In this paper, a new precision forging technique composite processing of the moving-die forging and divided flow forging process to form the spur gear is introduced. A systematic investigation of the floating-relief method process is performed by using finite element numerical simulation. The stress distributions on the workpieces were obtained. The closer the die teeth corner is, the higher stress value results can be acquired. And the effective stress is concentrated in spur gears forging die cavity corner. It was found that the floating-relief method forging process with upper and lower convex punches control the material flow effectively and the tooth cavity is filled successfully during the performing forging and final forging. The proposed method can serve as preconditions to analyze the abrasion and fatigue of spur gears forging die. The obtained results can offer valuable guidelines for gear precision forging experiments and practical process planning.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
It is unclear whether portal vein thrombosis (PVT) unrelated to malignancy is associated with reduced survival or it is an epiphenomenon of advanced cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to assess clinical outcome in cirrhotic patients with PVT not associated with malignancy and determine its prevalence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Retrospective search in one center from June 2011 to December 2014.

RESULTS
169 patients, 55 women and 114 men, median age 54 (19-90) years. Thirteen had PVT (7.6%). None of the patients received anticoagulant treatment. The PVT group was younger (49 [25-62] vs. 55 [19-90] years p = 0.025). Child A patients were more frequent in PVT and Child C in Non-PVT. Median Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was lower in PVT (12 [8-21] vs. 19 [7-51] p ≤ 0.001) p ≤ 0.001). There was no difference between upper gastrointestinal bleeding and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in the groups. Encephalopathy grade 3-4 (4 [30.8%] vs. 73 [46.8%] p = 0,007) and large volume ascites (5 [38.5%] vs. 89 [57.1%] p= 0,012) was more common in non-PVT. Survival was better for PVT (16.5 ± 27.9 vs. 4.13 ± 12.2 months p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS
We found that PVT itself does not lead to a worse prognosis. The most reliable predictor for clinical outcome remains the MELD score. The presence of PVT could be just an epiphenomenon and not a marker of advanced cirrhosis.


An organ transplant can improve a patient's life while also realizing substantial savings in healthcare expenditures. Like many other scarce public resources, organs from deceased donors are rationed to patients on a waitlist via a sequential offer mechanism. The theoretical trade-offs in designing these rationing systems are not well understood and depend on agent preferences. This paper establishes an empirical framework for analyzing waitlist systems and applies it to study the allocation of deceased donor kidneys. We model the decision to accept an organ or wait for a more preferable organ as an optimal stopping problem, and develop techniques to compute equilibria of counterfactual mechanisms. Our estimates show that while some types of kidneys are desirable for all patients, there is substantial match-specific heterogeneity in values. We then evaluate alternative mechanisms by comparing their effect on patient welfare to an equivalent change in donor supply. Past reforms to the kidney waitlist primarily resulted in redistribution, with similar welfare and organ discard rates as the benchmark first come first served mechanism. These mechanisms and other commonly studied theoretical benchmarks remain far from optimal: we design a mechanism that increases patient welfare by the equivalent of a 14.2 percent increase in donor supply.


The surface structures of peritoneal macrophages of mice were investigated with a scanning electron microscope RZEM-500. The study revealed 3 types of the macrophages. Macrophages of type 1 predominated in intact mice. These macrophages are cells rounded or oval in shape with a great number of compact finger-like excresences differing in size and form. In the animals treated with prodigiozan in a single dose of 150 mg/kg, the majority of the macrophages were larger in size and had a changed surface: spread, with many branches, "train", undulated membranes. Formation of a great number of macrophagal and macrophagal-lymphocytic clusters evident of the increased cell cooperation under the effect of prodigiozan was shown. The morphological changes in the surface structures of the macrophages under the effect of prodigiozan in vivo indicate an increase in their functional activity.


This paper presents, for the first time, a new developed concept for design of Die pass profile used in hydrostatic-extrusion of Al/Mg compound. The new design criteria proposes a "Linearity" of the Homogeneous Successive Strain Increment Ratios (LHSIR) of the deformed material, instead of the "Constancy" concept (CHSIR) found in literature, as the tool base to generate the profile. The developed profiles were evaluated numerically to assess their relative pressure ratios as the main parameter for performance checking adopting the well-known Upper Bound Approach (UBA). A further developed aspect for the velocity field proposition is successfully made to carry out the necessary tedious computations. 12 different samples of commercial tool steel were CNC-manufactured, heat treated and tested to Al/Mg compound, from lead alloy, for sake of comparison and validity assessment. The major conclusion comes out of this work claims that a small variance in the classical constancy criteria of the Die design is very sensitive to change the expected levels of the relative pressure ratios of the extrusion process.


Incidence of USMI after ovariectomy
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine [1]. In intact bitches urinary incontinence is rare (0-1 %) [2],
whereas in spayed bitches the incidence is up to 20% [3].
The underlying pathophysiological mechanism is mainly an acquired insuffi cient closure of the urethra after spaying
[4]. Therefore urinary incontinence after spaying is called urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI).
Within one year after spaying the urethral closure pressure is signifi cantly reduced. Because many bitches may only
become incontinent years after surgery it took a long time until the causal relationship between ovariectomy and the
occurrence of incontinence was proven [5]. In one study, 83 of 412 (20%) bitches became incontinent 3 to 10 years after
surgery [3].
As long as 40 years ago urinary incontinence was described as a rare side effect of spaying [6]. However, it took 20
years to verify the causal relationship between the removal of the ovaries and urinary incontinence [5]. The triggering
mechanism is still unclear.
Neuronal damage can most likely be disregarded, as the risk of urinary incontinence is the same in ovariectomised
and ovariohysterectomised bitches [3].


