequency between bilateral clefts of the lip and/or palate (CLP) (26.9%) versus unilateral CLP (73.1%) (P < 0.0001). There is also a significant difference in frequency between bilateral cleft lips only (15.4%) versus unilateral cleft lip only (84.6%), P < 0001. Conclusion: It is obvious that the findings in this study cannot be representative of the true picture but provides a previously unavailable national estimate of incidence and prevalence of OFC in Ethiopia. It can also be used as comparison for future community-based studies.


Foreword. Acknowledgments. Introduction: The Eight Disciplines of Leadership. PART I Essential Leadership Qualities. CHAPTER 1 Jim Kouzes: Leadership is Everybody's Business. CHAPTER 2 Warren Bennis: Generous Leadership. CHAPTER 3 Bill George: Authentic Leadership. PART II Leadership in Organizations. CHAPTER 4 Peter Senge: Leading a Learning Organization. CHAPTER 5 Noel Tichy: Leading a Teaching Organization. CHAPTER 6 Jerry Porras: Success Built to Last. PART III Leading Through Storytelling. CHAPTER 7 Howard Gardner: Leaders as Storytellers. CHAPTER 8 John Kotter: Stories as a Force for Change. PART IV Complexities in Leadership. CHAPTER 9 James March: Leadership and Life. CHAPTER 10 Joseph Badaracco Jr.: Leading Quietly and Morally. CHAPTER 11 Manfred Kets de Vries: Leadership on the Couch. PART V Eastern Perspectives on Leadership. CHAPTER 12 Cho-yun Hsu: Leading the Confucian Way. CHAPTER 13 Debashis Chatterjee: Leading Consciously. Afterword: Beyond the American Model. Index.


I spent several days, during a recent trip to Venice, in conversation with a ghost. The writer and critic John Ruskin became my spectral guide, and his commentary on the buildings that we visited transformed my experience of those spaces. What follows is an account of my time with him.


At the close of last Session I read a note upon some remains of an immature Hypsilophodon Foxii which I had shortly before obtained in Brixton Bay, Isle of Wight, from the west end of the well-known bed which crops out at the top of the cliff at Barnes Chine and dips under the beach at Cowleaze Chine. Their chief value consisted in the additional light they threw upon its dentition, and the information they afforded of the form and the proportions of the limbs. In September I was so fortunate as to obtain in the same locality parts of two individuals (one probably fully grown) which, as they illustrate some structures better than any other remains of this Dinosaur yet before the Society, have appeared to me worthy of being made the subject of a supplementary note. The bones are imbedded in a block of sandy clay-stone which had fallen from the cliff and had been washed to and fro by the sea until some of them had become much abraded. The most important are a skull and two chains of vertebræ, each including a considerable part of the sacrum.


In 2007 the Institute for Security Studies conducted a national crime and victimisation survey. The survey followed on from two earlier victim surveys conducted by the ISS and Statistics South Africa in 1998 and 2003 respectively. Together, these three surveys provide an unprecedented snapshot of both changing victimisation levels and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system over the last decade. This paper, one of several on the research results, provides an analysis of the findings of the 2007 victimisation survey in respect of preceptions of the public in relation to the functioning of the police and courts. It also provides a comparison between the 2003 and 2007 victmisation survey findings on these matters.


Abstract Bidault, E. & W.J. van der Burg (2019). Novitates Gabonenses 90: Palisota (Commelinaceae) revisited: description of eight new species from Central Africa and notes on the identity of P. satabiei and P. bogneri. In English, English and French abstracts. Candollea 74: 169–202. A review of the taxonomy of Palisota Rchb. ex Endl. (Commelinaceae) in Atlantic Central Africa, as a precursor to preparing a treatment of Commelinaceae for the Flore du Gabon, results in the description of eight new species: Palisota akouangoui E. Bidault & Burg, Palisota alboanthera Burg & E. Bidault, Palisota cristalensis E. Bidault & Burg, Palisota fadenii Burg & E. Bidault, Palisota leewhitei Burg, O. Lachenaud & E. Bidault, Palisota plicata E. Bidault & Burg, Palisota repens E.Bidault & Burg, and Palisota stevartii Burg & E. Bidault. A discussion is provided on the relevance of several morphological characters and on the taxonomy and delimitation of two poorly known species, Palisota bogneri Brenan and Palisota satabiei Brenan. The new species are described and illustrated with line drawings and field photographs, accompanied by a distribution map. A key to the Palisota species in Atlantic Central Africa is provided. Preliminary risk of extinction assessments indicate that three of them are "Endangered", three are "Vulnerable", one is "Near Threatened", and one species is "Least Concern". Thirty-two species are currently recognized in Palisota, nineteen of which occur in Gabon.


This paper presents a tutorial-like detailed explanation of linearly constrained minimum-variance filtering in order to introduce an efficient implementation that utilizes Householder transformation (HT). Through a graphical description of the algorithms, further insight on linearly constrained adaptive filters was made possible, and the main differences among several algorithms were highlighted. The method proposed herein, based on the HT, allows direct application of any unconstrained adaptation algorithm as in a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC), but unlike the GSC, the HT-based approach always renders efficient implementations. A complete and detailed comparison with the GSC model and a thorough discussion of the advantages of the HT-based approach are also given. Simulations were run in a beamforming application where a linear array of 12 sensors was used. It was verified that not only the HT approach yields efficient implementation of constrained adaptive filters, but in addition, the beampatterns achieved with this method were much closer to the optimal solution than the beampatterns obtained with GSC models with similar computational complexity.


This Precis entitled, A success and challenge : AGETIP in Senegal, complements the Bank's Operations and Evaluation Department (OED), Performance audit report, Senegal : AGETIP Public works and employment projects, Report No. 16516, dated April 23, 1997. Senegal's recent program to combat unemployment is widely regarded as a development success and a model of efficient and effective public works management. The audit highlights AGETIP's success and notes that the Bank worked very effectively to pilot, monitor, and adjust the projects before expanding them.


Sphingolipids are a type of lipids made up of fatty acid chains that were first mentioned in 1884 in J.L.W. Thudichum's A Treatise on the chemical composition of the brain. They were named after the Greek mythological creature, the sphinx, due to the unknown riddle of their function.[1] Sphingolipids are found in essentially all plants, animals, fungi and in some prokaryotes and viruses. Specifically, they are found in membranes and as a major component of lipoproteins.[2]


The synthesis of conjugated triynes by
molybdenum-catalyzed alkyne metathesis is reported.
Strategic to the success of this approach is the utilization
of sterically-hindered diynes that allowed for the site-
selective alkyne metathesis to produce the desired con-
jugated triyne products. The steric hindrance of alkyne
moiety was found to be crucial in preventing the for-
mation of diyne byproducts. This novel synthetic strategy
was amenable to self- and cross-metathesis providing
straightforward access to the corresponding symmetrical and dissymmetrical triynes with high selectivity.


Eksternal auditor, have gradually led to extensive used of analytical procedures at the planning, fieldwork, and final review stage. Effectiveness analytical procedures used  for achieving audit objectives. Method in this study is design to provide insight on analytical procedures application  using a sample of 154 auditors with  positions as partners, managers, seniors and juniors working in accounting firms in Bandung. Research objectives  to ascertained the extent and types  used of analytical procedures in audit engagement. The results of study concludes that: 1) analytical review used in final review.  planning stage, and than field work stage,  2) Use of analytical review by partner and manager  in final review and planning stage, 3) used of analytical review by auditor to gain insight on the business and industry, to determine the nature, extent and timing of substantive test, to assess the reasonableness of specifics account balances and fairness of financial statements as a whole. 4) types of analytical review use are comparation the current year with the preceding years, common financial ratios, analysis for specifics accounts balances, comparation actual with budget data. Keywords: auditing, external auditors, audit objectives, and analytical procedures.


