Background: Increased inflammation activates blood coagulation system, higher platelet activation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke (IS). During platelet activation and aggregation process, platelets may cause increased release of several proinflammatory, and prothrombotic mediators, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). In the current study we aimed to assess circulating miRNAs profile related to platelet function and inflammation and circulating EVs from platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells to analyse their diagnostic and predictive utility in patients with acute IS. Methods: The study population consisted of 28 patients with the diagnosis of the acute IS. The control group consisted of 35 age- and gender-matched patients on acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) therapy without history of stroke and/or TIA with established stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. Venous blood samples were collected from the control group and patients with IS on ASA therapy (a) 24 h after onset of acute IS, (b) 7-days following index hospitalization. Flow cytometry was used to determine the concentration of circulating EVs subtypes (from platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells) in platelet-depleted plasma and qRT-PCR was used to determine several circulating plasma miRNAs (miR-19a-3p, miR-186-5p and let-7f). Results: Patients with high platelet reactivity (HPR, based on arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregometry) had significantly elevated platelet-EVs (CD62+) and leukocyte-EVs (CD45+) concentration compared to patients with normal platelet reactivity at the day of 1 acute-stroke (p = 0.012, p = 0.002, respectively). Diagnostic values of baseline miRNAs and EVs were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The area under the ROC curve for miR-19a-3p was 0.755 (95% CI, 0.63–0.88) p = 0.004, for let-7f, it was 0.874 (95% CI, 0.76–0.99) p = 0.0001; platelet-EVs was 0.776 (95% CI, 0.65–0.90) p = 0.001, whereas for leukocyte-EVs, it was 0.715 (95% CI, 0.57–0.87) p = 0.008. ROC curve showed that pooling the miR-19a-3p expressions, platelet-EVs, and leukocyte-EVs concentration yielded a higher AUC than the value of each individual biomarker as AUC was 0.893 (95% CI, 0.79–0.99). Patients with moderate stroke had significantly elevated miR-19a-3p expression levels compared to patients with minor stroke at the first day of IS. (AUC: 0.867, (95% CI, 0.74–0.10) p = 0.001). Conclusion: Combining different biomarkers of processes underlying IS pathophysiology might be beneficial for early diagnosis of ischemic events. Thus, we believe that in the future circulating biomarkers might be used in the prehospital phase of IS. In particular, circulating plasma EVs and non-coding RNAs including miRNAs are interesting candidates as bearers of circulating biomarkers due to their high stability in the blood and making them highly relevant biomarkers for IS diagnostics.


Background: Admission of students to medical schools in Sudan depends mainly upon the student academic achievement in the Sudan School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences at the University of Kordofan (FMHS-UK) adopts a six-year curriculum. It accepts students with two different academic standards; the national intake students from the free competition pool and regional intake students solely from the states of Kordofan with (lower grades) in the same class.Objectives: The study objective was to determine the academic performance and achievement of the regional intake medical students at the FMHS-UK and compare it to the performance of the national intake students.Methodology: This prospective study was conducted at the FMHS-UK. It included close follow up of all national intake and regional intake medical students admitted to the faculty in the period between 1991 and 2001. Their academic performances and achievements from admission to graduation were analysed and studied. The placement of the graduates from the regional intake was followed in the local health delivery system.Results: The study included 854 national intake and 220 regional intake students from ten student batches. 769 (90.04%) national intake students had completed the course and graduated compared to 199 (90.45%) regional intake students; during the study period. The study showed that 62.3% of the regional students had graduated in six years compared to 65.0% of the national students. 29.7% of the regional students graduated within 7- 8 years, compared to 28.8% of the national students. 5.0% of the regional students graduated within 9-10 years, compared to 4.8% of the national students and 2.0% of the regional students graduated within 11-12 years compared to 1.3% of the national students. The dropout rate was 5.9% among the regional students compared to 8.9% among the national students.Conclusions: The academic performance of the national intake medical students was better than the regional intake students, but the difference was not statistically significant, (P value > 0.5). This policy of admitting regional students with lower grades to serve their local community is reasonable as 92% of them had completed the medical school in a reasonable time (6-8 years) compared to 93.8% of the national intake students. However, for various reasons only 60% of the graduates stayed within the regional health delivery system as initially proposed.Key words: Admission, score, MBBS, Kordofan University.


The introduction of the DNA into mammalian cells remains a challenge in gene delivery, particularly in vivo. Viral vectors are unmatched in their efficiency for gene delivery, but may trigger immune responses and cause severe side-reactions. Non-viral vectors are much less efficient. Recently, our group has suggested that a star-shaped structure improves and even transforms the gene delivery capability of synthetic polycations. In this contribution, this effect was systematically studied using a library of highly homogeneous, paramagnetic nano-star polycations with varied arm lengths and grafting densities. Gene delivery was conducted in CHO-K1 cells, using a plasmid encoding a green fluorescent reporter protein. Transfection efficiencies and cytotoxicities varied systematically with the nano-star architecture. The arm density was particularly important, with values of approximately 0.06 arms/nm2 yielding the best results. In addition, a certain fraction of the cells became magnetic during transfection. The gene delivery potential of a nano-star and its ability to render the cells magnetic did not have any correlations. End-capping the polycation arms with di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PDEGMA) significantly improved serum compatibility under transfection conditions; such nano-stars are potential candidates for future in vivo testing.


BACKGROUND
This study was performed with the aim of evaluating the effect of metformin in reducing miscarriage when continued until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and infertility.

SUBJECTS AND METHOD
From January 2004 to December 2005, a total of 75 pregnant women with PCOS were studied in three different groups. In Group A, metformin administration (500 mg three times daily (TDS)) was stopped immediately after diagnosis of pregnancy (5-6 weeks gestation), in Group B, metformin was administered until the end of 8 weeks gestation and in Group C until the end of 12 weeks gestation. The results of this study were then assessed using chi-square McNemar's, ANOVA Kruskal Wallis and logistic regression tests.

RESULTS
There was a significant statistical difference between previous and current miscarriage in the current pregnancy with a decline in Group B from 40% to 8% and in group C from 32% to 4%. In spite of the reduced rate of miscarriage seen in Group A, from 20% to 4%, this difference was not statistically significant. Fetal anomalies were absent in all three groups.

CONCLUSION
According to the current findings, it seems that continuing metformin during the first trimester of pregnancy has beneficial effects in patients with PCOS.


A field experiment was conducted at Rice research and training center (RRTC) Sakha, kafrEl sheikh, governorate, Egypt in 2007 season to study Response of some rice cultivars (H1 hybrid rice and Giza 177 inbred rice) to different methods of irrigation withholding under different sowing dates. Nitrogen fertilizer was used as urea form (46.5% N) in two splits; 2/3 were added as basil and mixed in dry soil before irrigation water and 1/3 was added at panicle initiation. Under different five sowing dates, April 20, May 1, May 10, May 20 and May 30. Three irrigation withholding, (W1) Irrigation withholding at complete heading. (W2) Irrigation withholding after 10 days from complete heading. (W3) Irrigation withholding after 20 days from complete heading. Seedling age at transplanting was 26 days from sowing and by 20X20 cm planting spacing. All agricultural practices were applied as recommended for each cultivar. A split plot design with four replication was used, five sowing dates allocated in the main plots. Three irrigation withholding were allocated in sub-plots and two rice cultivars were allocated in the subsub plots. Main results induced that maximum tillering, panicle initiation, heading dates, grains filling rates (G F R) at five stages, Leaf area index, and grain yield (Ton/ha) gave highest value at (5-10 days after complete heading) growth stage with (W2) of two rice varieties under five sowing dates. So sowing dates at 1 May gave the highest value to all studied characters with H1 hybrid rice varieties. While 30 May date of sowing with Giza 177 inbred rice gave the lowest value with all traits under study. The interaction between H1 hybrid rice variety with (W2) irrigation withholding gave the highest value of leaf area index, GFR at different stages. And H1 with 1 May date of sowing gave the highest value of L.A.I. and chlorophyll content.


Vasopressin (AVP) and angiotensin II (AII) are proposed to exert part of their cardiovascular effects via different actions within the central nervous system. These peptides are also known to alter central noradrenergic function. In the present study we determined the effects of these peptides administered intravenously on norepinephrine (NE) turnover in discrete brain regions thought to be involved in the regulation of circulation, and simultaneously, in various peripheral tissues. An index of NE turnover was determined by measuring the decline in tissue NE concentration 75 min after administration of alpha-methyl tyrosine (240 mg . kg-1 . min-1, i.p.). During NE synthesis blockade, five separate groups of rabbits were infused intravenously (1 h) with either saline, AVP (4 and 16 mU . kg-1 . min-1), AII (0.1 microgram . kg-1 . min-1), or phenylephrine (PE) (5 micrograms . kg-1 . min-1). The low dose of AVP produced an increased index of NE turnover in the median preoptic area and the paraventricular nucleus, and concomitantly, a decreased index of NE turnover in kidney and skeletal muscle. In contrast, AII produced an increased index of NE turnover in the locus ceruleus and the intestine. Neither the infusion of vehicle nor the infusion of phenylephrine, which increased arterial pressure comparable to AVP and AII, produced detectable changes in indices of central and peripheral norepinephrine turnover. A higher dose of AVP produced a different pattern of changes in NE turnover than the low dose. These results demonstrate that intravenous infusion of the low dose of AVP produced changes in noradrenergic function in specific central areas known to be involved in autonomic outflow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Polymers are vital materials in better performance of specific strength. However their application can be restricted by the lower glass transition temperature, Tg. Some polymers have been developed as engineering plastics for the high temperature applications. We examined the high temperature strength of polymers at constant applied stress. The creep rupture and viscoelastic behavior were scrutinized for PC (polycarbonate) and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), which were quite different in the molecular structures. The former contains benzene rings and the latter is a single polymer. Tg is 423 K for PC and 378 K for PMMA. The large difference in the creep behavior was observed near Tg. The creep life strongly depends upon the applied stress just below Tg. The creep life is a function of the applied stress as follows. n life t − µ s . The stress exponent, n depends upon the temperature. Mechanical models were applied to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of the polymers at high temperatures. The viscosity rapidly decreased near Tg , regardless of the smaller decrease in the elastic constant. The results would be due to the difference in the molecular structures. The benzene ring could contribute to the higher resistance against the creep deformation through the higher viscosity.