Malcolm Cowley called Lewis Mumford "the last of the great humanists," and indeed, in more than six decades of writing, Mumford made contributions to history, philosophy, literature, art, architectural criticism, and urban planning. The author of some thirty books, Mumford produced a body of work almost unequaled in the twentieth century for its range and richness. A New York Times Notable Book, Donald Miller's engagingly written biography reveals Mumford's full and fascinating life. Based on ten years of research and unprecedented access to original and private papers, Miller penetrates Mumford's reserved public persona and takes in the complete man, his works as well as his days, as he struggles to transform the world -- and his own life -- in decades marked by unparalleled change. "Miller is an excellent critical guide to Mumford's voluminous writing." -- The New Yorker "A gracefully written biography." -- Francesca McKeon, San Francisco Chronicle "With this large, large-spirited life of Lewis Mumford ... Miller takes his place in the first rank of contemporary American biographers." -- David McCullough


This poem is dedicated to Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children's Zone and to Luis Rodriguez. I wrote this poem in response to the frustration I was feeling while delving into policy questions and strategies with various community leaders and think tank wonks about how to reverse the disparities of young men and boys of color in California. I am an original member of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, a coalition of community based organizations, researchers, foundations, and public systems engaging in a 10-year strategy to improve outcomes for boys and men of color, which was started by The California Endowment. I noticed and felt a number of things during the first two years of this work. There was a lot of deficit-focused talk and a lot of attention paid to the overwhelming negative elements affecting boys of color (African-American = Black, and Latino = Brown), including health disparities like disease and violent death, a 50% high school dropout rate, a lack of knowledge of cultural identity and history, etc. Though we were talking about breaking out of system silos (i.e. ways of evaluating and treating these youth from institutionalized perspectives – hospitals, schools, prisons, social services – without sharing information), I felt like we were not focusing on what Black and Brown communities have in common. It seemed to me that once we had identified our shared problems, we needed to identify our shared assets. However, many of the solutions were not focused on healing, or common strengths, or even culture as a solution. The focus was often on money and laws. I felt that I needed to write a poem that also addressed the demographic shift towards a brown America, where the questions of race and how these questions were applied to policy and political discourse should no longer be dominated by a Black-White dichotomy. Our reality forces us to move toward a discussion of a brown America. Brown mixes all the colors. We need to use our shared history as an asset, a means to heal, and a trusted guide into the future.


: Growth of youth tourism share in overall tourist expenditures and arrivals is noted on global level. Despite of that, the available data regarding socio-demographic characteristics of youth tourists, characteristics of their travel and tourist stay, as well as their motivation for coming to Belgrade and their satisfaction with their stay in it, is sparse. Aim of this research is attaining scientific findings on the discussed matter. The results of the survey conducted at Belgrade Main Railway Station showed that students from the EU account for the majority of the sample and that the majority of the indicators corresponds with global trends. The significant difference is noted regarding the type of used accommodation, where an absolute domination of hostels is noted. Several figures indicate the transit character of the visit and the general satisfaction with the stay in Belgrade. In average, this tourist segment accounts for larger number of overnight stays than Belgrade's overall average of overnight stays. Differences are also noted regarding the geographic structure of the respondents, but that may potentially be explained by methodological limitations which should be addressed in future research of the subject.


ABSTRACT Legionnaires' disease is clinically manifested as severe pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila. However, the dendritic cell (DC)-centered immunological framework of the host defense against L. pneumophila has not been fully delineated. For this study, we focused on a potent chemoattractant for lymphocytes, fractalkine/CX3CL1, and observed that the fractalkine expression of DCs was somewhat up-regulated when they encountered L. pneumophila. We therefore hypothesized that fractalkine expressed by Legionella-capturing DCs is involved in the induction of T-cell-mediated immune responses against Legionella, which would be enhanced by a genetic modulation of DCs to overexpress fractalkine. In vivo immunization-challenge experiments demonstrated that DCs modified with a recombinant adenovirus vector to overexpress fractalkine (AdFKN) and pulsed with heat-killed Legionella protected immunized mice from a lethal Legionella infection and that the generation of in vivo protective immunity depended on the host lymphocyte subsets, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and B cells. Consistent with this, immunization with AdFKN/Legionella/DC induced significantly higher levels of serum anti-Legionella antibodies of several isotypes than those induced by control immunizations. Further analysis of spleen cells from the immunized mice indicated that the AdFKN/Legionella/DC immunization elicited Th1-dominated immune responses to L. pneumophila. These observations suggest that fractalkine may play an important role in the DC-mediated host defense against intracellular pathogens such as L. pneumophila.