The business value of Enterprise Systems (ES), and in general large software implementations, has been extensively debated in both the popular press and in the academic literature for over three decades. Organizations have invested heavily in Enterprise Systems (and related infrastructure), presumably expecting positive outcomes to the organization. Some studies have reported large productivity improvements and substantial benefits from Enterprise Systems, while others have reported that Enterprise Systems have not had any bottom-line improvements. This paper discusses preliminary findings from a study of evaluating ES success in 27 organizations in Queensland, Australia. Two surveys, an exploratory survey followed by a confirmatory survey, were conducted and data from four hundred and fifty four respondents was analyzed. An a priori model of ES success with five constructs and forty-two sub-constructs was tested. Validation of the model constructs through exploratory factor analysis identified four dimensions of ES success.


"This publication presents complete life tables [for Israel] for 1987-1991. Data are detailed by single ages, for males and females separately. The data are presented for the entire population and for Jews and Non-Jews separately."


Purpose: The engagement of allied health students in telehealth consultations whilst on clinical placement has rapidly increased due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. While this is understandable given the circumstances, it has occurred on the largely unfounded assumption that utilising telehealth is pedagogically appropriate to supplement or replace assessed placements. Method: This rapid review used the Cochrane rapid review methodology to synthesise the literature relating to the perspectives of allied health students whilst on clinical placements utilising telehealth. Results: A systematic search and selection process found three studies. In summary, the combined findings of the research suggest that student perspectives were generally positive, and several important benefits were reported, including being able to improve knowledge and skills, and reduce anxiety for some consultations. However, students acknowledged that some consultations were considerably more difficult to undertake without being in the same physical space as clients. Conclusions: The methodological quality of these three papers was inconsistent, and collectively the area clearly needs more evidence to support the transition of face-to-face to telehealth environments. Recommendations: Based on broader telehealth literature, the authors propose several recommendations to meet the immediate challenge of insufficient guiding research evidence. These include deconstructing telehealth placements into discrete clinical placement elements, using education theory to support student clinicians to implement a proactive, integrated approach to adopting telehealth as a standard service modality, and investing in and developing infrastructure, policy, systems, education, and training in an explicit, systematic manner. The use of telehealth within allied health clinical placements is here to stay, but considerable work is needed to prepare students for this environment as well as triaging and progressively scaffolding their experiences.


Key Points The failure to find substantial evidence of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons in Iraq has exposed serious weaknesses in the U.S. understanding of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threat posed by its adversaries and in its ability to deal with these threats. A rancorous and highly politicized debate, primarily about the intelligence assessments of Iraqi WMD capabilities before Operation Iraqi Freedom, has dominated the national discussion of WMD in Iraq for months. Although Iraqi WMD capabilities remain elusive and, indeed, weapons may never be found, elimination operations conducted there provide important lessons. The United States must begin to develop a permanent capability to plan for and conduct WMD elimination operations. The Department of Defense (DOD) in particular must begin to build such a capability as part of its overall approach to combating WMD proliferation. To be effective, however, DOD must work in concert with interagency partners and avoid a go-it-alone approach to this national priority. Preserving the knowledge and experience gained in Iraq and Afghanistan and translating them into effective structures and doctrine will be key challenges for military and civilian planners. Incorporating WMD elimination into early planning, ensuring access to key enabling capabilities, providing sufficient time to train units and exercise concepts, and, perhaps most importantly, following a program-centric approach to address the totality of adversary programs and stockpiles are all critical to future success. ********** As tensions between Iraq and the United States worsened in mid-to-late 2002 and as preparations began for Operation Iraqi Freedom, policymakers and military planners began to wrestle with the challenges posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Indeed, Iraqi defiance and deception in the face of United Nations (UN) sanctions, coupled with growing fears of WMD transfer to terrorist organizations--most prominently al Qaeda--were two primary reasons for confronting Saddam Hussein. Just as in the first Gulf War in 1991, deterring and defending against possible Iraqi use of WMD against coalition forces were key concerns for planners. However, as the crisis escalated in 2002, Department of Defense (DOD) planners began to foresee another challenge: how to remove comprehensively and permanently the threat of Iraqi WMD, not just to U.S. troops but also to the Middle East region and the world. When faced with this challenge in late fall 2002, military planners and supporting DOD organizations realized that the comprehensive elimination of an adversary WMD program would entail far more than targeting enemy sites for destruction. A new mission, WMD elimination, was created, and planners began trying to define, adapt, and incorporate this mission into existing and developing war plans. As they did, they discovered critical gaps in U.S. preparations for dealing with a WMD-armed adversary. While DOD made great strides over the last 10 years in improving the U.S. military's ability to fight and win in a WMD environment, far less attention was paid to the tasks of locating, understanding, and removing (or disposing of) an adversary program. In Operation Desert Storm, these tasks were not addressed until after the cease-fire agreement, and then they were handled as postconflict activities under UN management. In the leadup to Iraqi Freedom, policy and military experts disagreed about what exactly the role of the military would be; how long, if at all, it would assume primary responsibility; and when and to whom it would hand off mission responsibility. Despite these uncertainties, planners began crafting concepts of operation to allow troops on the ground to locate, characterize, and secure Iraqi WMD and attendant development programs and delivery systems--a process that came to be known as exploitation. Even as WMD exploitation plans progressed, strategies to deal with the actual disposition or destruction of Iraqi WMD stocks, weapons, and production capabilities lagged far behind. …


The aim of the present study was to describe the experience of patients undergoing haemodialysis starting from their own perception. A qualitative perspective using Merleau Ponty's Existential Phenomenology was considered to be the most appropriate methodology for this study. Fifteen patients were interviewed in a haemodialysis unit at a Brazilian teaching hospital. Interviews were based on the question 'What does the experience of living with a haemodialysis machine mean?' Convergences in speeches were grouped into three categories: the machine, improvement in quality of life, reflection on patients' experience. These findings show the existential reality patients experience. A haemodialysis machine dictates their lives: they have to accept strict rules controlled by a team of healthcare providers. They realize it has to be so and there is no way out. It is the only way to get some relief from the symptoms of the disease. The feeling is mostly acceptance of the condition. Healthcare providers' dedication is recognized. Some participants complain bout painful procedures, others deny them, others fantasize the reality. An essential piece of information is the lack of future perspectives; few patients mentioned the possibility of a transplant or the possibility of carrying out their own care. The study may contribute in outlining new perspectives for nurses to understand the needs of patients undergoing haemodialysis. An approach accepting patients' views will probably bring awareness to patients as to the possibilities of helping with their own treatment.


Spotted fever is a typically endemic infectious disease caused by rickettsiae from the spotted fever group, of which Rickettsia rickettsii is the main etiologic agent. It presents high mortality rates in Brazil, with transmission to humans or animals through the bite of infected ticks. The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is an important reservoir for Rickettsia spp.; these bacteria can circulate in an infected animal presenting only fever as a clinical sign of the disease, as demonstrated by experimental infection. Considering the high zoonotic potential and the damage caused to human, animal, and environmental health, this study searched for anti-Rickettsia rickettsii antibodies in capybaras from an agricultural landscape in the city of Araras, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) technique was used to detect anti-R. rickettsii antibodies. From the 28 serum samples tested using IFA, 18 (64.28%) were considered reactive, with antibody titers ranging from 256 to 2048. Seven (38.88%) samples presented titers of 256, three (16.67%) with titers of 512, five (27.78%) with titers of 1024, and three (16.67%) with titers of 2048. However, it was not possible to significantly associate gender to these serologic results. These results demonstrate that at some point during their lives, the studied capybaras were exposed to the etiologic agent, but it is impossible to know when this occurred. Further studies need to be performed to clarify which serological titers ensure an infection in capybaras, based on clinical and laboratory assessment of rickettsemia, and to establish the relationship between titers and the chronicity of disease. This is necessary owing to the possibility of cross-reactions with other rickettsiae species of the same subgroup, leading to the need for molecular tests to confirm diagnosis.