Conservation tillage is one of the crop production adaptation strategies for conserving soil and mitigating climate change. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different tillage practices on the yield, soil properties, and pest incidence of corn varieties that would give optimum output. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Zero and minimum tillage served as the main plot, and the different sweet corn varieties as the subplot (T1-Macho F1, T2-Sweet Supreme F1, T3-Purple Magic F1, T4-Hi-Brix XL F1, and T5-Sugar King F1). Results showed that Hi-Brix XL F1 (8t ha-1), Purple Magic F1 (7.44t ha-1), and Macho F1 (7.45t ha-1) obtained high marketable ear yields among the different sweet corn varieties. On the other hand, zero and minimum tillage did not vary significantly in terms of the soil properties, resulting in no yield advantage for sweet corn. This means that sweet corn production can be done either with zero or minimum tillage. In addition, zero tillage practice obtained lower fresh weight (g) of weeds at 15 and 45 days after planting. Weeds were eliminated using non-selective herbicide spray with zero tillage, resulting in lower weed incidence than with minimum tillage where only one plowing and harrowing were done.


A major part of the multiple energy in seismograms is caused by reflections from the free surface, which often contaminate the primary reflections that propagate from the subsurface as upgoing waves. Since such energy come down from the ocean surface and is contained in the downgoing wavefield, it can naturally be suppressed by attenuating the downgoing wavefield, provided the wavefield can successfully be separated into the upgoing and downgoing parts. Generally, wavefield separation is performed on multicomponent ocean-bottom seismic (OBS) data. However, as a simplification of this method, this decomposition also can be realized on dual-sensor OBS data. In this report, the wavefield separation techniques on multicomponent or dual-sensor data are discussed in detail and the algorithms for attenuating the downgoing wavefield are presented.


Abstract: Advances in surgical instrumentation allow surgeons to treat patients with less morbidity and shorter recovery time. However, the increasing complexity also adds to surgical risk, and to operating room supply chain burden. To improve the quality and efficiency of operating room instrument availability, we developed and validated a Lean 5S approach consisting of sort (determining instrument usage and waste), simplify (removing unnecessary instruments), sweep (confirm availability of needed instruments), standardize (all trays the same for a given procedure), and self-discipline (monitor success). The primary outcome was reduction in unnecessary instruments delivered to the operating room. As a secondary analysis, we evaluated the effect of the Lean instrument intervention on surgery times. We reduced the number of instruments for minimally invasive spine surgery by 70% (from 197 to 58), and setup time decreased 37% (13.1–8.2 min, p = .0015). We also report subsequent validation of the approach on deep brain stimulator cases. We conclude that complex surgical procedures offer opportunities for substantial waste reduction, simplification, and quality improvement, with potential institutional annual cost savings of $2.8 million. We demonstrate that Lean methodology can improve quality at lower cost.


The thick Proterozoic succession of northwestern North America can be subdivided into three sequences: A (∼1.7 to ∼1.2 b.y.), B (∼1.2 to ∼0.8 b.y.), and C (∼0.8 to 0.57 b.y.). Deposition of the rocks of sequence A was followed by widespread mafic igneous activity about 1.2 b.y. ago. In the Cordilleran region these rocks were then folded during the Racklan (= Grenville?) orogeny. A second, mainly tensional, orogenic event, here called the "Hayhook orogeny, " occurred near the time boundary between sequences B and C and may have culminated in continental fragmentation in Phanerozoic time. The older Proterozoic rocks of the Cordilleran region (sequences A and B) are considered to have been derived in part from rising orogens in the eastern part of the Canadian Shield. There is no definitive evidence of extensive oceanic areas in the Cordilleran region during the Proterozoic, but local small ocean basins may have existed at the time of deposition of sequence C.


Sixteen patients with congenital absence of venous valves in the deep veins of 18 lower limbs are reported. The disease limbs characterized by venous hypertension is frequently seen in teen-agers. Venographically, no valve is to be found in the deep venous system. Conservative treatment may be tried in those without pigmentation and ulcer formation in the goiter area. However, valvular reconstructive operation of the deep veins is the effective method of treatment.


The phenomena that comprise resistance in therapy are described and discussed from a cognitive viewpoint. The cases of Brian, Julie, and Victoria are reviewed to illustrate similar and contrasting manifestations of resistance, and suggestions for further individualized conceptualization and intervention are presented. Emphasis is placed on gaining an accurate, empathic understanding of the client's difficulties in changing. This is coupled with methods that allow the client some autonomy in charting the course of therapy, at the same time reinforcing the importance of the therapist's active involvement in educating and stimulating the client toward greater awareness and adaptability. In order to be maximally effective in encouraging such changes, therapists must be aware of their own tendencies to react adversely to client resistance. It is vital that therapists maintain their professionalism and confidence in persevering toward a better understanding of what will be helpful to their clients.


Software testing and maintenance account for as much as two-thirds of the cost of software production. Program analysis techniques ooer the potential to automate testing and maintenance tasks, and thereby reduce the cost of these tasks. An emerging paradigm of software development that promises to enhance software productivity and quality composes software from independently-developed components. The nature of component-based software, however, introduces new problems for applying program analysis techniques to testing and maintenance of such software: the providers of software components develop and test the components independently of the applications that use the components; the users of software components analyze and test their applications without access to source code of the components used in those applications. This paper describes issues and challenges in applying analysis and testing techniques to component-based software and presents an approach to analyzing and testing component-based systems.


Last decade, offshore outsourcing of software development from developed countries to undeveloped countries became very popular and caused an increase in the rate of unemployment of IT staff in developed countries as well as in the rate of employment of IT staff in undeveloped countries. While offshore outsourcing of work-intensive tasks in textile industry or furniture industry can be considered as colonization, based on profit and economy reasons, offshore outsourcing of high-tech jobs, such as those found in information technology and software development, caused huge changes on both sides. Although many of these changes and positive and negative trends have been established, supporters and opponents are very far from common agreement. Besides discussion about the positive and negative aspects of globalization and outsourcing, this paper offers insight in the outsourcing of the high-tech jobs, especially in the Nordic countries, supported by statistical data over the last decade, and tried to provide an answer to the question of who has the most interest in outsourcing and globalization


ABSTRACT In this article, I address the diaspora tourism of children of migrants. Based on a case study of second-generation Eritreans, I reveal how journeys to parents' home countries affect the sense of belonging of the second generation. Applying a translocal perspective, I understand diaspora tourism as a translocal phenomenon which is both based on and creates interconnectedness between individuals and places. I illustrate different locally grounded situations and the socio-spatial interconnectedness that second-generation Eritreans experience at various places in the course of their journey in Eritrea. I conclude that diaspora tourism and the associated experiences at the places visited represent crucial identity-establishing events for second-generation Eritreans and influence the negotiation of their belonging and positioning towards both Eritrea and the Eritrean diaspora. This paper contributes to the debate on second generation and belonging by focusing on how localities and socio-spatial interconnectedness affect the negotiation of second-generation Eritreans' belonging.


The health risks to staff employed in a toxoplasma reference unit were studied. Sixteen laboratory staff exposed to Toxoplasma gondii and age/sex-matched controls from the general population and a routine microbiology laboratory were assessed. Multiple assays were performed to establish the presence of toxoplasma infection, and laboratory workers were questioned regarding environmental and work-related exposure to the parasite. Details of all of environmental exposure to toxoplasma between the two groups of laboratory personnel, and seroprevalence rates were comparable in all three groups. Three laboratory accidents were recorded, a rate of one per 9300 hours exposure. One case of presumed work-related infection was identified, but significant illness was not observed. Given adequate training, strict adherence to conventional laboratory protocols and medical supervision, laboratory accidents are infrequent and work-associated toxoplasma infection is uncommon. The risks associated with occupational exposure to T. gondii have been over-estimated and we conclude that this organism does not represent a significant health hazard to laboratory technicians.


Different documents make an integral part of our life; we have access to different kinds of documents since the day we are born. Documents are an inseparable part of our activity; they are unavoidable in many fields, such as the process of administration, science, culture and development of economy. Besides, documents are also the keeper of corporate knowledge and the repository of corporate history. Despite the fact that people use documents everywhere, the very definition of a document is troublesome. Different people have different understanding of a document. Theoretical issues of document science, as well as conception of a document, have not been analysed in Lithuania. So far our experts failed to establish a normative definition of a document. One of the aims of this article is to work out such a definition. The article aims at analysing the document, contents, medium, form along with their development, i.e. document's dependence upon historically determined needs of society, emerging new types of medium and the ways of their usage, impact of new technologies upon the development of documents. The article analyses the conception of a document and development of its perception reflected in encyclopaedias, dictionaries and other sources. The author compares historic documents that record development of a document and makes relevant conclusions in accordance with our modern understanding of a document. The author provides a new definition of the document so far it has not been used in Lithuanian historiography. A document is valuable factual information or information produced as a result of human reasoning, recorded in medium with adequate properties that can be identified, used and stored for unlimited periods. The author hopes the definition will be accepted in different branches of science, as it reflects the objectives intended to a document as a source of history and science.