The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters is simplicity. Nothing is better than simplicity. .. . nothing can make up for excess or for the lack of definiteness. Freedom of choice Is what you got. Freedom from choice Is what you want. The following diagram shows something that looks like a finite-state machine over the alphabet {0, 1}, but on closer inspection, it is not consistent with our earlier definitions. On one hand, there are two transitions out of s for each input symbol. On the other hand, states a and b are each missing an outgoing transition. 0 0 1 1 1,0 1,0 s a c b A nondeterministic finite-state automaton Nevertheless, there is a sense in which this machine " accepts " the set of all strings that contain either 00 or 11 as a substring. Imagine that when the machine reads a symbol in state s, it makes a choice about which transition to follow. If the input string contains the substring 00, then it is possible for the machine to end in the accepting state c, by choosing to move into state a when it reads a 0 immediately before another 0. Similarly, if the input string contains the substring 11, it is possible for the machine to end in the accepting state c. On the other hand, if the input string does not contain either 00 or 11—or in other words, if the input alternates between 0 and 1—there are no choices that lead the machine to the accepting state. If the machine incorrectly chooses to transition to state a and then reads a 1, or transitions to b and then reads 0, it explodes; the only way to avoid an explosion is to stay in state s. This object is an example of a nondeterministic finite-state automaton, or NFA, so named because its behavior is not uniquely determined by the input string. Formally, every NFA has five components: • An arbitrary finite set Σ, called the input alphabet. • Another arbitrary finite set Q, whose elements are called states.


The study of fatigue crack growth (FCG) is aimed at residual life estimations in order to apply the damage tolerant criterion. Usual approaches are based on semi-empirical models that consider the stress intensity factor range of fracture mechanics, ΔK, as the governing driving force for crack propagation. An alternative approach is the use of predictive theoretical schemes arising from damage mechanics. Although they havent achieved a reliability level high enough to be used in design, predictive models may be important in some situations like material selection. In the present work, a predictive FCG method based on the cumulative damage of volume elements along the crack path is employed. The development of the work includes considerations about the stress distribution in the cracked body and the stress-life and strain-life relations used in the computational procedure. A previously developed analytical expression for the stress distribution ahead of the crack in a finite width plate, based on the numerical analysis performed by the Finite Element Method, is used in the predictive method. The stress field is determined for both upper and lower limits of cyclic loadings. The fatigue crack growth behavior of three Al-Mg-Si alloys: AA 6005, AA 6351 and AA 6063, tempered and aged for the T6 condition, was analysed for positive and negative R-ratios. In order to check the model results, constant amplitude FCG tests with load ratios ±0,5 were carried out in M(T) specimens. The experimental results, compared to the computational simulations, show that it is possible to obtain predictions of FCG behaviour for both positive and negative load ratios.


MIL‑100 (Fe) is a highly porous and environmentally friendly metal‑organic framework (MOF) considered as a promising carrier for drug delivery, and for gas separation and capture applications. However, this functional material suffers from elaborated and toxic synthesis that may hinder its biomedical use and large‑scale production to afford commercial applications. Herein, we report a 'green' mechanochemical water immersion approach to yield highly crystalline MIL‑100 (Fe) material. Subsequently, we have harnessed this strategy for facile fabrication of guest@MOF composite systems, comprising (guests) 5‑fluorouracil, caffeine, or aspirin encapsulated in the pores of (host) MIL‑100 (Fe). Inelastic neutron scattering was uniquely used to probe the guest‑host interactions arising from pore confinement of the drug molecules, giving additional insights into the reconstruction mechanism. Our results pave the way to the green production of MIL‑type materials and bespoke guest-encapsulated composites for biotechnological applications.


We summarize the impacts of elevated CO2 on the N concentration of plant tissues and present data to support the hypothesis that reductions in the quality of plant tissue commonly occur when plants are grown under elevated CO2. Synthesis of existing data showed an average 14% reduction of N concentrations in plant tissue generated under elevated CO2 regimes. However, elevated CO2 appeared to have different effects on the N concentrations of different plant types, as the reported reductions in N have been larger in C3 plants than in C4 plants and N2‐fixers. Under elevated CO2 plants changed their allocation of N between above‐ and below‐ground components: root N concentrations were reduced by an average of 9% compared to a 14% average reduction for above‐ground tissues. Although the concentration of CO2 treatments represented a significant source of variance for plant N concentration, no consistent trends were observed between them.


no policy positions. IZA research is committed to the IZA Guiding Integrity. key ABSTRACT This research explores the persistent effect of the Neolithic Revolution on the evolution of life expectancy in the course of human history. It advances the hypothesis and establishes empirically that the onset of the Neolithic Revolution and the associated rise in infectious diseases triggered a process of adaptation reducing mortality from infectious diseases while increasing the propensity for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Exploiting an exogenous source of variation in the timing of the Neolithic Revolution across French regions, the analysis establishes the presence of these conflicting forces - the beneficial effects on life expectancy before the second epidemiological transition and their adverse effects thereafter.


The high frequency properties of coaxial power cables are modeled using time- and frequency-domain numerical simulations. This is required due to the complex helical structure of the outer metallic screen. The finite element (FEM) and finite difference time domain methods (FDTD) have been employed to study the effect of screen spiralization. It is established that this screen design causes a dependence of the cable high frequency characteristics on the surrounding medium. Analytical model based on modal analysis of wave propagation in coaxial cables confirms the numerical observations.