Abstract:Across the Northeast, Indigenous people and colonial New Englanders have fashioned myriad expressions of memory that attest to certain versions of conflicted pasts. On one hand, colonial remembrances of violence and upheaval are abundant and amply legible in local historical societies, historical markers, family heirlooms, and many other forms of memorialization. Yet this seeming abundance of memory arises from equally powerful kinds of forgetting: collective colonial amnesias that endeavor to erase, sideline, overwrite, or delegitimize other dimensions of exceedingly complex histories and conceptions of homelands. This essay adopts a fresh focus on Indigenous/ colonial remembrances through the lens of materiality, considering the wider historiographical and theoretical implications of recentering tangible objects and landscapes as conduits connecting past, present, and future. Physical objects interact with both mainstream and marginalized narratives in vital ways, opening pathways for profoundly interdisciplinary, multimedia accountings of the nature and changing forms of "memory" in early America. The essay reassesses a wooden pegboard from an Anglo-American dwelling said to have survived an Indigenous attack during King Philip's War (1675–78). Using decolonizing methodologies, it conveys dramatically more complex conceptions of the past—and of ongoing Indigenous presence and resilience—than stories devised and maintained by Euro-American antiquarians have typically relayed.


The paper presents a failure analysis on a counterweight assembly installed on crank shaft which resulted in an in-flight shutdown of a piston aeroengine. The counterweight assembly failure includes counterweight block material loss and fractured washer which is the most crucial part for in-flight shutdown in this type of aeroengine. Macro observation, fractography analysis, metallography analysis and hardness test were conducted on the failed counterweight assembly. The result shows that failure mechanism of counterweight block and washer is fatigue. The washer failure is likely due to inappropriate heat treatment process and continuous impact in flight by slightly tilted roller. Counterweight material loss is attributed to stress concentration, low structure strength and impact came from the tilted roller. Finally some safety suggestion on design and maintenance is given.


A popular video can be broadcasted by partitioning the video into segments, which are broadcast on several channels simultaneously and periodically. This approach permits multiple users to share channels that lead to higher bandwidth employment. Previous schemes generally focus on reducing clients' waiting time. This work studies another important issue, namely client buffer1 savings. A reverse fast broadcasting (RFB) scheme is introduced to improve the buffer problem. RFB has the identical waiting time like FB. We introduced a new Buffer Efficient Fast Broadcasting scheme that has smaller buffer requirement and less waiting time than RFB and FB.


This volume in Luther's Works contains writings of Luther directed for the most part against the fanatical front on the left. In denying the reality of the church, the validity and need of the office of the ministry, the fanatics relegate the sacraments to a secondary position, thus bypassing the Word as God's means of communication to men.


US Air Force fighter aircraft underwent a remarkable
transformation in the period from 1950 to 1980. Whereas the lone
fighter pilots of earlier fame relied on the power of their
eyesight, the finesse of their piloting skills, and a steady
squeeze of the trigger to achieve victory, later pilots vanquished
their foe by focusing on a four-inch-square cockpit display,
manipulating electromagnetic waves, and launching rocket-propelled
missiles from miles away. Two popular historical narratives
dominate this period in fighter aviation: one of "great machines,"
which focuses on the technologies; the other of "great pilots,"
which focuses on the oft-heroic aviators. The former conjures
notions of technological determinism; the latter, a timeless "myth
of the fighter pilot." Regrettably, the two distinct approaches
obscure the important human-machine interactions that linked the
pilots with their fire control technologies. This study presents an
alternative perspective of fighter aviation, viewing it instead as
an inseparable system of humans and machines working together. I
develop a cognitive history of the air-to-air fighter pilot,
analyzing three sequential experiences: the F-86E Sabre during the
Korean War, the F-4C Phantom II during the Vietnam War, and the
F-15A Eagle during a pair of air combat evaluations conducted in
1977. In each case, new fire control systems were introduced to
simplify weapons employment and thereby free the pilot to focus
attention on other tasks deemed more vital, such as flying itself.
The pilots, however, soon realized that within air combat, their
traditional flying skills were becoming less critical to their
success and survival; in contrast, the skills required to operate
their new fire control systems were growing in significance and
complexity. With the pilots uniquely vested in sustaining the
"fighter pilot myth," tension and conflict ensued, both within
individual fighter cockpits and in the social relationships that
extended between fighter cockpits. This study offers fresh insight
into issues of technological change that confront today's military
aviators, especially regarding remotely piloted aircraft. More
generally, this study addresses the tensions that often arise when
increasing automation alters or displaces the tasks that have
historically defined an individual's profession.


The basic quality management methods and tools widely accepted in various types of international organizations are considered. These methods can be successfully used in today's environment in digitalization conditions during the electrical equipment operation and the other product life cycle stages. Recommendations on the use of various management and engineering quality tools are presented.


Most recent semantic segmentation methods adopt a fully-convolutional network (FCN) with an encoder-decoder architecture. The encoder progressively reduces the spatial resolution and learns more abstract/semantic visual concepts with larger receptive fields. Since context modeling is critical for segmentation, the latest efforts have been focused on increasing the receptive field, through either dilated/atrous convolutions or inserting attention modules. However, the encoder-decoder based FCN architecture remains unchanged. In this paper, we aim to provide an alternative perspective by treating semantic segmentation as a sequence-to-sequence prediction task. Specifically, we deploy a pure transformer (i.e., without convolution and resolution reduction) to encode an image as a sequence of patches. With the global context modeled in every layer of the transformer, this encoder can be combined with a simple decoder to provide a powerful segmentation model, termed SEgmentation TRansformer (SETR). Extensive experiments show that SETR achieves new state of the art on ADE20K (50.28% mIoU), Pascal Context (55.83% mIoU) and competitive results on Cityscapes. Particularly, we achieve the first position in the highly competitive ADE20K test server leaderboard on the day of submission.


Although research has demonstrated that the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a stressful environment for preterm and high-risk infants, little research validates the suspected relationships between infant biobehavioral responses and environmental stress in the NICU. This exploratory study examined the relationship between environmental stress and biobehavioral responses of preterm infants. The study used a repeated-measures research design to examine research variables in one group of preterm infants. Measurements of research variables were recorded every 2 minutes during two 60-minute observation periods for each research day (1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon) and conducted over 2 days. A convenience sample of 37 preterm infants was recruited from 2 medical centers in Taiwan. A total of 4164 observations were made and recorded during the study. There was a statistically significant (P < .05) relationship between environmental stressors and changes in physiological signals. There were also statistically significant (P < .05) relationships between environmental stress and some specific stress behaviors. This research is applicable to neonatal clinical practice because it demonstrates the importance of recognizing the preterm infant's biological stress responses to environmental stressors, allowing for early interventions to reduce the possibility of more serious physiological or pathological changes in the status of the preterm infant.


With the global economic turmoil and the added uncertainty that has ushered in the Indian regulatory scenario since the beginning of the year 2012, it was only obvious for the total number of M&A transactions in the first half of 2012 slipping down as compared to 2010 and 2011. Having said that, it is rather surprising to note that the vast potential of the Indian market is still attracting a large number of foreign investors willing to offer attractive exit prices to the Indian promoters.This paper deals with one of the most-talked about exits of 2012, which was initiated in June 2012 when Mr. Kishore Biyani (promoter of Future Capital Holdings Limited ("FCH")), after his long haul negotiations with several private equity firms finally squared down to US based private equity firm Warburg Pincus to sell Future Group's stake in FCH, a non-core financial business of the Future Group. The Deal was launched on June 4, 2012 with the execution of definitive agreements between Cloverdell Investment Limited ("Cloverdell"), an entity belonging to Warburg Pincus, FCH and the promoters of FCH whereby Cloverdell agreed to acquire up to 55.36% of the issued and paid up equity share capital of FCH from the Sellers. With the closing of the Deal Cloverdell acquired 68.40% of the Diluted Voting Share Capital of FCH for a total consideration of approximately USD 136.5 million. This paper attempts to probe deeper into the Deal, a multi-million dollar transaction which provides Warburg the opportunity to test its fortune in the financial services sector in India and Future Group the opportunity to de-leverage its balance sheet and take its retail plans ahead, thereby proving to be in the best interests of both the parties. We seek to analyze the legal, regulatory, tax, financing and few other commercial dimensions of the Deal.