In the market-oriented grid environment, clients make use of grid computing resources to execute many independent tasks. According to the urgency of tasks and deficiency of client' budget, not all the tasks could be completed as demanded. To maximize the number of completed tasks, a linear programming model based scheduling algorithm (LMBS) is proposed in this paper. Comparing with other algorithms, experiment results show that performance of LMBS is much better obviously.


A field survey was conducted in November 2013 to inventory invasive plant species present along the corridor of Kawah Ijen Nature Tourism Park exploratively. Result showed that there were 11 plant species found abundantly along the corridor. Typical native species were dominated by Cyathea contaminans, Casuarina junghuhniana and Vaccinium varingiaefolium . Three species were determined as invasive alien species i.e. Chromolaena odorata, Acacia decurrens and Blumea lacera whereas five species were determined as native species but potential invaders i.e. R ubus moluccanus , Melastoma malabatrichum , Polygonum barbatum , Debregeasia longifolia and Pteridium aquilinum . In term of tourism particularly on nature-based destinations enable moving in and out of invasive alien species due to opening the access of some natural protected areas. The environmental impact of an alien species whether it becomes invasive at its destination depends on its biological key point,  what ecological role the species may play, and on additional factors such as its tolerance of the gross features of the environment in the new range. Keyword: invasive plants, corridor, Kawah Ijen, Nature Tourism Park, Banyuwangi


Objective: To identify the occurrence of Veillonella spp. in children using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and to determine its role as a risk factor for ECC in children aged 2–3 years. Material and Methods: A crosssectional survey was conducted and samples from 87 children aged 2–3 years, who lived in selected villages in the Bandung City area, Indonesia, were collected. Examination for dental caries was performed using standard checks for decay, missing, and filled surfaces (dfms), and saliva samples were taken. Microbiological examination was performed using RT-PCR with primers consisting of one primary set for Veillonella spp. and one universal primary set for 16S rDNA. We performed statistical testing using the Mann Whitney rank-sum test. Results: A total of 87 children were sampled, and an ECC prevalence of 71.3% was found, with a mean dmfs of 7.1 (± 9.1). The proportion of Veillonella spp. in caries-free children was 2.13 ± 2.30, while in children with ECC, it was 3.29 ± 6.83. Conclusion: The proportion of Veillonella spp. in children with ECC was higher than in caries-free children; therefore, Veillonella spp. may be a risk factor for ECC.


usiness cycle, Fiscal policy, Cambodia, Forecasting, Simulation, Debt management. Macroeconomic management in many developing countries is often heavily dependent on fiscal policies. This paper develops a semi-structural macro-fiscal model for simulating and forecasting macroeconomic policies in Cambodia. The model is calibrated to capture key characteristics of Cambodia's economy and serves as a tool for scenario analysis. We demonstrate its application with an illustrative scenario of the macroeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The model's results conform with past empirical analyses of the Cambodian economy and generate intuitive and easy-to-understand policy scenarios. Complemented with near-term forecasting tools and expert judgment, the dynamics of the model help to inform policymakers about medium-term transmission channels and thus guide policy advice. In particular, the results could serve as an input for the country's medium-term fiscal framework and debt sustainability analysis.


Abstract. The detection of lunar lava flows based on local morphology highly depends on the available images. The thickness of lava flows, however, has been studied by many researchers and lunar lava flows are shown to be as thick as 200 m. Lunar lava flows are supposed to be concentrated on the northwestern lunar nearside. In this study we present elemental abundance maps, a petrological map and a digital terrain model (DTM) of a lava flow structure in northern Mare Serenitatis at (18.0° E, 32.4° N) and two possible volcanic vents at (11.2° E, 24.6° N) and (13.5° E, 37.5° N), respectively. Our abundance maps of the refractory elements Ca, Mg and our petrological map were obtained based on hyperspectral image data of the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument. Our DTM was constructed using GLD100 data in combination with a shape from shading based method to M3 and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) image data. The obtained NAC-based DEM has a very high effective resolution of about 1–2 m which comes close to the resolution of the utilized NAC images without requiring intricate processing of NAC stereo image pairs. As revealed by our elemental maps and DEM, the examined lava flow structure occurs on a boundary between basalts consisting of low-Ca/high-Mg pyroxene and high-Ca/low-Mg pyroxene, respectively. The total thickness of the lava flow is about 100 m, which is a relatively large value, but according to our DEM the lava flow may also be composed of two or more layers.


Modified bisphenol A dicyanate ester (m-BADCy) wave-transparent laminated composites reinforced with functionalized poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (f-PBO) fibers were fabricated using an optimized method of impregnation-winding followed by lamination-molding. m-BADCy was synthesized from copolymerization between (2-((3-trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)methyl)oxirane and the BADCy matrix. f-PBO fibers were obtained by modifying with lysozyme followed by polyhedral oligomericsilsesquioxane (POSS). Lysozyme was coated on the surface of PBO fibers (PBO@lysozyme) and polyhedral oligomericsilsesquioxane (POSS) was grafted onto the PBO@lysozyme fibers (POSS-g-PBO@lysozyme, f-PBO fibers). The dielectric constant (e), 2.81, and dielectric loss (tan δ), 0.0028, for f-PBO fiber/m-BADCy wave-transparent laminated composites were lower than those of PBO fiber/m-BADCy wave-transparent laminated composites (e = 2.91 and tan δ = 0.0043). The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and the flexural strength of the f-PBO fiber/m-BADCy wave-transparent laminated composites were significantly increased to 47.6 and 805.8 MPa, increased by 23.0% and 33.5% in comparison to those of PBO fiber/m-BADCy wave-transparent laminated composites (ILSS = 38.7 MPa and flexural strength = 603.5 MPa), respectively. In addition, the corresponding heat resistance index (THRI, representing thermal stability) and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the f-PBO fiber/m-BADCy wave-transparent laminated composites were 228.3 and 252.1 °C, respectively.


Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major risk factor for liver disease progression, and may lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCV genome contains a single-stranded positive sense RNA with a cytoplasmic lifecycle. HCV proteins interact with many host-cell factors and are involved in a wide range of activities, including cell cycle regulation, transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, lipid metabolism, and cell growth promotion. Increasing experimental evidences suggest that HCV contributes to HCC by modulating pathways that may promote malignant transformation of hepatocytes. At least four of the 10 HCV gene products, namely core, NS3, NS5A and NS5B play roles in several potentially oncogenic pathways. Induction of both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress by HCV proteins may also contribute to hepatocyte growth promotion. The current review identifies important functions of the viral proteins connecting HCV infections and potential for development of HCC. However, most of the putative transforming potentials of the HCV proteins have been defined in artificial cellular systems, and need to be established relevant to infection and disease models. The new insight into the mechanisms for HCV mediated disease progression may offer novel therapeutic targets for one of the most devastating human malignancies in the world today.


OBJECTIVES
To determine if intraoperative instillation of bupivacaine would decrease early postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, if the patients would consequently require less narcotic postoperatively and if such patients would elect to be discharged on the day of operation if given the choice.

DESIGN
Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING
A tertiary care hospital in Hamilton, Ont.

PATIENTS
Fifty patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Day-surgery patients had the choice of staying overnight for discharge the following day. They were compared with a control group of 47 patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy but did not receive bupivacaine.

INTERVENTION
Instillation of 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine into laparoscopic cholecystectomy port sites intraoperatively before closure.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores assessed 4 times postoperatively, the choice of patients to leave hospital the same day or to remain in the hospital overnight; the level of postoperative narcotic usage.

MAIN RESULTS
Mean VAS pain scores (range 0 [no pain] to 5 [severe pain]) at less than 2 hours and at 6 hours after surgery were 2.9 and 2.9, respectively, in the bupivacaine group compared with 4.5 and 4.0, respectively, in the control group (p = 0.001 and 0.025). VAS scores at 10 hours postoperatively and the next morning did not differ between the groups. More patients in the bupivacaine group elected to go home on the day of surgery (p = 0.034). Narcotic usage was not significantly different.

CONCLUSION
Instillation of bupivacaine into port sites should be standard practice for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.


ABSTRACT The arrangement of sedimentary traits in the birdfoot delta of the Mississippi River is comparable to the structure of a leaf. Present-day facies can be correlated with delta platform deposits obtained from borings. The shape and distribution of sedimentary units, as disclosed from these borings, are shown on maps and sections. Factors controlling delta growth are the load of the river, number of main distributaries of the river, depth of water into which the delta front advances, and subsidence. The rate of lengthening of Southwest Pass, as determined from hydrographic surveys, provides a basis for establishing the rate of bird-foot delta growth and the date when the delta started to form, approaximately 1500 A.D. Since then, nearly 27 cubic miles of sediment have accumulated in the elta platform.