Received: Feb 28, 2018; Accepted: Mar 24, 2018; Published: Mar 29, 2018 Abstract Nutrition is a well-balanced of nutrients for good – health and overall healthy life. Conventional foods are the foods that is devoted to each country or specific culture which differ from one to another. However, maintaining the habitual dietary is not always possible. Thus, at a particular period of time changing the traditional diets due to the, cultural, social, economic and environmental factors impacts can be a real challenge. Consequently, alteration in traditional or conventional diets can lead to the ill-health conditions or an early death. Changing the traditional habit and replacing it with modern diet can seriously impairs body physiological regulatory functions at different body organs. As result, short – term or long – term ill-health can be the outcome of consuming un-healthy diet in various unexpected states. Nonetheless, consuming habitual food is not always possible and so using a healthy and an uncomplicated food (i.e., a piece of brown bread with cheese, vegetable and some fruits) can have positive impact on overall health and general well-being this kind of the occasions. Individual also are needed to be educated from early life that required worldwide and global attempts.


Introduction (Purpose) - The main purpose for this study is to study internal communication challenges from a managerial and employee perspective in two interrelated IT departments. Furthermore this study aims to give suggestions for how organizations can improve their internal communication within and between departments.Design/methodology/approach - The research setting took place in a Swedish telecom company where data was collected during 10 weeks. An abductive scientific approach was used with an extension of mixed methods with a triangulation design. Interviews and survey were made to both managers and employees as primary data, whereas different kinds of observations, informal interviews and meetings, intranet and employee satisfaction scores were used as secondary data. Findings - Findings show several internal communication challenges, such as different definitions of what internal communication stands for, too many media channels put strains on the internal communication within and between IT departments which results in unsynchronization. The organizational structure itself creates internal communication challenges as a result of not sharing common goals and strategies, but also responsibility issues which leads to misunderstanding and conflicts. To improve internal communication challenges between the departments, some of the following examples were found; the need of overcoming unsynchronization, shared goals and strategies, common messages from head managers in order to reduce problems related to co-operation between the departments and desideration of an interactive communication tool. Practical implications – Deal with misunderstandings to prevent internal communication challenges. Interrelated departments should strive for alignment through common goals and strategies. More interactive communication tools such as social networks could promote more effective internal communication.Originality/value – Rich data collection by using mixed methods resulted in empirical findings that address internal communication challenges between two IT departments with an organizational structure that reminds of a line-and-staff organization from a managerial and employee perspective.


Studying materials released from Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) — as seen in their inner comæ, the envelope of gas and dust that forms as the comet approaches the Sun — improves the understanding of their origin and evolutionary history. As part of a coordinated, multi-wavelength observing campaign, we observed comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková during its close approach to Earth in February 2017. Narrowband observations were taken using the Bok 90" telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on February 16 and 17 UT, revealing gas and dust structures. We observed different jet directions for different volatile species, implying source region heterogeneity, consistent with other ground-based and in situ observations of other comet nuclei. A repeating feature visible in CN and C2 images on February 16 was also observed on February 17 with an interval of 7.6±0.1 hours, consistent with the rotation period of the comet derived from Arecibo Observatory radar observations. The repeating feature's projected gas velocity away from the nucleus is 0.8 km s−1, with an expansion velocity of 0.5 km s−1. A bright compact spot adjacent to the nucleus provides a lower limit of the amount of material released in one cycle of ∼9.2 kg, depending on composition — a quantity small enough to be produced by repeated exposure of nucleus ices to sunlight. This repeating CN jet, forming within 400 km of the nucleus, may be typical of inner coma behavior in JFCs; however, similar features could be obscured by other processes and daughter product species when viewed from distances further than the scale length of CN molecules.


Background—The degree to which cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 genotype influences the effectiveness of clopidogrel remains uncertain because of considerable heterogeneity in results between studies and potential publication bias. Clopidogrel indication and ethnic population have been proposed to influence the effect of CYP2C19 genotype. Methods and Results—A systematic review was undertaken up to 14 November 2013. Meta-analysis of the CYP2C19 genotype effect was stratified by the predominant clopidogrel indication (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] versus non-PCI) and ethnic population (white versus Asian) of each primary study. The primary analysis was restricted to studies with ≥500 participants, which comprised 24 studies and a total of 36 076 participants. The association between carriage of ≥1 CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LoF) allele and major cardiovascular outcomes differed significantly (P<0.001) between studies of whites not undergoing PCI (relative risk 0.99 [95% confidence interval, 0.84–1.17]; n=7043), whites undergoing PCI (1.20 [1.10–1.31]; n=19,016), and Asians undergoing PCI (1.91 [1.61–2.27]; n=10,017). Similar differences were identified in secondary analyses of 2 CYP2C19 LoF alleles, stent thrombosis outcomes, and studies with ≥200 participants. Minimal heterogeneity was apparent between studies of Asian populations. Conclusions—The reported association between CYP2C19 LoF allele carriage and major cardiovascular outcomes differs based on the ethnic population of the study and, to a lesser extent, the clopidogrel indication. This is potentially of major importance given that over 50% of Asians carry ≥1 CYP2C19 LoF alleles.