The existing cacao industry in West Sumatera is a small scale cacao industry. One of the risks encountered in this industry is that the production does not meet the target and the specification set, resulting in the difficulties for the industry to develop. The objective of the research is to conduct a supply chain risk management in the small scale cacao industry in West Sumatera. . This research used a survey approach method. While the data collected were primary and secondary data. The supply chain management process used descriptive method and Analytic Network Process (ANP). Study on cacao industry chain supply risk source showed indicates that production risks are in the highest priority with a value of 21.78%. The marketing, financial, institutional and human resource risks have the same priority risk i.e. 19.55%. The highest priority of risk types includes the risk of availability of industrial capital, government policy, skills and personal knowledge, and production process cost, with the priority values of 0.102634; 0.101024; 0.099903; and 0.041294 respectively. An alternative risk control priority is to weaken risk (0.39191), and risk segregation (0.25798). Supply chain risk management needs to be held by weakening and segregating risks through improving product management, supply management and information management prioritized on procurement and production processes, thereby enhancing the quality and quantity of processed cocoa products on an ongoing basis. The results of the study can become an input to stakeholders related to the development of small-scale cocoa industry in West Sumatera.


Abstract We introduce the
$\Sigma _1$
 -definable universal finite sequence and prove that it exhibits the universal extension property amongst the countable models of set theory under end-extension. That is, (i) the sequence is
$\Sigma _1$
 -definable and provably finite; (ii) the sequence is empty in transitive models; and (iii) if M is a countable model of set theory in which the sequence is s and t is any finite extension of s in this model, then there is an end-extension of M to a model in which the sequence is t. Our proof method grows out of a new infinitary-logic-free proof of the Barwise extension theorem, by which any countable model of set theory is end-extended to a model of
$V=L$
 or indeed any theory true in a suitable submodel of the original model. The main theorem settles the modal logic of end-extensional potentialism, showing that the potentialist validities of the models of set theory under end-extensions are exactly the assertions of S4. Finally, we introduce the end-extensional maximality principle, which asserts that every possibly necessary sentence is already true, and show that every countable model extends to a model satisfying it.


Consider a network of agents connected by communication links, where each agent holds a real value. The gossip problem consists in estimating the average of the values diffused in the network in a distributed manner. Current techniques for gossiping are designed to deal with worst-case scenarios, which is irrelevant in applications to distributed statistical learning and denoising in sensor networks. We design second-order gossip methods tailor-made for the case where the real values are i.i.d. samples from the same distribution. In some regular network structures, we are able to prove optimality of our methods, and simulations suggest that they are efficient in a wide range of random networks. Our approach of gossip stems from a new acceleration framework using the family of orthogonal polynomials with respect to the spectral measure of the network graph.


Advances in genomics and related fields promise a new era of personalized medicine in the cancer care continuum. Nevertheless, there are fundamental challenges in integrating genomic medicine into cancer practice. We explore how multilevel research can contribute to implementation of genomic medicine. We first review the rapidly developing scientific discoveries in this field and the paucity of current applications that are ready for implementation in clinical and public health programs. We then define a multidisciplinary translational research agenda for successful integration of genomic medicine into policy and practice and consider challenges for successful implementation. We illustrate the agenda using the example of Lynch syndrome testing in newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer and cascade testing in relatives. We synthesize existing information in a framework for future multilevel research for integrating genomic medicine into the cancer care continuum.


In the present study, we investigated the association between ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 polymorphisms and the development of Alzheimer's disease in a Chinese population. Genotyping of the ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 polymorphisms was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the AA genotype of ADH1B rs1229984 was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (OR = 2.54, 95%CI = 1.19-5.41). In addition, ADH1B rs1229984 was also associated with elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease in both dominant (OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.092.93) and recessive (OR = 2.33, 95%CI = 1.18-4.57) models. For ALDH2 rs671, the AA genotype was correlated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease as compared to the GG genotype (OR = 4.57, 95%CI = 1.60-14.01). The ALDH2 rs671 polymorphism was associated with Alzheimer's in both dominant (OR = 1.79, 95%CI = 1.08-2.97) and recessive (OR = 4.17, 95%CI = 1.49-12.67) models. In conclusion,


Pituitary carcinomas, defined as distant metastases of a pituitary neoplasm, are rare; fewer than 140 reports exist in the English literature. The initial presenting pituitary tumor is usually a secreting, invasive macroadenoma, with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)--and prolactin (PRL)--secreting tumors being the most common. The latency period between the diagnosis of a pituitary tumor and the diagnosis of a pituitary carcinoma is 9.5 years for ACTH-producing lesions and 4.7 years for PRL-secreting tumors. Survival after documentation of metastatic disease is poor; 66% of patients die within 1 year. Treatment options include additional surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, all of which are associated with poor results. Future studies will focus on identifying those invasive pituitary tumors most likely to metastasize and treating them aggressively before they progress to pituitary carcinomas.


This article examines a network approach to sustainably developing suppliers in the context of a Finnish industrial cluster. The approach (HSEQ AP) aims to assess and develop the health, safety, environmental and quality-related capabilities of the suppliers of the buying companies that form the cluster. In this study, the impact of this approach, which has been operating for more than a decade, is examined through a mixed-methods approach. Suppliers that have been audited two times or more (n = 29) were quantitatively analyzed in terms of safety performance, consecutive assessment scores and the relationship between assessment scores and financial indicators. To support the quantitative analyses, interviews were conducted with buyers and suppliers. The results suggest that the HSEQ AP can be linked to improvement in operational results and to enhancing social sustainability in the supply network, and that the suppliers and buyers generally find it a worthy investment. The antecedents for this network approach are partially similar to supplier development in general: Buyer demonstration of commitment, particularly through purchasing processes, is crucial and not fully realized in all cases. The use of a competent, trained third-party assessor was seen to bring value, and the suppliers also rated buyer participation very highly. Interestingly, no significant improvement was found regarding environmental capabilities. The HSEQ AP can be viewed as a CSR practice, but the results show there could be further potential to unlock.


We conducted a feasibility study to monitor coagulation using a point-of-care device (proTime micro coagulation system) in ventricular assist device (VAD) patients. The aim of the study was to compare International Normalized Ratio (INR) readings using a standard laboratory method and proTime micro coagulation device in order to confirm a correlation between these two methods. The nurse's feedback about anticoagulation monitoring using portable anticoagulant monitoring devices in the hospital was also assessed. Four patients admitted in the cardiac surgery unit at University of Maryland, Baltimore were enrolled between 25 November 2006 and 20 December [corrected] 2006. These patients had given consent to undergo both venous and finger-stick blood samplings to monitor their anticoagulant levels. Six hospital nurses participated in the study. Forty-one INR readings were compared using both methods. Correlation coefficients determined association between INR readings using two methods. All the patients were males and were hypertensive. Significant positive association was seen in the INR readings using two methods (r=0.96; P<0.0001). Four of the six nurses believed patients would be significantly safer if INR is monitored by VAD patients in their homes. Further research needs to be done to determine the impact of home INR monitoring and long-term health in these patients.


Background: On the basis of epidemiologic data and worldwide experiences on influenza vaccination, both seasonal
and H1N1 vaccinations are recommended for anyone 6 months of age or older who is at risk of becoming ill or of
transmitting the viruses to others. Overall, the rates and seriousness of a possible complication of influenza vaccination
are much smaller than the risk of serious complications and mortality from influenza infection.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of seasonal flu immunization status as well as factors associated with
its acceptance among adult Saudi patients visiting the general clinic at al-Sharaee Primary Health Care Center in Makkah.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytic study conducted among 200 adult Saudi patients visiting
the general clinic at al-Sharaee Primary Health Care Center in Makkah in June 2013. Data were collected from participants
themselves in the presence of the researcher using a predesigned questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of
dependent variable (seasonal flu immunization status) and independent variables (age, gender, educational level, marital
status, job status, home/living, barriers hindering factors (fear of injection, side effects, being busy, fear of infection, desire
to avoid medication, belief the vaccine was not effective, safety issue, inadequate policies, and because there was no
obligation from Ministry of Health).
Results: A total of 200 adult Saudi patients (100 men and 100 women) visiting the general clinic at al-Sharaee Primary
Health Care Center in Makkah were recruited to explore their seasonal flu immunization status. Overall, the age of
the participants ranged between 18 and 66 with a mean of 33.96±10.88 years. Only 18.5% of the participants had a
history of receiving seasonal influenza vaccine. The majority of the participants claimed that they were at risk of getting
flu infection (72.5%). Main sources of information were Ministry of Health (54.0%) and mass media (53.0%). Of the
participants, 23% men and 14% women gave information about the history of seasonal flu vaccination with no statistically
significant difference. Regarding reasons for seasonal flu vaccine refusal, concern about the vaccine's side effects was the
most reported response from both genders (76.6% men and 57.0%women), and overall it was 66.3%. Believing that
the vaccine is not safe was the second reported response from both genders (45.5% men and 33.7% of women),
and overall it was 39.3%. The difference between men and women was statistically significant (p o 0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, seasonal flu vaccination rate was low although majority of participants
claimed that they were at risk of flu infection. Most of the participants believed that the vaccine was not safe. However,
it was determined that reasons to refuse were mostly the vaccine's side effects and not believing in the vaccine's
protectiveness.