A patient with documented systemic sarcoidosis involving the nervous system had several unusual ocular findings. Clinically there were peripapillary hemorrhages, a large white "golfball-like" lesion at the optic disc, a large chorioretinal mass in the periphery, iritis, cataract, and secondary glaucoma. Histologic examination confirmed the granulomatous nature of the large opticdisc mass and the chorioretinal lesion near the ora serrata. An unusual degree of central necrosis in the nerve head and peripheral lesions was observed.


A Cloud Computing system is a complex system. The existing metric systems are inadequate for providing a high-fidelity picture of what is going on in the complex cloud and do not facilitate all the assessments needed by businesses. Therefore, we have proposed a novel model for cloud service measurement resulting in implementation of an ontology of cloud computing metrics ("web of metrics"). It provides an armada of measures, including the existing metrics and those which are novel in the cloud service analytics literature. Its novelty partially stems from the fields such as business management, and also emerges as a result of recognizing service client, service provider and service regulator analytics requirements. Thirty-five metric attributes for each of the several hundred metrics have been distinguished. The ontology and the measurements can be made consumable for businesses through Business Intelligence and data science software, and customized dashboards can be produced for case, as the metric ontology is multi-faceted and is customised given the use-case at hand in order to gain business advantage. A detailed practical example regarding the development of an Elasticity trust mark for the benefit of cloud users, cloud service providers and the regulators has been provided.


High Performance Silicon Imaging covers the fundamentals of silicon image sensors, with a focus on existing performance issues and potential solutions. The book considers several applications for the technology as well. Silicon imaging is a fast growing area of the semiconductor industry. Its use in cell phone cameras is already well established, and emerging applications include web, security, automotive, and digital cinema cameras. Part one begins with a review of the fundamental principles of photosensing and the operational principles of silicon image sensors. It then focuses in on charged coupled device (CCD) image sensors and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. The performance issues considered include image quality, sensitivity, data transfer rate, system level integration, rate of power consumption, and the potential for 3D imaging. Part two then discusses how CMOS technology can be used in a range of areas, including in mobile devices, image sensors for automotive applications, sensors for several forms of scientific imaging, and sensors for medical applications. High Performance Silicon Imaging is an excellent resource for both academics and engineers working in the optics, photonics, semiconductor, and electronics industries.Covers the fundamentals of silicon-based image sensors and technical advances, focusing on performance issuesLooks at image sensors in applications such as mobile phones, scientific imaging, TV broadcasting, automotive, and biomedical applications


SUMMARY Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to isolate the genes which are specifically up-regulated in the biotrophic phase of the incompatible interaction between a potato genotype, 1512 c(16), containing the resistance gene R2, and a Phytophthora infestans isolate containing the avirulence gene Avr2. Eight cDNAs were up-regulated in the biotrophic phase of the incompatible interaction. Seven of these were also up-regulated in the compatible interaction, but not until late in the necrotrophic phase. Amongst the sequences to be isolated were genes encoding the cysteine protease cathepsin B, StCathB, and an oxysterol binding protein, StOBP1; equivalent genes are involved in programmed cell death (PCD) processes in animals, but have yet to be implicated in such processes in plants. Whereas StOBP1 was up-regulated early in potato plants containing either R gene-mediated or moderate to high levels of field resistance, the highest levels of up-regulation of StCathB were observed early in R gene-mediated resistance but gradually increased from the early to late stages of field resistance, revealing these genes to be components of independent defence pathways and providing a means of distinguishing between these forms of resistance. StOBP1 was up-regulated by oligogalacturonides (plant cell wall breakdown products generated by pectinase activities), indicating that it is also a component of a general, non-specific defence pathway and is unlikely to play a role in PCD. In contrast, the expression of StCathB was unaffected by oligogalacturonide treatment, further associating its up-regulation specifically with the gene-for-gene interaction.


Credal networks are graph-based statistical models whose parameters take values in a set, instead of being sharply specified as in traditional statistical models (e.g., Bayesian networks). The computational complexity of inferences on such models depends on the irrelevance/independence concept adopted. In this paper, we study inferential complexity under the concepts of epistemic irrelevance and strong independence. We show that inferences under strong independence are NP-hard even in trees with ternary variables. We prove that under epistemic irrelevance the polynomial time complexity of inferences in credal trees is not likely to extend to more general models (e.g. singly connected networks). These results clearly distinguish networks that admit efficient inferences and those where inferences are most likely hard, and settle several open questions regarding computational complexity.


In this paper an experiment designed for multifrequency azimuthal Doppler-spectrum investigations of decametre-scale plasma irregularities in the midlatitude E region is introduced and some preliminary results are presented. The observations were made with the high-frequency Valensole radar in the south of France. The radar operated in a multifrequency mode that allowed simultaneous measurements of Doppler spectra at the four frequencies of 9.23, 11.03, 12.71 and 16.09 MHz, which correspond to scatter from fieldaligned irregularities with wavelengths of 16.2, 13.6, 11.8 and 9.3 m, respectively. In addition, a digital ionosonde was operating beneath a small part of the radar viewing region. The data show that lower-frequency echoes are stronger, more frequent and more spatially extended than higher-frequency ones, in general agreement with theory and rocket measurements. On the other hand, the preliminary analysis shows no pronounced differences of the Doppler spectrum with radar frequency. Some trends in the spectral moments do exist, however, which can be understood as the result of temporal and/or spatial mixing of backscatter from directly generated (primary) plasma waves by the gradient drift instability and secondary low-velocity waves. Finally, a close relation of mid-latitude coherent backscatter with patchy sporadic E-layers is present in the data, but the details of this relation remain unresolved.


Learning through the use of digital media has grown at a rapid pace in the recent years, therefore, use of media has been adopted in many learning programs. The success, however, of these e-learning programs shows varied results. This is because most of these systems have been developed keeping in view the latest technologies rather than educational principles and learners' perspective. Education is a service; however, very little research addresses issue of quality of service in educational environment. Therefore, it is important to design a system for e-learning which encompasses the aspects of overall quality perception leading to user satisfaction. In our paper, we have used E-Learning Quality model (Uppal, Ali, & Gulliver, 2017), which has been developed to assess perception of holistic service quality. Language has been used as a moderator since in any educational environment learning content is the key, and the language in which this content is delivered is vital. We believe that availability of educational material in local language has significant impact on overall satisfaction of the learner since it reduces the cognitive load of learner. Through Structured Equation Modeling, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is conducted to investigate the reliability and validity of the measurement model.


Estuaries are ideal locations for extracting tidal energy and yet the global resource appears poorly mapped. Estuaries typically have high tidal ranges and strong tidal currents, due to amplification processes; and this resource is juxtaposed to industrial/residential areas with electricity demand [1]. For example, 22 of the 32 largest cities in the world are adjacent to estuaries [2], and UK estuaries collectively worth over £5.5b to UK economy with >1/6th of the population and ~1b tonnes of cargo traded at their ports [3].
Mapping the tidal energy resource is challenging due to the sensitivity of ocean-model simulated currents to the model resolution [4]. Both tidal amplitude and currents are heavily modified in estuaries [5]. Whilst many estuary-specific resource modelling studies have been achieved (e.g. [6]), no large-scale future tidal energy resource mapping project has been undertaken – likely due to computational cost (e.g. [4]). It is therefore unrealistic to hydrodynamically model all global estuarine systems, to resolve current and future changes to the tidal energy resource; instead we aim to apply a simplified analytical technique that could be calibrated and validated by the new NASA SWOT satellite mission (https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/), as well as citizen science. Estuarine tidal dynamics have been observed to change rapidly due to changes in river-flow climatology and bathymetry (e,g. dredging); see [7]. Indeed, climate change driven impacts to tidal dynamics (sea-level rise and altered riverine climatology), alongside anthropogenic driven morphodynamical changes and interactions with future tidal dynamics, could increase the future estuary tidal resource [1].
Three physical processes drive mean tidal amplification excluding over-tides): (1) Funnelling - concentration of the tidal energy flux with reducing width; (2) Resonance - when estuary length-scales are close to the natural period of the basin; and (3) Shoaling (reduction in the propagation speed of the tidal wave resulting in an increase in amplitude). Each of these three processes are analytical solved, and a 1D analytical model applied to demonstrate the resource. Sea-Level Rise (SLR) scenarios are included to show SLR can modify estuarine tidal dynamics through both estuarine geometry (e.g. increasing resonance) and boundary conditions (global mean sea-level rise increasing boundary conditions). A normalised result of the analytical approach is shown in Figure 1, which demonstrates a computationally efficient analytical solution that includes future changes to tidal dynamics.
Our research will apply this analytical solution to the Bristol Channel, a region soon-to-be heavily instrumented as part of the "Cal-Val phase of the NASA SWOT project (https://projects.noc.ac.uk/swot-uk/swot-uk-bristol-channel). Finally, we will develop a technique to bring together digital observations from citizens and sensor networks (see https://digitalenvironment.org/), to validate our simplified approach and resolve the tidal energy resource.


Researchers and pollsters still debate the acceptance of genetic engineering technology among U.S. adults, and continue to assess their knowledge as part of this research. While decision-making may not rely entirely on knowledge, querying opinions and perceptions relies on public understanding of genetic engineering terms. Experience with agriculture may increase familiarity with genetic engineering terms. We conducted a national survey of 429 United States adults through Qualtrics and found two-thirds lack any formal, nonformal, or informal agriculture experience. More than half of participants knew "a little" or less for 13 of the 17 terms presented, especially those directly related to genetic engineering or breeding technology for food, such as "genetically modified organism" and "crossbred organism." Consumers with agricultural experience reported more term familiarity for genetics and genetic engineering than those without experience. More than half also felt they did not know the difference between traditional selective breeding, DNA-directed breeding, and genetic engineering, but they still felt both human health and environmental risks should be considered before creating new animal or plant varieties. We must consider the lack of familiarity of genetic related terms and experience in agriculture when researching or creating educational programming around genetic engineering for food.