Introduction Circulating microRNAs (miRNA) are promising biomarkers for human diseases. Our study hypothesizes that circulating miRNA would reveal candidate biomarkers related to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and provide biologic insights into asthma epigenetic influences. Methods Serum samples obtained at randomization for 160 children in the Childhood Asthma Management Program were profiled using a TaqMan miRNA array set. The association of the isolated miRNA with methacholine PC20 was assessed. Network and pathway analyses were performed. Functional validation of two significant miRNAs was performed in human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMs). Results Of 155 well-detected circulating miRNAs, eight were significantly associated with PC20 with the strongest association with miR-296-5p. Pathway analysis revealed miR-16-5p as a network hub, and involvement of multiple miRNAs interacting with genes in the FoxO and Hippo signaling pathways by KEGG analysis. Functional validation of two miRNA in HASM showed effects on cell growth and diameter. Conclusion Reduced circulatory miRNA expression at baseline is associated with an increase in PC20. These miRNA provide biologic insights into, and may serve as biomarkers of, asthma severity. miR-16-5p and -30d-5p regulate airway smooth muscle phenotypes critically involved in asthma pathogenesis, supporting a mechanistic link to these findings. Functional ASM phenotypes may be directly relevant to AHR.


While the IoT has made significant progress supporting individual machine-type applications, it is only recently that the importance of people as an integral component of the overall IoT infrastructure has started to be fully recognized. Several powerful concepts have emerged to facilitate this vision, whether involving the human context whenever required or directly impacting user behavior and decisions. As these become the stepping stones to develop the IoT into a novel people-centric utility, this article outlines a path to realize this decisive transformation. We begin by reviewing the latest progress in human-aware wireless networking, then classify the attractive human-machine applications and summarize the enabling IoT radio technologies. We continue with a unique system-level performance characterization of a representative urban IoT scenario and quantify the benefits of keeping people in the loop on various levels. Our comprehensive numerical results confirm the significant gains that have been made available with tighter user involvement, and also corroborate the development of efficient incentivization mechanisms, thereby opening the door to future commoditization of the global people-centric IoT utility.


The study was conducted on live and slaughtered goats in Rajshahi district during the period of March, 2011 to February, 2012 by coproscopy and necroscopy studies respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the factors such as age, sex and breed of the goat which influences the prevalence of haemonchosis. The information was collected from farmers through a questionnaire. A total of 720 goats examined, of which 416 goats were found positive for Haemonchus infection and the overall prevalence of haemonchosis in goat was 57.8%. The prevalence rate was found to be higher in young ( 2 yrs), 41.5% goats. It was observed that in relation to sex the prevalence of haemonchosis was higher in female, 63.9% compared to male, 50.0% goats. Among the breed, the crossbred goats were the maximum, 60.2% infection rate of haemonchosis than that of Black Bengal, 55.6% goats. The young stage and female goats are more prone to haemonchosis and statistically a significant difference (P 0.05) was found in breed of goats. The present study suggests that young aged and females goats were more susceptible but crossbred goats were slightly susceptible to haemonchosis and requires special attention for its control. International Journal of Natural Sciences (2012), 2(3):83-87 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijns.v2i3.12137


Providing the possibility of installing extensions has become a must-have feature for
all major browsers. Extensions allow users to enhance and customise the browser
functionalities by, for example, modifying the appearance of the web pages, providing
security suites or blocking ads.
In this work, we make a first step towards monitoring web content alterations
coming from extensions. In particular, we focus on the identification of relations
between the mutations performed by different extensions. The study is motivated
by the sequential and event-driven execution model running on web pages. That
model entails that browser extensions can react to web content alterations performed
by other extensions; hence, extensions have access to the data introduced by other
extensions.
We implement our prototype as a couple of logging extensions running on a modified
version of Chromium. The approach relies on dynamic analysis of extensions
and a simulation of a user surfing the web. Our system is capable of automatically
detect web content alterations performed by extensions and identify the events that
triggered them.
We analyse the 150 most downloaded extensions from Chrome Web Store and
characterise the most common alterations as well as the events that cause those
mutations. Finally, although we did not detect direct relations between the extensions
analysed, we discuss the alterations identified and the implications of the actual
execution model.


Future wireless networks have a substantial potential in terms of supporting a broad range of complex compelling applications both in military and civilian fields, where the users are able to enjoy high-rate, low-latency, low-cost and reliable information services. Achieving this ambitious goal requires new radio techniques for adaptive learning and intelligent decision making because of the complex heterogeneous nature of the network structures and wireless services. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have great success in supporting big data analytics, efficient parameter estimation and interactive decision making. Hence, in this article, we review the thirty-year history of ML by elaborating on supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning and deep learning. Furthermore, we investigate their employment in the compelling applications of wireless networks, including heterogeneous networks (HetNets), cognitive radios (CR), Internet of Things (IoT), machine to machine networks (M2M), and so on. This article aims for assisting the readers in clarifying the motivation and methodology of the various ML algorithms, so as to invoke them for hitherto unexplored services as well as scenarios of future wireless networks.