We use genetic algorithms to evolve trading strategies for iterative bilateral negotiations between buyers and sellers. In contrast to previous work we evolve purely reactive strategies that base decisions on memories of behaviour in previous negotiation rounds. We find that simulations lead to three main types of behaviour: (i) cooperative outcomes in which bargaining leads to an agreement and equal sharing of profits, (ii) uncooperative outcomes in which negotiations are not successful and (iii) outcomes in which one party profits at the expense of the other. The frequencies of each type of behaviour vary when the probability for negotiations to terminate is changed, confirming our hypothesis that cooperation should decrease as this break-off probability increases. Comparisons of the results to tit-for-tat (TFT) strategies and previous research on the iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) are used to understand simulation results, and we observe the emergence of TFT behaviour during periods of agent cooperation.


Objective The aim of this article was to investigate the survival impact of ovarian preservation in surgically treated patients with early-stage endometrial cancer using a meta-analysis. Methods Major online databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, as well as Grey Literature database, were searched to collect studies on the effects of ovarian preservation compared with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) for surgical treatment in endometrial cancer patients. The literature search was performed up to April 2016. The results were analyzed using RevMan 5.0 software and Stata/SE 12.0 software. Results Totally, 7 retrospective cohort studies including 1419 patients in ovarian preservation group and 15,826 patients in BSO group were enrolled. Meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in overall survival between the patients treated with ovarian preservation and BSO (hazards ratio [HR], 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–1.39; P = 1.00). Similar result was achieved in the young and premenopausal women (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.70–1.39; P = 0.39). Furthermore, the disease-free survival of patients whose ovaries were preserved was slightly compromised but with no statistical significance (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.56–3.93; P = 0.42). Conclusions Ovarian preservation may be safe in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer, and it could be cautiously considered in treating young and premenopausal women because it is not associated with an adverse impact on the patients' survival. Given the inherent limitations of the included studies, further well-designed randomized controlled trial are needed to confirm and update this analysis.


The diabetic syndrome induced in rats by guinea-pig anti-insulin serum is complicated by interstitial pancreatitis similar in several respects to that seen in some infants born of diabetic mothers. It is characterized by lesions in the exocrine portion of the gland which include eosinophilic infiltration (73 per cent), edema (54 per cent), and focal areas of necrosis (15 per cent) or hemorrhage (14 per cent). Its appearance is not related to the severity of the induced diabetes and its nature suggests that it is allergic in origin. Other histological findings are consistent with previous observations and similar to those encountered in human and other forms of experimental diabetes.


Rhodonea curves, also known as rose curves, have intrigued mathematicians and artists alike since they were first described by Guido Grandi in the 18 century. In the late 20 century Maurer roses, closed polylines derived from rhodonea curves, were introduced. They are notable for the striking patterns they produce from a simple algorithm. Although Maurer roses have often been re-implemented, to date there is little published work on extending the concept since it was first described. In this paper we review previous work, then use that foundation to explore a number of extensions and generalizations of Maurer roses that we use to generate aesthetically pleasing forms.


Images taken by geostationary satellite may be used to estimate solar irradiance fluxes at earth's surface. It is based on the empirical correlation between a satellite derived cloud index and the irradiance at the ground. For the validation, estimated solar radiation fluxes are compared with observed solar radiation fluxes at 16 sites over the Korean peninsular from January 1982 to December 2004. Estimated solar radiation fluxes show reliable results for estimating the global radiation with average deviation of -7.8 to +7.0 % from the measured values and the yearly averaged horizontal global insolation of Korean peninsula was turned out to be 3.56 kW/m²/day.


The distribution of roots of cassava, pigeon pea, coffee, and four grasses growing in Ultisols was studied. Cassava was the most shallow rooted of the crops with no roots extending below 105 cm, and few below a 30-cm soil depth. It also had the lowest density of roots at different depths. Coffee was much more deeply rooted with numerous roots down to 120 cm, and some reaching a depth of 180 cm. Coffee also had many more roots/L of soil at all depths than did cassava. Pigeon peas were very deep rooted with over a thousand em of roots per liter of soil down to a depth of 120 cm, and many roots down to a depth of 180 cm. This deep rooting characteristic explains the well known resistance of pigeon pea to drought and their capacity to extract nutrients from relatively infertile soils. Guinea grass, and, to a lesser extent, Stargrass, rooted very profusely down to 180 cm in the soil, with guinea grass averaging over 1,000 cm of roots per liter of soil at all depths down to 150 cm. The deep profuse rooting of guinea grass explains its drought resistance and its ability to outyield other grasses in the semiarid region. The data presented are important in developing recommendations for irrigating, cultivating, and fertilizing the crops studied and in determining the areas best suited to their production.


Information system project failure is a costly and common problem despite advances in development tools and technologies. In this paper, we argue that one reason for this is the failure of project postmortems to generate constructive lessons learned from previous projects for organizations to use to improve their development practices. Over time, these ineffective practices would persist in organizations which in turn eventually might become resistant to change. Worse, organizations may even learn to fail. The attribution literature provides a promising theoretical base for explaining why project postmortems fail. A case study of a project postmortem undertaken for an abandoned e-procurement system project is discussed and analyzed. The results suggested that attribution errors were influenced by conditions such as presence of self-appointed mindsets, a general persistence of a negative belief, memory decay and selective recall of project events. The research and practical implications of these findings are discussed along with prescriptions for how to minimize the problem of attribution errors during project postmortems.


Objective Mouse models possessing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and/or human aldose reductase (hAR) in vascular tissues have been established and crossed with naturally diabetic Akita mice to produce new diabetic mouse models. Research Design and Methods Colonies of transgenic C57BL mice expressing GFP (SMAA-GFP), hAR (SMAA-hAR) or both (SMAA-GFP-hAR) in vascular tissues expressing smooth muscle actin were established and crossbred with C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J (AK) mice to produce naturally diabetic offspring AK-SMAA-GFP and AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR. Aldose reductase inhibitor AL1576 (ARI) was administered in chow. Retinal and lenticular sorbitol levels were determined by HPLC. Retinal functions were evaluated by electroretinography (ERGs). Growth factor and signaling changes were determined by Western Blots using commercially available antibodies. Retinal vasculatures were isolated from the neural retina by enzymatic digestion. Flat mounts were stained with PAS-hematoxylin and analyzed. Results Akita transgenics developed DM by 8 weeks of age with blood glucose levels higher in males than females. Sorbitol levels were higher in neural retinas of AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR compared to AK-SMAA-GFP mice. AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR mice also had higher VEGF levels and reduced ERG scotopic b-wave function, both of which were normalized by AL1576. AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR mice showed induction of the retinal growth factors bFGF, IGF-1, and TGFβ, as well as signaling changes in P-Akt, P-SAPK/JNK and P-44/42 MAPK that were also reduced by ARI treatment. Quantitative analysis of flat mounts in 18 week AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR mice revealed increased loss of nuclei/capillary length and a significant increase in the percentage of acellular capillaries present which was not seen in AK-SMAA-GFP-hAR treated with ARI. Conclusions/Significance These new mouse models of early onset diabetes may be valuable tools for assessing both the role of hyperglycemia and AR in the development of retinal lesions associated with diabetic retinopathy.