Adhesive wafer bonding with a patterned polymer layer is increasingly attracting attention as cheap and simple 0-level packaging technology for microstructures, because the patterned polymer both fulfills the bonding function and determines the volumes between the two wafers housing the devices to be packaged. To be able to pattern a polymer, it has to be cross-linked to a certain degree which makes the material rigid and less adhesive for the bonding afterward. In this paper, a simple method is presented which combines the advantages of a patterned adhesive layer with the advantages of a liquid polymer phase before the bonding. The pattern in the adhesive layer is "inked" with viscous polymer by pressing the substrate toward an auxiliary wafer with a thin liquid polymer layer. Then, the substrate with the inked pattern is finally bonded to the top wafer. Benzocyclobuene (BCB) was used both for the patterned structures and as the "ink". Tensile bond strength tests were carried out on patterned adhesive bonded samples fabricated with and without this contact printing method. The bonding yield is significantly improved with the contact printing method, the fabrication procedure is more robust and the test results show that the bond strength is at least 2 times higher. An investigation of the samples' failure mechanisms revealed that the bond strength even exceeds the adhesion forces of the BCB to the substrate. Furthermore, the BCB contact printing method was successfully applied for 0-level glass-lid packaging done by full-wafer bonding with a patterned adhesive layer. Here, the encapsulating lids are separated after the bonding by dicing the top wafer independently of the bottom wafer.


A sparse estimator with close ties with the LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) is analysed. The basic idea of the estimator is to relax the least-squares cost function to what the least-squares method would achieve on validation data and then use this as a constraint in the minimization of the ℓ1-norm of the parameter vector. In a linear regression framework, exact conditions are established for when the estimator is consistent in probability and when it possesses sparseness. By adding a re-estimation step, where least-squares is used to re-estimate the non-zero elements of the parameter vector, the so called Oracle property can be obtained, i.e. the estimator achieves the asymptotic Cramér-Rao lower bound corresponding to when it is known which regressors are active. The method is shown to perform favourably compared to other methods on a simulation example.


Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) of the insulation oil of power transformers is an investigative tool to monitor their health and to detect impending failures by recognizing anomalous patterns of DGA concentrations. We handle the failure prediction problem as a simple data-mining task on DGA samples, optionally exploiting the transformer's age, nominal power and voltage, and consider two approaches: 1) binary classification and 2) regression of the time to failure. We propose a simple logarithmic transform to preprocess DGA data in order to deal with long-tail distributions of concentrations. We have reviewed and evaluated 15 standard statistical machine-learning algorithms on that task, and reported quantitative results on a small but published set of power transformers and on proprietary data from thousands of network transformers of a utility company. Our results confirm that nonlinear decision functions, such as neural networks, support vector machines with Gaussian kernels, or local linear regression can theoretically provide slightly better performance than linear classifiers or regressors. Software and part of the data are available at http://www.mirowski.info/pub/dga.


Past variations in the terrestrial cycle of phosphorus (P), a biolimiting nutrient, are poorly understood. Detailed geochemical analysis of P in lake-sediment cores spanning the late Pleistocene to the present from the western Appalachian Plateau, the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California reveal large changes in terrestrial P cycling. P is transformed from a mineralized form to more bioavailable forms with increased soil development and landscape stability in the catchments. This process occurs relatively rapidly (i.e., within 3,000--5,000 yr) and can be reset quickly; the degree of transformation depends on local climate and the starting point of the soil system. The release of solid-phase P from these landscapes follows modeled patterns of high rates during the initial stages of soil development and low rates upon soil and landscape stabilization. Changes in weathering style were confirmed for the southern California catchment by analysis of Ge/Si ratios of lake diatoms, which revealed substantially higher values during an interval of high P release and low values at present. These records point to significant variability in the terrestrial P mass balance on glacial time scales, a feature that needs to be incorporated into models of nutrient andmore » carbon cycling in the past.« less


ABSTRACT Laccase, a p-diphenol oxidase typical of plants and fungi, has been found recently in a proteobacterium, Azospirillum lipoferum. Laccase activity was detected in both a natural isolate and an in vitro-obtained phase variant that originated from the laccase-negative wild type. In this study, the electron transport systems of the laccase-positive variant and its parental laccase-negative forms were compared. During exponential (but not stationary) growth under fully aerobic (but not under microaerobic) conditions, the laccase-positive variant lost a respiratory branch that is terminated in a cytochrome c oxidase of theaa3 type; this was most likely due to a defect in the biosynthesis of a heme component essential for the oxidase. The laccase-positive variant was significantly less sensitive to the inhibitory action of quinone analogs and fully resistant to inhibitors of the bc1 complex, apparently due to the rearrangements of its respiratory system. We propose that the loss of the cytochrome c oxidase-containing branch in the variant is an adaptive strategy to the presence of intracellular oxidized quinones, the products of laccase activity.


Linalool dehydratase/isomerase (LinD) from Castellaniella defragrans is a bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the hydration of β-myrcene to (S)-linalool and the isomerization of (S)-linalool to geraniol. In this paper, on the basis of recently obtained crystal structures, the catalytic mechanism of LinD has been explored by a combined quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach. Two computational models have been constructed. Model I (LinD-linalool) was derived from the crystal structure of the selenomethionine derivative of LinD (Semet-LinD) in complex with the natural substrate geraniol, whereas model II (LinD-β-myrcene) was constructed from the crystal structure of LinD in complex with β-myrcene. In addition to a minor conformational difference of the active sites, the two models also differ in the protonation state of key residues. In model I, the pocket residue Asp39' was set to be deprotonated and His129 was protonated on ND1, whereas in model II, Asp38' was set to be deprotonated and His128 was protonated on NE2. Our calculations reveal model II as the active one, which implies that hydration and dehydration are sensitive to the protonation state and fine structure of the active site. On the basis of model II, the conversion details from β-myrcene to geraniol can be obtained. Firstly, β-myrcene is hydrated by a crystal water (W14) and is converted into the stable intermediate (S)-linalool, then linalool is isomerized to geraniol with an overall energy barrier of 24.6 kcal mol-1. Besides, linalool can also reversibly convert into the reactant with an energy barrier of 24.1 kcal mol-1. It is also found that the intermediate IM1 can directly transform to geraniol without first converting to (S)-linalool. His128 and Tyr65 form hydrogen bonds to stabilize the structure of the active site, but they do not act as general acid/base catalysts during the catalytic reactions.


BACKGROUND
The need for children to participate in research has raised concerns about ethical issues surrounding their participation.

OBJECTIVES
To describe a protocol of preresearch psychological screening and postresearch outcomes and to present the results of the screening process for a nontherapeutic, invasive research study.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Descriptive study carried out at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City.

PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-eight children (mean age, 10.6 years) were screened, with 4 not completing the research study and another 4 unavailable for psychological follow-up.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Prescreening interviews with parent and child and screening measures of appropriate child cognitive abilities and behavior; postscreening parent and child questionnaires.

RESULTS
Of the 4 children who did not complete the research study, 3 were identified with increased anxiety during the screening and were advised to not participate in the study. The primary motivator for participation was monetary reimbursement (14 parents [82%]; 15 children [75%]), followed by altruistic reasons (10 parents [59%]; 4 children [20%]). Before participating, none of the children reported concerns related to participating in the study. However, on follow-up, 9 (45%) of the children reported that they had had concerns before participating. Follow-up assessment showed that parents underestimated their children's concerns related to sexual development assessment and intravenous insertion.

CONCLUSIONS
Children with increased anxiety may not be appropriate participants in potentially anxiety-provoking research. Children's reports of concerns may change from preparticipation to postparticipation, and discrepancies may exist between parent and child reports of concerns with research participation. Further research is needed to ensure children's safe participation in research.


The basic principles of empyema management center on the initiation of antibiotics and effective pleural space drainage. For patients with empyemas in the exudative or fibrinopurulent stage, image-guided chest tubes have markedly improved patient care. These catheters can be placed into ideal positions within the chest by the use of various imaging techniques to promote effective drainage. Because of a minimal need for tissue dissection, patients tolerate image-guided catheters well with only local anesthetics. Multiple techniques exist to augment tube drainage if necessary. Available approaches include tube exchange with placement of a larger-caliber catheter, tube manipulation, and fibrinolytic therapy. However, success of image-guided catheters depends on proper patient selection, the skills of the operator, and the ability to monitor daily chest tube function to ensure adequacy of drainage. Open surgical procedures can be avoided in most treated patients.


The inland prawn genus Macrobrachium Bate, 1868, is supposed to have originated from marine ancestors sometime in the beginning of the Pleistocene and since then its members have invaded freshwaters to different degrees. As such, these prawns are found to occupy almost all types of aquatic bodies right from purely marine through estuarine, riverine to impounded waters. Consequently, they have evolved various types of developmental patterns. Based on information available on more than 40 species, three basic types of larval developmental patterns can abe recognized in this genus viz., Prolonged or Normal Type (with 8 to 20 stages), Partially Abbreviated Type (with 2 or 3 stages) and Completely Abbreviated Type (with only 1 stage). However, there are several species showing transitional developmental patterns. Thus, the process of freshwaterization seems to be still continuing in the genus. Incidentally, the above knowledge can be applied in prawn culture as a basis for selection of a suitable candidate for forage species.