In this paper a modern item design framework for computer based assessment based on Flash authoring environment will be introduced. Question design will be discussed as well as the multimedia authoring environment used for item modeling emphasized. Item type templates are a structured means of collecting and storing item information that can be used to improve the efficiency and security of the innovative item design process. Templates can modernize the item design, enhance and speed up the development process. Along with content creation, multimedia has vast potential for use in innovative testing. The introduced item design template is based on taxonomy of innovative items which have great potential for expanding the content areas and construct coverage of an assessment. The presented item design approach is based on GUI's - one for question design based on implemented item design templates and one for user interaction tracking/retrieval. The concept of user interfaces based on Flash technology will be discussed as well as implementation of the innovative approach of the item design forms with multimedia authoring. Also an innovative method for user interaction storage/retrieval based on PHP extending Flash capabilities in the proposed framework will be introduced.


The easiest option would be to ask the author of The Cinnamon Shops whether it was him who many years ago wrote in German and published in the Montenegro periodical Cetinjer Zeitung two stories: "Du bist Staub" and "Pfennig mit dem Auge." Had he said "yes," these two unusual narratives would be included in the oeuvre of Bruno Schulz. His literary identity would have been upheld (enhanced) and confirmed. But what is the literary identity? We know full well that the foundation of an individual identity is memory which selects and integrates the particles of a particular existence. There is no identity without memory. This, however, does not apply to the literary identity, deprived of that natural basis of each identity, both individual and collective. Its foundation is congruence, i.e. the coherence, harmony, and appropriateness of its components. Trouble begins when all of a sudden we come across a text signed with a name that already exists in the literary space, and this is exactly what happened when after one hundred years two German language stories from the Cetinjer Zeitung have been retrieved. An automatic inclusion of the stories in the literary identity signed "Bruno Schulz" seems risky for many reasons. First of all, because some stranger may invade the space occupied by the son of a Drogobych cloth merchant, the actual author of The Cinnamon Shops. Let us then defend the Schulz of Drogobych from the Schulzes who come from different parts of the world, and they are many. In the first three decades of the 20th century those were, e.g., Karl Richard Bruno Schulz (1865-1932, professor of architecture), Bruno Claus Heinrich Schulz (1888-1944, oceanographer), Bruno Schulz (engineer, fleet officer), Bruno Schulz (1890-1958, psychiatrist, genetician), Bruno Kurt Schultz (1901-1997, anthropologist, in the Third Reich an SS "race" expert), and Bruno Schultz (1894-1987, economist).


Results of the 4th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students, HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health. The Fourth National Survey of Secondary Students and Sexual Health involved nearly 3,000 Year 10 and Year 12 students from more than 100 secondary schools from the Government, Catholic and Independent school systems and from every jurisdiction in Australia. The key findings are arranged under the key themes of knowledge, behaviour and health. Knowledge HIV knowledge remains relatively high and comparable to the levels found in 2002. There has been a marked improvement in student sexually transmissible infection (STI) knowledge between 2002 and 2008 studies. Despite this, in some areas student STI knowledge remains relatively poor. Despite generally poor student knowledge of chlamydia, knowledge of this infection has nonetheless improved significantly since 2002. Hepatitis A, B and C knowledge remains relatively poor, but there has nonetheless been some improvement in student knowledge regarding hepatitis B and C. Human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge was measured for the first time in 2008 and student knowledge of this sexually transmissible infection was very poor. In most cases more than half the sample reported being unsure of correct answers to HPV knowledge questions. Cervical cancer knowledge was measured for the first time in the 2008 study and knowledge was generally poor. There were no gender differences in students HIV knowledge, however young women demonstrated better knowledge generally in terms of STIs, HPV, cervical cancer and hepatitis compared with young men.


In this paper, we consider a blow-up solution for the complex-valued semilinear wave equation with power nonlinearity in one space dimension. We first characterize all the solutions of the associated stationary problem as a two-parameter family. Then, we use a dynamical system formulation to show that the solution in self-similar variables approaches some particular stationary one in the energy norm, in the non-characteristic case. This gives the blow-up profile for the original equation in the non-characteristic case. Our analysis is not just a simple adaptation of the already handled real case. In particular, there is one more neutral-direction in our problem, which we control thanks to a modulation technique.


Being deployed in crisis zones is perilous business. To-date, little is known regarding how humanitarian workers relate social and professional goals to lived experiences of high-risk environments. In South Sudan, ranked as the most dangerous country for aid workers globally, we interviewed international humanitarian staff (n=20) to examine, using thematic and interpretative phenomenological analysis, their sense of place, wellbeing, and vocation. Subjectivities of humanitarian spaces hinged upon negotiating physical hardships and social relationships: Juba was described both as a "prison" and "party hot spot." For expatriate staff, making sense of spatial, social, and professional transience was sharply gendered and rooted in subjectivities of risk-taking, crisis-managing, and career-building. We highlight two policy measures to address the implications of transience for human wellbeing and organizational effectiveness. Efforts to support teams and structure work environments, altering the humanitarian and vocational bubble, will help build resilience at the heart of humanitarian systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