Cement pastes reinforced with Multi-Walled carbon NanoTubes (MWNTs) are smart materials with piezoresistivity properties. Adding carbon nanotubes to the cement matrix, in fact, the electrical resistivity of cementitious composites changes with the stress conditions under static and dynamic loads. This particular behaviour can be used to evaluate the stress level in reinforced concrete structures, to monitor the traffic flow, to weigh vehicles. In this paper data on pressure-sensitive behaviour under compressive stress of cement pastes and mortars containing different percentages (from 0.0% to 1.0% vs. cement mass) of MWNTs are presented.In order to form a conductive network and enhancethe piezoresistive properties of cementitious mixtures, Carbon NanoTubes (CNTs) need to be efficiently dispersed in the cement matrix. Two different methods to disperse CNTsin the cement matrix were used. The first one uses a surfactant (Sodium Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonate - LAS): MWNTs were dispersed in a LAS aqueous solution,and thenmixed with cement and a defoamer (tributyl phosphate) to decrease the air bubble in MWNT filled cement-based composites. The second method consists in mixing CNTs with about 50% of the mixing water in a becker by means of a glass wand. Then, the solution is sonicated by an ultrasonic generator for 10 minutes. Finally, the sonicatedCNT-aqueous solution ismixed with cement (and sand for the mortars). The piezoresistivity properties of the cementitious mixtures manufactured with the two above mentioned CNTs dispersing methods will be compared.Experimental results show that the electrical resistance changes synchronously with the compressive stress levelsfor the specimens manufactured with both methods. Therefore, CNTs improve the pressure-sensitivity of cementitious composites. Moreover, the piezoresistive response is better for cementitious composites manufactured by using the surfactant agent to disperse CNTs. Data indicate that – thanks to the better dispersion of nanotubes promoted by the surfactant - the pressure-sensitivity properties of cement pastes can be achieved even by using a very low percentage of CNTS (0.1% vs. cement mass). These findings seem to indicate that self-sensing CNTs/cement composite can be produced. These smart materials have great potential and they could be used in the next future in concrete field for practical applications to monitor the stress level of reinforced concrete elements subjected to static, dynamic and impact loads. In particular, informations on actual stress existing under dynamic and impact loads could be improve design procedures in protective structures.


The heterogeneous connections model is a generalization of the homogeneous connections model of Jackson and Wolinsky (1996) in which the intrinsic value of each connection is set by a discrete, positive and symmetric function that depends solely on the types of the two end agents. Core per iphery networks are defined as networks in which the agents' set can be partitione d into two subsets, one in which the members are completely connected among themselves and the other where there are no internal links. A two-type society is defined as "power based" if both types of agents prefer to connect to one of the types over t he other, controlling for path length. An exhaustive analysis shows that core periphery ne tworks, in which the "preferred" types are in the core and the "rejected" types are in the periphery, are crucial in the "power based" society. In particular, if the linki ng costs are not too low and not too high, at least one such network is pairwise stable. Moreover, in many cases these networks are the unique pairwise stable networks an d in all cases they are the unique strongly efficient networks. The set of efficient n etworks often differs from the set of pairwise stable networks, hence a discussion on thi s issue is developed. These results suggest heterogeneity accompanied by "power based" linking preferences as a natural explanation for many core-periphery structures obse rved in real life social networks.


This is a blog post I wrote in connection with work I undertook as a Historical Geography Research Fellow, whilst based at the University of Exeter. In this capacity, I worked on a project, led by Dr Nicola Thomas, which critically investigated different geographies pertaining to Lady Mary Curzon, Vicereine of India from 1899 to 1905. This AHRC funded work, administered as a REACT Sandbox books and print scheme, sought to develop new ways of increasing the visibility of academic work. It did this, in part, by probing how such research could connect to new audiences via the incorporation of new media technologies. As such, SpinMe photography was utilised in the project and a dedicated prototype Android app about Lady Curzon was developed. Later, in 2019, a Channel Five programme was broadcast that explored the significance of, and the ongoing interest in, the subject of this blog post: the Peacock Dress – a remarkably storied piece of clothing, but which was only ever worn once, at the 1903 Delhi Durbar State Ball.


Nepal is experiencing transition of HIV epidemic from a high-risk behavior groups to low risk behavior population like housewives. The ratio of housewives infected with HIV among all HIV infected women has almost equaled. The estimation also shows that housewives have acquired HIV three times more than the female sex workers in absolute numbers. It is a matter of concern for all those working in HIV/AIDS and also a serious challenge to achieve the millennium development goals.


Fluid flow through a bone scaffold structure is an important factor in its ability to build up a living tissue. Permeability is often used as a measure of a structure's ability to allow for flow of nutrients and waste products related to the growth of new tissue. These structures also need to meet conflicting mechanical strength requirements to allow for load bearing. In this work, the effect of different bone structure morphologies on permeability were examined both numerically and experimentally. Cubic and hexagonal based three dimensional scaffold structures were produced via stereolithography and 3D printing techniques. In particular, porosity percentage, pore size, and pore geometry were examined. Porosity content was varied from 30% to 70% and pore size from 0.34 mm to 3 mm. An adapted Kozeny-Carmen numerical method was applied for calculation of permeability through these structures and an experimental validation of these results was performed via a standard permeability experimental testing set-up. From the results it was determined that increased permeability was provided with the cubic rather than hexagonal structure as well as by utilizing the larger pore size and higher levels of porosity. Stereolithography was found to be the better processing technique, not only for improved micrometer scale dimensional accuracy reasons, but also due to the increase wettability found on the produced surfaces. The appropriate model constants determined in this work will allow for analysis of new alternate structure designs on the permeability of rapid prototyped synthetic bone structures.


In the future mobile dual-arm robots are expected to perform many tasks. Kinematically, the configuration of two manipulators that branch from the same common mobile base results in a serial-to-parallel kinematic structure, which makes inverse kinematic computations non-trivial. The motion of the base has to be decided in a trade-off, taking the needs of both arms into account. We propose to use a Virtual Kinematic Chain (VKC) to specify the common motion of the parallel manipulators, instead of using the two manipulators kinematics directly. With this VKC, we formulate a constraint based programming solution for the robot to respond to external disturbances during task execution. The proposed approach is experimentally verified both in a noise-free illustrative simulation and a real human robot co-manipulation task.


A pose estimation process from medical images is calculating locations and orientations of objects obtained from Computed Tomography (CT) volume data utilizing X-ray images from two directions. In this process, digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) images of spatially transformed objects are generated and compared to X-ray images repeatedly until reasonable transformation matrices of the objects are found. The DRR generation and image comparison take majority of the total time for this pose estimation. In this paper, a fast DRR generation technique based on GPU parallel computing is introduced. A volume ray-casting algorithm is explained with brief vector operations and a parallelization technique of the algorithm using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) is discussed. This paper also presents the implementation results and time measurements comparing to those from pure-CPU implementation and open source toolkit.


Retrieving information from archived meetings is a new domain of information retrieval that has received increasing attention in the past few years. Search in spontaneous spoken conversations has been recognized as more difficult than text-based document retrieval because meeting discussions contain two levels of information: the content itself, i.e. what topics are discussed, but also the argumentation process, i.e. what conflicts are resolved and what decisions are made. To capture the richness of information in meetings, current research focuses on recording meetings in Smart-Rooms, transcribing meeting discussion into text and annotating discussion with semantic higher-level structures to allow for efficient access to the data. However, it is not yet clear what type of user interface is best suited for searching and browsing such archived, annotated meetings. Content-based retrieval with keyword search is too naive and does not take into account the semantic annotations on the data. The objective of this thesis is to assess the feasibility and usefulness of a natural language interface to meeting archives that allows users to ask complex questions about meetings and retrieve episodes of meeting discussions based on semantic annotations. The particular issues that we address are: the need of argumentative annotation to answer questions about meetings; the linguistic and domain-specific natural language understanding techniques required to interpret such questions; and the use of visual overviews of meeting annotations to guide users in formulating questions. To meet the outlined objectives, we have annotated meetings with argumentative structure and built a prototype of a natural language understanding engine that interprets questions based on those annotations. Further, we have performed two sets of user experiments to study what questions users ask when faced with a natural language interface to annotated meeting archives. For this, we used a simulation method called Wizard of Oz, to enable users to express questions in their own terms without being influenced by limitations in speech recognition technology. Our experimental results show that technically it is feasible to annotate meetings and implement a deep-linguistic NLU engine for questions about meetings, but in practice users do not consistently take advantage of these features. Instead they often search for keywords in meetings. When visual overviews of the available annotations are provided, users refer to those annotations in their questions, but the complexity of questions remains simple. Users search with a breadth-first approach, asking questions in sequence instead of a single complex question. We conclude that natural language interfaces to meeting archives are useful, but that more experimental work is needed to find ways to incent users to take advantage of the expressive power of natural language when asking questions about meetings.