Supercapattery is the generic name for various electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices combining the merits of battery (high energy density) and supercapacitor (high power density and long cycling life). In this article, the principle and applications of EES devices are selectively reviewed as the background for supercapattery development. The focus is on the engineering aspects for fabrication of two types of supercapattery: (i) by coupling a battery electrode with a supercapacitor electrode, or (ii) from materials that possess both the Nernstian and capacitive charge storage capacities. Fundamental rationales are discussed in relation with the designs, such as why the device is always asymmetrical, and what materials are suitable for making supercapattery. Whilst the key is how to optimize device performance in terms of energy capacity, power capability and cycle life, cost is also discussed on resource rich materials such as nanostructured composites and redox electrolytes.


We develop a frequency-domain channel estimation algorithm for single-user orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) wireless systems in the presence of interference. The received measurement is correlated in space with a covariance matrix dependent on frequency. Hence, the commonly used least-squares algorithm is suboptimal. On the other hand, accurate estimation of the spatial covariance matrix in such a model using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) method would impose significant computational overhead, since it would require a large number of pilot symbols. To overcome these problems, we propose to model the covariance matrix using an a-priori known set of frequency-dependent functions of joint (global) parameters, resulting in a structured covariance matrix. We estimate the interference covariance parameters using a residual method of moments (RMM) estimator and the mean (user channel) parameters by maximum likelihood (ML) estimation. Since our RMM estimates are invariant to the mean, this approach yields simple non-iterative estimates of the covariance parameters while having optimal statistical efficiency. Therefore, our algorithm outperforms the least-squares method in accuracy, and requires a smaller number of pilots than the MANOVA method and thus has smaller overhead. Numerical results illustrate the applicability of the proposed algorithm.


Infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been a long-standing challenge for clinical therapy because of complex pathogenesis and resistance to antibiotics, thus attaching importance to explore effective vaccines for prevention and treatment. In the present study, we constructed a novel DNA vaccine by inserting mutated gene toxAm encoding Pseudomonas Exotoxin A and gene pcrV encoding tip protein of the type III secretion system into respective sites of a eukaryotic plasmid pIRES, named pIRES-toxAm-pcrV, and next evaluated the efficacy of the vaccine in murine acute Pseudomonas pneumonia models. Compared to DNA vaccines encoding single antigen, mice vaccinated with pIRES-toxAm-pcrV elicited higher levels of antigen-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), enhanced splenic cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa antigens, additionally PAO1 challenge in mice airway resulted in reduced bacteria burden and milder pathologic changes in lungs. Besides, it was observed that immunogenicity and protection could be promoted by the CpG ODN 1826 adjuvant. Taken together, it's revealed that recombinant DNA vaccine pIRES-toxAm-pcrV was a potential candidate for immunotherapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and the CpG ODN 1826 a potent stimulatory adjuvant for DNA vaccination.


The paper addresses future climate and policy uncertainty for agricultural production and food security in Norway. The two crop simulation models, CSM-CERES-Wheat and, the LINGRA model, were used to determine the impact of climate change on grain yield of spring wheat, and harvest security and biomass yield of timothy, an important forage grass in Northern Europe, respectively. Harvestable yield distributions from the crop models were fed into a stochastic version of the economic sector model Jordmod. Distributions of the rates of agricultural subsidies rates were assessed based on past policy changes and prospective reforms. The model was used to assess the effects of both climate and policy uncertainty on agricultural production, land use, and national food security. Jordmod is comprised of a supply module in which stochastic profits for more than 300 regional farms are maximized and a deterministic market module which maximizes social welfare in the agricultural sector. Socio-economic scenarios were developed around the level of ambition of Norwegian agricultural policy makers. The model results were contrasted with the deterministic results based on average yield and payment rates. The innovation of this paper lays in assessing the combined effects of future climate and policy uncertainty for the agricultural sector in Norway. It also highlights the potential errors made by neglecting these types of uncertainty in economic modelling.


This descriptive study explores deliberate barriers to user participation on the long-lived discussion site Metafilter.com. Metafilter has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1999, and at the time of this writing has around 12,000 active users. While many newer online sites appear eager to eliminate barriers to participation and recruit as many new members as possible, Metafilter charges a $5 fee to join and has a mandatory one-week waiting period before new users are allowed to post. In this paper, we explore both why these barriers were imposed and why some users choose to surmount the barriers to become members. Our data sources include historical documents posted on the site, interviews with eleven site members, an informal user survey, and an interview with the Matt Haughey, the site's founder and owner. Implications of these design features are discussed.


Previously, we demonstrated induction of a unique macrophage prothrombinase during infection of BALB/cJ mice by mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3). By immunologic screening, a clone representing this prothrombinase was isolated from a cDNA library and sequenced. The sequence identified this clone as representing part of a gene, musfiblp, that encodes a fibrinogen-like protein. Six additional clones were isolated, and one clone, p11-3-1, encompassed the entire coding region of musfiblp. Murine macrophages did not constitutively express musfiblp but, when infected with MHV-3, synthesized musfiblp-specific mRNA. musfiblp mRNA induction was earlier and significantly greater in BALB/cJ than A/J macrophages. Prothrombinase activity was demonstrated when musfiblp was expressed from p11-3-1 in RAW 264.7 cells. These data suggest that musfiblp encodes the MHV-induced prothrombinase.


It is a major challenge nowadays to recruit and retain young professionals, especially IT professionals in Europe. Interior designers do their bests to create an office space that is more attractive for the young talents than the competitor's workspace. Modern workstyle is based on communication and collaboration and therefore modern office spaces are designed to support continuous communication and teamwork. In this research, we raise the question how IT professionals fit in this workstyle. The focus of this research is on how IT professionals feel about the different types of communication channels, which are those they identify as hindering factors, and how much their opinion differs from other professionals. During the research, we collected information from questionnaires asking about work environment, communication channels used in the workplace, individual communication preferences, and factors considered as disruptions. The questionnaire was completed by 191 Hungarian office workers from which 63 respondents were IT professionals. The most important result of the research shows that while IT professionals consider personal inquiries useful, many of them are dissatisfied with organized meetings. This research also outlines that IT professionals have an outstanding ability to block out office noise and to focus on work. With the conclusions we make suggestions to the organizations how to improve the communicational environment in order to support work efficiency.


A fixed-site greenhouse vegetable fertilization experiment was carried out to study effects of 6 fertilization patterns on soil enzyme activities in Tianjin City, Northern China. The results showed that during the growing stages of tomato, activities of soil α-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, β-glucosidase, β-cellobiosidase, chitinase and phosphatase in different treatments all increased first and then decreased, while soil urease activities increased first and then became flat. Compared with the chemical nitrogen fertilizer treatment, soil enzyme activities were much higher in treatments of combined application of organic materials with chemical fertilizers, and rose with the increasing input of pig manure and especially the application of straw. A significant positive correlation was found between soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contents at different growing stages of tomato. Under the condition of same nutrient input, the combined application of inorganic fertilizers with organic materials, especially a certain amount of corn straw, was capable of increasing soil enzyme activities and keeping soil fertility and sustainability in greenhouse vegetable production.


Abstract Dental development can be used to estimate age for forensic purposes. However, most of the currently available methods are less reliable for the Indonesian population due to population variability. This study presents a new method and evaluates other methods that utilize dental development to estimate the age of Indonesian people. Panoramic radiographs of 304 young Indonesian people aged 5–23 years old were analysed for deciduous tooth root resorption, permanent tooth calcification, and eruption. The extent of tooth root resorption was determined based on AlQahtani's modified Moorrees et al. method. Tooth calcification was classified based on a modified Demirjian et al. method. Tooth eruption was evaluated based on AlQahtani's modified Bengston system. The sequence of tooth root resorption, and permanent tooth calcification and eruption were grouped into 19 age categories (from 5–23 years old) in an atlas. The differences between males and females, between maxillary and mandibular teeth, and between right and left teeth were also analysed. There were minimal significant differences of tooth development between males and females, and between the right and left teeth (P > 0.05), while the maxillary and mandibular dental development was significantly different (P < 0.05). The newly developed atlas showed the development of the right side of maxillary and mandibular tooth of combined sex of Indonesian population. Another 34 panoramic radiographs of known-age and sex individuals from Indonesia were assessed using the newly developed Atlas of Dental Development in the Indonesian Population, Ubelaker's Dental Development Chart, The London Atlas of Human Tooth Development and Eruption by AlQahtani, and the Age Estimation Guide-Modern Australia population by Blenkin-Taylor. Accuracy was assessed by comparing estimated age to actual chronological age using the Bland-Altmand test. Results show that the smallest range of error was found in the Atlas of Dental Development in the Indonesian Population (−0.969 to 1.210 years), followed by The London Atlas of Human Tooth Development and Eruption by AlQahtani (−2.013 to 1.990 years), the Age Estimation Guide-Modern Australia population by Blenkin-Taylor (−2.495 to 2.598 years), and the Dental Development Chart by Ubelaker (−2.960 to 3.289 years). These findings show that the Atlas of Dental Development constructed in this study performs better than the other three methods and presents greater accuracy of age estimation in the Indonesian population. Key points Dental development such as deciduous tooth root resorption, permanent tooth calcification, and tooth eruption can be used to estimate age for forensic purposes. The development of the teeth are influenced by genetic, ethnicity, and sex, therefore an age estimation method must be constructed based on the same population. There were minimal significant differences in tooth development between male and female, and between right and left teeth, but there was significant difference between maxillary and mandibular teeth. The Atlas of Dental Development in the Indonesian Population constructed in this study allowed more accurate age estimation of the Indonesian sample than the other methods tested. Supplemental data for this article are available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2021.1886648.