The purpose of this thesis is to examine the use of folktales in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 1987 award-winning musical Into the Woods. In doing so, I hope to accomplish several directives. First, to enrich understanding of the musical for all audience members, especially those with a folklore or theater background. I feel that understanding the underlying goals and standards that Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine used in creating the musical will provide a much deeper understanding of the genius of their work. I also aim clearly elucidate the merger of folk narrative and popular musical theater form in this innovative musical. My hope is that analyses such as this will encourage a greater exploration of the strong reciprocal relationship between folklore and theater. Into the Woods is based upon four traditional folktales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk. A very brief synopsis of the plot runs as follows: Cinderella, Jack, and Little Red all wish for something, and must go into the woods to get it. Rapunzel, heroine of the fourth tale, already lives in the woods with the Witch, though she wishes to see the world. Added to these tales is the central tale created by Lapine, based on the first section of Rapunzel's tale—the Baker turns out to be Rapunzel's older brother, whom their parents had before the Witch acquired Rapunzel. The Baker and his Wife wish to have a child; only when the Witch visits them do they learn that they have not been able to have a child because when the Witch came to collect Rapunzel, she also curse the Baker's family. When the Witch appears she explains to the Baker how to reverse the curse. The Baker must collect: 1) the cow as white as milk; 2) the cape as red as blood; 3) the hair as yellow as corn; 4) the slipper as pure as gold, all of which belong to one of the traditional folktale characters, before the end of the third midnight. Act One is comprised of the Baker and his wife searching for these items as the other four tales play themselves out according to Grimms' version they are based upon. Act Two begins after "Happily Ever After" and attempts to bring the characters back into real life. Rapunzel has psychological problems; the Princes' eyes stray elsewhere; Jack is bored; and Little Red Riding Hood has become violent. By the end of Act Two, almost every character besides Jack, Little Red, Cinderella, and the Baker have died, due to the fact that the wife of Jack's Giant has come to seek revenge for her husband's death. In Act Two, these four main characters learn to take responsibility for the selfish actions they committed while pursuing their wish in Act One. In the process, they mature psychologically and become part of a cohesive group, learning to work together for a common cause and realizing that everything everyone does effects everyone else in some way. No one is alone. My thesis begins with a chapter on the history of folktale scholarship. Chapter Two gives biographies of Sondheim and Lapine, and discusses the history of the American musical comedy in order to put them and this musical into a theater context as well. Chapter Three summarizes the plot in detail and compares the Broadway and London productions of the show, including reviews of the musical soon after it came out. Chapter Four analyzes Into The Woods in terms of the theories of Vladimir Propp, and compares Sondheim and Lapine's versions of the stories to the Grimms versions (using Jack Zipes' translation) and Joseph Jacobs, from whom they drew their version of Jack and the Beanstalk. Chapter Five does the same thing using the scholarship of Axel Olrik and Max Luthi. Chapter Six explores Sondheim and Lapine's intentions behind the themes in the musical, focusing on the works of Bruno Bettelheim and Erich Fromm. In researching fairy tales for their musical, Sondheim and Lapine read several analyses by folklorists and psychologists. They drew mainly from non-folkloristic sources in creating their interpretations. They critiqued Bettelheim's as well as the Jungians' interpretations of the tales. As Lapine states, "Once we decided on choosing the stories, then the obvious thing was to have a point of view about them" (1991:3). They also drew from the works of Erich Fromm, a Neo-Freudian who primarily focused on the relationship between society and the individual and between individuals. DISTRIBUTION OF THESES -ORIGINAL AND BOUND COPIES (Please type) a I V j J Cleared: Name: / . ^ \ \ r > a For Office Use Only : ( j l X f t no^ l u v ^ c \ t f a cA J 7 L w l I 0 Graduated: v v Thesis Title: " T ^ / i s f i r / v v C ^ A Q W ^ b f ^ o ^ o P Department: M L T S f f y ^ " Committee: L^fVl/] t b ^ u Z C s f r x , Director gr%/c^i S Required Copies: (Student pays for xeroxing of three copies; library pays for binding of three copies.) Original: Library, unbound « 100% Cotton Fiber Content Copy 1: Library, bound — xerox paper Copy 2: Graduate Studies, bound ~ xerox paper Copy 3: Student's personal copy, bound — xerox paper Optional Copies: Student pays for xeroxing and binding of all copies listed as optional. Advance payment is required for all optional copies. Binding fee is $10 per copy payable to Western Kentucky University. This fee is subject to change. Copy 4: Send to: C V ^ c ^ o Y c ) ^


The current worldwide nursing shortage is having the greatest effect on the critical care areas as novice nurses enter these specialty areas in unprecedented numbers. Massive healthcare restructuring, a rapidly aging nursing work force, and high nursing turnover and absenteeism rates have all contributed to a healthcare environment that is struggling to care for critically ill patients. Computer-assisted instruction in the form of interactive computer programs may be used as an adjunct educational resource for these novice practitioners. These programs have the potential to bridge the gap between theory and practice, which may assist the novice nurse in achieving safe, competent clinical practice.