Corruption is a complex, omnipresent and multi-faceted phenomenon with multiple causes and effects and takes on various forms in different contexts. Corruption impedes development and reduces the capacity of nations to banish poverty and add value to the lives of their citizens. Given the damaging consequences of corruption, it is a problem which solution cannot be put to another day. The enormity of corruption in Nigeria probably necessitated the establishment of anticorruption agencies such as the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to nip the scourge in the bud. However, despite these institutional interventions, the fight against corruption in Nigeria seems nowhere close to being won. This paper presents the causes and consequences of corruption in Nigeria. Empirical evidence indicates that the absence of political will and the weakness of anticorruption institutions to prosecute high profile culprits, the tardiness on the part of the country's courts to promptly dispose of corruption cases and lack of accountable and transparent leadership, have undermined efforts to win the war against corruption. The paper recommends strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws, establishment of special courts for corruption cases and enthronement of good governance, as part of strategies to strengthen the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.


Analog game platforms are more than just individual material objects as the platform studies methodology would argue. Platform studies affords a medium specific analysis connecting media to its cultural implications through close examinations of modular material components that influence the interactions and creation of media made on a specific hardware or software platform. This paper uses the examples of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering to conceptualize analog game platforms in a way that complicates the construction of platforms.


This thesis consists of two main parts and one appendix. The first part (Chapters 2 and 3) contains mainly experimental work on electron transfer in ruthenium-modified azurin mutants. The second part describes theoretical studies on the control of reduction potentials in cytochromes and feredoxins. The appendix presents calculations on the reaction mechanism for the GTP-hydrolysis in Ras p21.

In the experimental part electron tunneling through the beta-sheet in pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin is discussed. In agreement with theoretical consideration it is found that electron tunneling through a beta-strand is quite efficient. It is argued that the efficiency is due to the highly covalent nature of the bridge. Furthermore, the effects of the weakly coordinated M121 ligand and the strongly coordinated C112 ligand on the coupling are compared in Chapters 2 and 3. It is found that indeed the C112 ligand facilitates electron transfer, although the rate enhancement in the experiments does not appear to be much more than an order of magnitude.

The theoretical section (chapters 4-6) presents microscopical calculations of electrostatic effects found to be important for the control of reduction potentials. Chapter 4 analyzes the effect of the N521 mutation in cytochrome c. The calculations suggest that the change in reduction potential is due to an electrostatic effect and dominated by the loss of the N52 dipole, which compensates for the displacement of an internally bound water molecule. In chapter 5 it is concluded that the change in reduction potential for the M80H axial ligand replacement in cytochrome c is due to the effect of the ligand bonding rather than an electrostatic effect. The enormous variations in the reduction potentials of iron-sulfur clusters in several proteins are being investigated in chapter 6. The potentials mainly appear to be controlled by the number of hydrogen bonds. However, in some cases the effect of nearby water molecules need to be considered. The calculations presented in the appendix show that a previously proposed mechanism in Ras P21 does not appear energetically feasible (reprint 1). In reprint 2 an alternative mechanism is proposed.


The importance of the protein corona formed around nanoparticles upon entering a biological fluid has recently been highlighted. This corona is, when sufficiently long-lived, thought to govern the particles' biological fate. However, even this long-lived "hard" corona evolves and re-equilibrates as particles pass from one biological fluid to another, and may be an important feature for long-term fate. Here we show the evolution of the protein corona as a result of transfer of nanoparticles from one biological fluid (plasma) into another (cytosolic fluid), a simple illustrative model for the uptake of nanoparticles into cells. While no direct comparison can be made to what would happen in, for example, the uptake pathway, the results confirm that significant evolution of the corona occurs in the second biological solution, but that the final corona contains a "fingerprint" of its history. This could be evolved to map the transport pathways utilized by nanoparticles, and eventually to predict nanoparticle fate and behavior.


Twenty-eight cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were identified in children in a pediatric oncology ward during 2 nosocomial outbreaks. HCV infection spontaneously cleared in 6 patients (21%). Eleven patients with persistent HCV viremia who had malignant diseases in remission after treatment were given a 48-week course of combined therapy with interferon-alpha (5x106 U 3 times weekly) and oral ribavirin (15 mg/kg/d). Seven (64%) of the 11 patients had sustained virological responses 6 and 12 months after cessation of therapy. Side effects were common but generally were mild or moderate.


In this consecutive series, 14 patients with severe intrabony defects and pathologic tooth migration were treated with guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and subsequent orthodontic therapy in an attempt to evaluate the validity of this multidisciplinary approach. Probing pocket depths (PPD), clinical attachment levels (CAL), and gingival recessions were assessed at baseline, 1 year after GTR, and at the end of orthodontic therapy. Radiographs were obtained at all time points. Esthetic parameters were recorded with the papilla presence index (PPI). Statistical analyses were carried out to compare the data at each time point. From baseline to 1 year after GTR, the mean PPD reduction was 5.57 mm, with a residual mean PPD of 2.71 mm; mean CAL gain was 5.86 mm. Both differences were statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between 1 year after GTR and the end of orthodontic therapy (mean PPD reduction 0.07 mm; mean CAL gain 0.43 mm). The reduction in PPI reflected the enhancement of papilla height that was observed in 9 of the 14 patients. Within the limits of this research, this study affirms the possibility of a combined orthodontic-periodontal approach that prevents damaging the regenerated periodontal apparatus and produces esthetic improvements as a result of realignments and enhancement of papilla height.


2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) has been found to be an excellent reagent for oxidatively activating benzylic C-H bonds, and the in-situ generated oxocarbenium ions can be captured by nucleophiles appended in the molecules. A variety of aromatic methyl ethers with different substituents are shown to be reactive with DDQ, and common protecting groups are well tolerated. The enol acetate group is the most reliable and productive nucleophile compared with other candidates and provides the 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrone product as exclusively the cis isomer. This method has been successfully applied to the macrocyclic systems. The valuable macrocyclic oxocarbenium ions are readily formed when treating the substrates with DDQ. The reactions are generally slower than those of acyclic substrates but the yields are almost unaffected. The ring size has no influence on the diastereoselectivity of cyclization.A convergent formal synthesis of natural product neopeltolide was accomplished from three building blocks by utilizing the DDQ mediated cyclization reaction as the key transformation. A novel intramolecular hydrosilylation-Tamao oxidation reaction is employed to synthesize the precursor for the key step. This approach to the natural product has minimized the involvement of protecting groups and conveniently provided an opportunity to access the natural product analogues through double bond functionalizations.


Topological defects (TDs) in crystal lattices are elementary lattice imperfections that cannot be removed by local perturbations, due to their real-space topology. In the emerging field of topological photonics, photonic topological edge states arise from the nontrivial topology of the band structure defined in momentum space and are generally protected against defects. Here we show that adding TDs into a valley photonic crystal generates a lattice disclination that acts like a domain wall and hosts photonic topological edge states. Unlike previous topological waveguides, the disclination forms an open arc and functions as a free-form waveguide connecting a pair of TDs of opposite topological charge. This interplay between the real-space topology of lattice defects and momentum-space band topology provides a novel scheme to implement large-scale photonic structures with complex arrangements of robust topological waveguides and resonators.


Introduction This study examines the perceptions of preservice teachers concerning the inclusion of students with blindness or low vision (visual impairments) in their classrooms. Methods Using a modified version of the Preservice Inclusion Scale (PSIS), data were collected from participants in three universities in the United States before and after the completion of an introductory special education course. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test was conducted to investigate the change in participants' attitudes toward inclusion. Results The anxiety measure revealed an increase in the calmness level of preservice teachers, and the receptivity measure revealed a nonsignificant change in their receptivity level toward inclusion. Discussion There were three main study outcomes: A between-subject effect of the universities was not evident, no significant changes in hostility or receptivity were found, and the confidence of preservice teachers in teaching students with visual impairments was not a predictor of changes in attitudes toward inclusion. Suggestions for future research Future research should determine the nature and scope of strategies included in coursework, and whether these strategies relate more to improvements in attitudes than to coursework that does not include them.