This study examines the relationship between an information and communication technology (ICT) environment developed by strong national policy and the level of user trust in cyberspace in South Korea, using a secondary data analysis of a national survey dataset. We categorised a subsample into the following types of online activities: 'content creation', 'transaction' and 'communication'. Each category was analysed by the types of information and the users' experience while using the internet. The results revealed that the more internet experience a user had, the less they trusted information in cyberspace. In contrast, less experienced users perceived information in cyberspace to be more trustworthy. This was especially evident during transaction and content creation activities. These results differ from existing studies, which showed that developments to the ICT environment with increased internet usage were strongly correlated with increased trust. We present some suggestions drawn from the results of this study that focus on online trust in relation to the ICT environment.


Over the last two decades national policy makers drew special attention to the implementation of policy tools which foster international cooperation in the fields of science, technology, and innovation. In this paper, we look at cases of Russian-German collaborations to examine the initiatives of the Russian government aimed at stimulating the innovation activity of domestic corporations and small and medium enterprises. The data derived from the interviews with companies' leaders show positive effects of bilateral innovative projects on the overall business performance alongside with major barriers hindering international cooperation. To overcome these barriers we provide specific suggestions relevant to the recently developed Russian Innovation Strategy 2020


Demands for vital sign monitoring are increasing in the field of health care. In particular, the R-R Interval (RRI) estimation has been studied extensively, since the RRI variation is highly related with the stress of a subject. Various Doppler sensor-based-heartbeat detection methods have been proposed so far, thanks to non-contact and non-invasive features of a Doppler sensor. In our previous research, we have proposed a Doppler sensor-based RRI estimation method by a spectrogram. In this method, the spectra due to heartbeats are integrated on a spectrogram, and then the RRI is estimated by detecting the peaks of the integrated spectrum. However, the undesired peaks sometimes appear even in the situation where a subject sits still. In this paper, as the extended version of our previous method, we propose a Doppler sensor-based RRI estimation method leveraging the accurate peak detection. In the proposed method, to prevent the incorrect peak detection, the peaks due to heartbeats are detected using some peaks before and after the investigated peak. Through the experiments on 10 subjects in the cases where a subject was sitting still, typing, and speaking, we confirmed that the proposed method improved our previous and state-of-the-art ones by the root-mean-squared error of the RRI. Furthermore, based on the estimated RRI, we calculated the stress index low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF), which is one of the useful indices to evaluate the stress of a subject. As a result, our proposed method outperformed the other ones by the relative error of the LF/HF.


In many European countries the participation rates of older workers are worryingly low, and Italy – within this picture – has one of the worst records, particularly for females. In this paper we investigate whether this signals an issue about their employability. Indeed, the non-participation of an individual does not point to an employability issue as long as it is a free choice of the person, and as long as it does not hinder their future participation in the labour market. To address this point we single out which are the empirically most relevant factors in shaping cross country differentials. Two selection processes emerged as having a most prominent role: the life cycle decision for women of not participating to the labour market, and the access for men and women to early retirement schemes. Controlling for these selection processes international differences reduce significantly. In both cases the main issue is the possibility that a participation choice made in a given point in time – for instance the early retirement decision – can have long lasting consequences, hindering future transition possibilities of the individuals. The magnitude of the two selection processes suggests already some policy conclusions, which are derived in the paper, and points to the need of further research to ascertain whether there are barriers to late entries and re-entries in the labour market.


Rational Expectations (RE) models have two crucial dimensions: (i) agents on average correctly forecast future prices given all available information, and (ii) given expectations, agents solve optimization problems and these solutions in turn determine actual price realizations. Experimental tests of such models typically focus on only one of these two dimensions. In this paper we consider both forecasting and optimization decisions in an experimental cobweb economy. We report results from four main experimental treatments: (1) subjects form forecasts only, (2) subjects determine quantity only (solve an optimization problem), (3) they do both and (4) they are paired in teams and one member is assigned the forecasting role while the other is assigned the optimization task. All treatments converge to Rational Expectation Equilibrium (REE), but at different speeds. We observe that performance is the best in treatment 1 and the worst in Treatment 3. We further find that most subjects use adaptive rules to forecast prices. Given a price forecast, subjects are less likely to make conditionally optimal production decisions in Treatment 3 where the forecast is made by themselves, than in Treatment 4 where the forecast is made by the other member of their team, which suggests that "two heads are better than one" in term of the speed of finding the REE.


In early 1996, the peak in the current cycle of cattle inventories coincided with a long list of negative factors--negative returns at the farm and feedlot, record-high feed grain prices, a severe drought in 1995-96, widening farm-retail price spreads, a low farmers' share of the consumers' Choice beef dollar, and reports of high profits for beefpackers. This confluence created an atmosphere in which some producers and members of Congress questioned whether the cattle industry was adversely affected by high packer concentration and market power. In this report, we examine the cattle cycle of the 1990's to determine if there are differences from previous cattle cycles and, if so, how and why they are different. We found that values for many variables at the 1996 cyclical peak in cattle inventories, while bad, were not the worst on record. Further, price levels during the cattle cycle of the 1990's were better, our models suggest, than they could have been, given earlier patterns of price adjustment. Finally, despite the growth of packer concentration, we failed to demonstrate large negative effects of packer concentration on cattle prices during the 1991-to-present cattle cycle.


Molecular clocks suggest that animals originated well before they first appear as macroscopic fossils, but geologic tests of these hypotheses have been elusive. A rare steroid hydrocarbon, 24-isopropylcholestane, has been hypothesized to be a biomarker for sponges or their immediate ancestors because of its relatively high abundance in pre-Ediacaran to Early Cambrian sedimentary rocks and oils. Biolipid precursors of this sterane have been reported to be prominent in several demosponges. Whether 24-isopropylcholestane can be interpreted as a sponge (and, hence, animal) biomarker, and so provide clues about early metazoan history, depends on an understanding of the distribution of sterol biosynthesis among animals and their protistan relatives. Accordingly, we characterized the sterol profile of the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis, a representative of the unicellular sister group of animals. M. brevicollis does not produce a candidate sterol precursor for 24-isopropylcholestane under our experimental growth conditions. It does, however, produce a number of other sterols, and comparative genomics confirms its biosynthetic potential to produce the full suite of compounds recovered. Consistent with the phylogenetic position of choanoflagellates, the sterol profile and biosynthetic pathway of M. brevicollis display characteristics of both fungal and poriferan sterol biosynthesis. This is an example in which genomic and biochemical information have been used together to investigate the taxonomic specificity of a fossil biomarker.


In 210 patients (210 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma, remote results (3 years) after sinusotrabeculectomy in Cairns-Krasnov's modification were compared with those after optimised performance of main surgical stages. Separation of a scleral flap at the depth of 350-400 mcm, localization of the drainage system by a developed microdiaphanoscopic method and subsequent removal of a fragment of the Schlemm canal and trabeculae provide a more stable hypotensive effect and preserve visual functions as compared with results of traditional methods. High effectiveness of the method is connected with avoiding of such variants of the surgical technique that can lead to development of complications.


With this paper I intend to join to theorists who have discussed issues of difference and identity, with the aim of problematising some of the knowing/doing dimensions of nursing in contemporaneity. I am using as an analytical-theoretical background the Cultural Studies and Gender theories that develop a critical approach to post-structuralism. In the light of such a background I analyse some elements or constitutive aspects of the current theories on Care. I argue that to think care from the perspective of difference is to accept the challenge of not thinking about it as an action underpinned by scientific, philosophical and universal humanitarian assumptions, and start its theorisation and exercise as an action that is fundamentally political.


Characteristics of springtime sea ice off East Antarctica were investigated during a cruise of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition in October through December 1988. The fractional coverage of the ocean surface, the ice thickness, and the snow cover thickness for each of several ice types were estimated hourly for the region near the ship. These observations were carried out continuously during the 4 weeks the ship was in the ice. Thin and young ice types were prevalent throughout the region, and the observations show a systematic increase in the total area-weighted pack ice thickness (including open water area) from only 0.2 m within 50 km of the ice edge to 0.45 m close to the coast. Ice thickness averaged over the ice-covered region only is also relatively thin, ranging from 0.35 m near the ice edge to 0.65 m in the interior. These values are probably typical of average winter thickness for the area. The average snow cover thickness on the ice increased from 0.05 m near the ice edge to 0.15 m in the interior. Average ice concentration increased from less than 6/10 near the ice edge to 8/10 in the interior. The ship-observed concentrations were in good agreement with concentrations derived from passive microwave satellite imagery except in some regions of high concentration. In these regions the satellite-derived concentrations were consistently lower than those estimated from the ship, possibly because of the inability of the satellite sensors to discriminate the appreciable percentage of very thin ice observed within the total area. Spectral albedo was measured for nilas, young grey ice, grey-white ice, snow-covered ice, and open water at wavelengths from 420 to 1000 nm. Allwave albedo was computed by using the spectral measurements together with estimates of near-infrared albedo and modeled spectral solar flux. Area-averaged albedos for the East Antarctic sea ice zone in spring were derived from representative allwave albedos together with the hourly observations of ice types. These area-averaged surface albedos increased from about 0.35 at the ice edge to about 0.5 at 350 km from the edge, remaining at 0.5 to the coast of Antarctica. The low average albedo is in part due to the large fraction of open water within the pack, but extensive fractions of almost snow-free thin ice also play an important role.


OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and technical feasibility of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) removal when filter elements penetrate adjacent bowel. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A multicenter retrospective review of IVCF retrievals between 2008 and 2018 was performed. Adult patients with either CT or endoscopic evidence of filter elements penetrating bowel before retrieval were included. Technical success of IVCF retrieval was recorded. Patient records were assessed for immediate, 30-day, and 90-day complications after retrieval. RESULTS. Thirty-nine consecutive adult patients (11 men and 28 women; mean age, 51.2 years; age range, 18-81 years) qualified for inclusion. Filter dwell time was a median of 148 days (range, 32-5395 days). No IVCFs were known to have migrated or caused iliocaval thrombosis. Five IVCFs (12.8%) had more than 15° tilt relative to the inferior vena cava (IVC) before retrieval. Three IVCFs (7.7%) had fractured elements identified at the time of retrieval. Mean international normalized ratio (INR) was 1.24 ± 0.53 (SD), and mean platelet count was 262 ± 139 × 103/μL. Ten patients (25.6%) were on antibiotics at the time of retrieval. All 39 IVCFs were successfully retrieved (technical success = 100%). Two patients experienced minor complications in the immediate postprocedural period, which resulted in a minor complication rate of 5.1%. There were no complications (major or minor) identified in any patient at 30 or 90 days after retrieval. The overall major complication rate was 0%. CONCLUSION. Endovascular retrieval of IVCFs with CT evidence of filter elements that have penetrated adjacent bowel is both safe and technically feasible.


While the provision of infrastructure has largely been successful in South Korea, the divergent uses after getting access to the networks have resulted in a new type of digital exclusion. Among the many factors that lead to a longer term divide among those who benefit from the technologies and those who do not, this study examined the frequency and type of activities users engage with online and the relationship with their perceived benefits. The differences among rural and urban internet users were further examined. A secondary data analysis of a subset (N=3,641) of a national survey conducted by the National Information Society Agency (NIA) in 2013 reveals that the frequency of online engagement and the ways in which people use online services are related to how people perceive of the internet to be beneficial in their everyday lives. Urban internet users perceived of the benefits to be higher compared to rural users. Acquiring constant access and engaging frequently with various online activities are significant factors that shape internet users' perception of the benefits that the internet entails.


Abstract Mathematics is one of the major subjects in the curriculum and is perceived as one of the most complex fields. The present paper presents research and recommendations for activities tested and tried in class, which are designed to promote and develop mathematics knowledge, based on visual illustrations. The activities combine acquaintance with the various traffic signs and mathematics studies, geometry and arithmetic. Activities like those, as a multi-disciplinary practice, will entail pupils' better and more meaningful comprehension of mathematics and will enrich knowledge of this subject.


The economic integration process is a current widely spared process in the world economy. The necessity of collaboration between countries on economic, politic and social plans is being implemented by nations through a raising number of commercial agreements for example during the last decades. The commercial dimension represents interest because of the high importance it has in the interaction process. This paper is structured in two main parts, on first side are outlined the main features of the economic integration process, linked to main stages or its global scale; and secondly we analyzed the impact of this process on trade. The two main influences are linked especially to "trade creation" and "trade diversion" effects, which can occur after the signature of a trade agreement. These changes show the key aspects of trade regionalization, which means the changes in commercial partners, quantity or quality of traded products, modifications in production process and so on.


Few options exist for treatment of pervasive motoneuron death after spinal cord injury or in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Local transplantation of embryonic motoneurons into an axotomized peripheral nerve is a promising approach to arrest the atrophy of denervated muscles; however, muscle reinnervation is limited by poor motoneuron survival. The aim of the present study was to test whether acute electrical stimulation of transplanted embryonic neurons promotes motoneuron survival, axon growth, and muscle reinnervation. The sciatic nerve of adult Fischer rats was transected to mimic the widespread denervation seen after disease or injury. Acutely dissociated rat embryonic ventral spinal cord cells were transplanted into the distal tibial nerve stump as a neuron source for muscle reinnervation. Immediately post-transplantation, the cells were stimulated at 20 Hz for 1 h. Other groups were used to control for the cell transplantation and stimulation. When neurons were stimulated acutely, there were significantly more neurons, including cholinergic neurons, 10 weeks after transplantation. This led to enhanced numbers of myelinated axons, reinnervation of more muscle fibers, and more medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles were functionally connected to the transplant. Reinnervation reduced muscle atrophy significantly. These data support the concept that electrical stimulation rescues transplanted motoneurons and facilitates muscle reinnervation.


Benign and malignant prostatic tissue was removed in surgery and partitioned for (a) ultrastructural study, (b) tissue culture, and (c) (c) immunochemical study. Fourteen malignant and 18 benign prostatic cancer specimens were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the presence of viruses or virus-like particles. Viruses could not be identified with assurity in thin sections. Acinar cells of normal, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), and neoplastic prostate tissue were examined in the scanning electron microscope and TEM and found to be extremely heterogenous in their surface morphologies. Three major types of surface morphologies were present: microvillous, ruffled, and bare. All three types of cells were present in normal, BPH, and neoplastic acini. A collagenase procedure was utilized to remove the stromal cells from glandular structures prior to in vitro cultivation. Partially purified extracts from 71 human urothelial tumors and 75 human urothelial nontumor tissues were used as competing antigens in competition radioimmunoassay in an effort to detect the presence of one of the structural components of type-C ribonucleic acid viruses, the p30 core protein. The urothelial tumors tested included 42 BPH specimens and 18 prostatic carcinoma specimens. Thirty-eight percent of the prostatic carcinoma tissues and 48% of the BPH tissues demonstrated the presence of a protein antigenically similar to the p30 core protein of an oncogenic RNA virus.


The P_4-structure of a graph G is a hypergraph \textbfH on the same vertex set such that four vertices form a hyperedge in \textbfH whenever they induce a P_4 in G. We present a constructive algorithm which tests in polynomial time whether a given 4-uniform hypergraph is the P_4-structure of a claw-free graph and of (banner,chair,dart)-free graphs. The algorithm relies on new structural results for (banner,chair,dart)-free graphs which are based on the concept of p-connectedness. As a byproduct, we obtain a polynomial time criterion for perfectness for a large class of graphs properly containing claw-free graphs.


This paper uses both an individual cost-benefit model and a deterministic simulation to investigate whether or not households should sacrifice higher rates of return in more liquid and less volatile investments in order to be prepared for a financial emergency. The cost of having an emergency fund is the difference between the rate of return in an illiquid, volatile investment and the rate of return in an emergency fund. The benefits of an emergency fund are the borrowing costs avoided in an emergency. With reasonable assumptions about borrowing and lending rates, emergencies would have to occur very frequently for an emergency fund to be optimal.


The article evaluates the OECD BEPS Action Plan and recent progress in light of the key insights of the BEPS: (i) progress can be achieved solely through cooperation, and the existing competition based, unilateral action dominated paradigm is destined to fail; (ii) a comprehensive, holistic approach rather than ad hoc fix-ups is needed for a chance of success; and (iii) some innovations differing from the tradition that is the base for the current regime may be required in order to tackle the evolving new challenges that the regime faces. The article points to the promising aspects of the plan and to the areas where progress seem wanting. It further provides observations on certain steps that the OECD can and should take to increase the chances of success of the BEPS project.


Background: The number of posyandu has been enough but they still need improvement in service quality, it become a problem for Posyandu in Central Java. Model Posyandu present for solve this problem with dynamicization and expand the programs in the Posyandu with Mandiri and Purnama levels.
Methods: This was an analytical observational study with cross sectional design. Twenty five samples which fullfilled include and exclude criteria was taken from Pedurungan region in Semarang city during March until July 2010. The fund, cadre, Posyandu's infrastructures and success implementation of Model Posyandu was assessed with questionnaire. The data were processed with SPSS Ver. 15.0 for Windows then presented on table or graph for univariat analysis and using chi-square for bivariat analysis.
Result: There were 10 posyandu that have not a succes implementation of Model Posyandu, 14 Posyandu with inadequate cadre, 10 Posyandu with inadequate funding and 8 Posyandu with inadequate infrastructures. Chi-square test has significant correlation between cadre and infrastructures with a success implementation of Model Posyandu.
Conclusion: There were significant correlation between cadre activity and Posyandu's infrastructurse with a succes implementation of Model Posyandu.

Keywords: Posyandu Model, fund, infrastructures, cadre


This study probes the magnetic properties and interactions of the Ln(HCO2)3 (Ln = Tb3+–Er3+) frameworks. We show that the magnetocaloric effect of Tb(HCO2)3 is significantly higher above 4 K in moderate magnetic fields compared to the promising Gd(HCO2)3. While the peak performance of Tb(HCO2)3 is lower than Gd(HCO2)3, we also find that the Gd-rich members of the solid solution Gd1−xTbx(HCO2)3 blend the advantages of both end-members. Using neutron diffraction experiments, Tb(HCO2)3 is found to be antiferromagnetic below 1.7 K with ferromagnetic face-sharing chains and antiferromagnetic coupling between them. Analysis of magnetic diffuse scattering of the paramagnetic phase indicates that ferromagnetic coupling is retained, and it is likely that this plays a role in improving its magnetocaloric performance in low fields.