The Almopias and Paikon "sub-zones" in northern Greece represent the easternmost part of the Vardar Domain. Volcanic sequences in the Paikon sub- zone largely consist of calc-alkaline volcanic rocks with very minor normal-type (N-) mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and boninites. These data confirm that the Paikon volcanics have originated in a volcanic arc setting developed during the Middle to Late Jurassic times on the westernmost continental margin of the European plate. The Almopias "sub-zone" consists of several ophiolite-bearing tectonic units showing a complex combination of different metamorphic, litho-stratigraphical, and age characteristics. The Liki, Nea Zoi, and Vrissi units (central Almopias) are ophiolitic melanges, the Mavrolakkos and Krania units (eastern Almopias) consist of volcanic sequences, and the Ano Garefi unit (eastern Almopias) includes serpentinized peridotites and overlying basaltic lavas. The Liki unit underwent metamorphism and deformation under amphibolite-facies condition and includes rocks showing N-MORB and low-K island arc tholeiitic affinities. The Nea Zoi unit incorporates N-MORBs of unknown age and Late Triassic calc-alkaline rocks. The Vrissi unit includes an incomplete volcanic sequence consisting of MORB-type volcanics linked with and crosscut by Middle-Late Jurassic arc-type volcanic rocks and dykes. The Mavrolakkos unit consists of sheeted dykes, lavas, and individual dykes with N-MORB affinity, which are crosscut by dykes showing volcanic arc affinity. The Krania unit consists of Middle-Late Jurassic N-MORB series tectonically associated with calc-alkaline volcanics and dykes. Basalts of the Ano Garefi unit have alkaline affinity, whereas dikes cutting the peridotites show enriched-type MORB chemistry. Our data show the occurrence in the Almopias units of Middle-Late Jurassic N-MORB lavas associated with overlying coeval volcanic arc-type lavas and/or intruded by volcanic arc-type dykes. A major point arising from this paper is that some of the Almopias ophiolitic units do not correlate with the other ophiolitic units in the Dinaride-Hellenide belt and some could correlate with the northernmost extension of the Vardar zone in the South Apuseni - Transyl- vanian ophiolitic belt in Romania.


Reconstruction of a typical exstrophy of bladder and to achieve normal or nearly normal functional activity is still in investigating stage. In spite of efforts of many surgeons satisfactory results are too far to be obtained and it is almost impossible to obtain a near normal bladder capacity with full continence, free of infection and non-obstructive to the upper urinary tracts. Six cases of exstrophy of bladder where reconstruction has failed several times were subsequently referred to the urology department of Calcutta National Medical College, Calcutta, for urinary diversion; on one case previous attempt at repair resulted in small thick walled bladder with recurrent calculus formation. This study was made on those 6 patients, their age ranging from 3 to 14 years, in whom ureterosigmoidostomy was carried out during the year 1979 to 1986. In all patients careful bowel preparation was carried out by low residue diet, laxatives, enemas and antibiotics. Two patients developed hyperchloraemia and acidosis, 2 pyelonephritis and 2 remained asymptomatic till December 1986. None of those patients died so far. Ureterosigmoidostomy is not ideal but it can be adequate and sometimes is the preferred form of urinary diversion within limited resources. None of the methods of urinary diversion are free from complications but considering all, ureterosigmoidostomy as a method of urinary diversion is non-hazardous simple procedure with practically no mortality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Software engineering development is crucial for industrial and commercial applications as systems are required to operate in increasingly complex, distributed, open, dynamic, unpredictable, and inherently highly interactive environments. This work is being motivated by the need to engineer complex systems with autonomous entities, to manage systems' inherent complexity during analysis, design and implementation. This article presents the Agent Role Locking (ARL) theory that provides a new conceptualization of the relation between agents and roles in Multi Agent Systems. ARL concepts are being explained and illustrated using an e-learning system case study. ARL extends UML with both static and dynamic structures by means of role class, agent class diagrams and Agent Interaction Protocol


Modern robotic vehicles use a large and varied set of sensors to navigate and localise their position in the environment and determine where they should be heading to accomplish their tasks. These sensors include GPS, infrared and ultrasonic range finders, laser scanners and sonar. However, the underwater environment presents challengers for modern robotic vehicles because most sensors that are typically used for navigation and localisation have reduced or no functionality underwater. This thesis details the design and construction of a low cost Inertial Navigation System use on the Victoria University of Wellington's (VUW) Mechatronics group Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The major electronic systems, comprising of the onboard computer and microcontroller, of the ROV have been upgraded to allow for the increased computational power that the Inertial Navigation System needs and to allow further upgrading and installation of electrical and electronic systems in the vehicle as they are required. Modifications to the chassis allow quick and simple disassembly of the ROV to repair or replace major components if the need arises.


The International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies is the definitive description of the field, spanning individual, organizational, societal, and cultural perspective in a cross-disciplinary manner. The old model of a North American core exporting its domain assumptions to the rest of the world, while by no means absent, is less marked than it used to be. Thus, editors Stewart R. Clegg and James R. Bailey have sought to capture much of the cutting-edge thinking that characterizes the best scholarship--in the United States and elsewhere. The Encyclopedia is thoroughly cross-referenced, and entries are based around a series of broad themes.


STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the predictive capability between the 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) scores and adverse clinical and radiographic outcomes following single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

METHODS
All patients over the age of 50 undergoing single-level open or minimally invasive TLIF from 2012 to 2021 with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were identified. Deformity, trauma, emergency, and tumor cases were excluded as were patients undergoing revision surgeries. An mFI-5 score was computed for each patient using a set of five factors which included hypertension requiring medication, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and partially or fully dependent functional status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of mFI-5 scores on readmissions, reoperations, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS
156 patients were included and grouped according to their level of frailty: no-frailty (mFI = 0, n = 67), mild frailty (mFI = 1, n = 59), and severe frailty (mFI = 2+, n = 30). Multivariate analysis found high levels of frailty (mFI = 2+) to be independent predictors of reoperation (OR: 16.9, CI: 2.7 - 106.9, P = .003) and related readmissions (OR = 16.5, CI: 2.6 - 102.7, P = .003) as compared to the no-frailty group. An mFI-5 score of 2+ was also predictive of any complication (OR = 4.5, CI: 1.4 - 14.3, P = .01) and adjacent segment disease (ASD) (OR = 12.5, CI: 1.2 - 134.0, P = .037).

CONCLUSION
High levels of frailty were predictive of related readmissions, reoperations, any complications, and ASD in older adult patients undergoing single-level TLIF.


This article advances that through incorporating registers of affect, environmental cinema might better approximate its socially and ecologically transformative goals. A film in which this has been attempted is Fisher Stevens's Before the Flood (2016), and it is contended here that for this reason the film holds promise despite the weakness of some of its proposed solutions to climate deterioration. An analysis of the film is offered, during which certain of Julie Doyle's, Nathan Farrell's and Michael Goodman's reservations about Before the Flood are countered, drawing particularly on Anton Van der Hoven and Jill Arnott's arguments in favour of affective cinema. Indeed, a pro-affective film-making approach finds theoretical support in the perspectives of materialist ecological feminists and African philosophers on the role of affect and emotion in being fully human. The article concludes that affect should be recuperated and strategically included within cultural products and interactions, particularly if these aim to engender significant socio-cultural change.


One of the driving forces behind the semiconductor industry has been Moore's law. In abstract Moore's law says the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every 18 months. Doubling transistor count in rough approximation doubles complexity. To keep the same cost, yield at the new process node must be similar to the previous node. Further, to maintain the cost of test as a percentage of AUC, then test time per transistor or cost of test per second have to be reduced by 50% in the same time lines. The research and development driven in yield management, tester development, test development and DFT have allowed an ongoing cost profile that allows for economic profile required to sustain semiconductor expansion. This talk will explore both historical and real time issues related to complexity and the test industry.