Introduction: Sarcopenic obesity in older adults may lead to an inability to use muscles efficiently and has been associated with functional deficits and disabilities. Objective: To identify the prevalence of obesity and sarcopenic obesity (SO) among community-dwelling older adults, and to characterize associated sociodemographics, health conditions and functional performance. Methods: Study data are from the FIBRA Network database of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. There were 1,373 older adult participants, subdivided into three groups: 1) non-obese; 2) non-sarcopenic obese; and 3) sarcopenic obese (SO). The latter is defined as a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and weak palmar grip strength (PGS). Results: The overall prevalence of obesity and SO among older adults was 25.85% and 4.44%, respectively, with levels of frailty and pre-frailty among at 36.1% and 59%, respectively. Gait speed (GS) was lower in the SO group as well, compared to the other groups. An average increase in GS of 0.1 m/sec reduced the likelihood of SO by 85.1%, in average. Sarcopenic obese older adults were 14.2 times more likely to be pre-fragile and 112.9 times more likely to be fragile than the other groups. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity found in this study was higher than that in the general population, but similar to national statistics for the sample's mean age and gender. SO was directly associated with frailty in advanced and instrumental activities of daily living as well as gait speed and significantly increased the likelihood of being pre-frail and frail. GS may be an extremely useful tool for monitoring the progress of SO in older adults.


The bioactive components of acetone/ethanol extractives of Moso bamboo root was identified by 600°C-based Pyrolysis-GC/MS. 45 compounds representing 96.31 % of the total areas were identified from these 47 peaks. The main components in the 600°C pyrolyzate of benzene/methanol extractives of Moso bamboo root by Pyrolysis- GC/MS analysis are as: Phenol, 2,6-Dimethoxy- (12.58%), 4-Hydroxy-2-Methylacetophenone (9.53%), 3',5'-Dimethoxy- acetophenone (8.15%), Mequinol (7.84%), 2-Propenoic Acid, 3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-,(E)- (7.49%), .Gamma.-Sitosterol (3.62%), 1,3-Benzodioxole, 5-(1-Propenyl)- (3.61%), Thiophene, 2-Isobutyl-5-Isopentyl- (3.28%), Phenol, 2-Methoxy-4-(1-Propenyl)- (3.03%), Tetradecanoic Acid (2.96%), Phenol, 2,6-Dimethoxy-4-(2-Propenyl)- (2.74%), Phosphonic Acid, (P-Hydroxyphenyl)- (2.21%), Furan, 2-Methoxy- (1.97%), Squalene (1.83%), Z,Z-6,28-Heptatriactontadien-2-One (1.72%), Bis(2-Methoxyethyl) Phthalate (1.55%), etc. The result showed that the 600°C pyrolyzate of acetone/ethanol extractives of Moso bamboo root is rich in biomedical components, and also contains some bioactive components which can be used as top value-added materials of high-grade spice, cosmetic and food industry.


Random-source DNA samples obtained from naturally infected laboratory mice (n=381) were evaluated by PCR and RFLP analysis to determine the prevalence of murine parvovirus strains circulating in contemporary laboratory mouse colonies. Mouse parvovirus (MPV) was detected in 77% of samples, Minute virus of mice (MVM) was detected in 16% of samples and both MVM and MPV were detected in 7% of samples. MVMm, a strain recently isolated from clinically ill NOD-mu chain knockout mice, was detected in 91% of MVM-positive samples, with the Cutter strain of MVM (MVMc) detected in the remaining samples. The prototypic and immunosuppressive strains of MVM were not detected in any of the samples. MPV-1 was detected in 78% of the MPV-positive samples and two newly identified murine parvoviruses, tentatively named MPV-2 and MPV-3, were detected in 21 and 1% of the samples, respectively. The DNA sequence encompassing coding regions of the viral genome and the predicted protein sequences for MVMm, MPV-2 and MPV-3 were determined and compared with those of other rodent parvovirus strains and LuIII parvovirus. The genomic organization for the newly identified viral strains was similar to that of other rodent parvoviruses, and nucleotide sequence identities indicated that MVMm was most similar to MVMc (96.1%), MPV-3 was most similar to hamster parvovirus (HaPV) (98.1%) and MPV-2 was most similar to MPV-1 (95.3%). The genetic similarity of MPV-3 and HaPV suggests that HaPV epizootics in hamsters may result from cross-species transmission, with mice as the natural rodent host for this virus.


Experiments explore guiding of intense laser pulses, optimization using channel formation beams and gas jet targets, and the interplay of channel guiding and relativistic self guiding. Impact on laser wakefield particle acceleration is being assessed.


Methodology and Archaeometry (MetArh) is an annual scientific conference organized since 2013 by the Department of Archaeology of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, and the Croatian Archaeological Society. The goal of the conference is to entice interdisciplinarity, critical thinking, new insights and approaches as well as new theoretical frameworks in contemporary archaeological science.
 This, second edition of the conference Proceedings contains eight scientific papers from the 6th MetArh conference which was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, from 6th - 7th of December 2018. Papers are focused on different aspects of archaeological methodology and archaeometry, including case studies from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece and Russia. In order to create a volume of high scientific quality, each of the conference paper was reviewed in the peer review process in which the identity of both reviewers and authors, as well as their institutions, are respectfully concealed from both parties.


Using the time series data from 1990-2011, this paper is an attempt to explore the relationship between economic conditions and criminal activities in Pakistan. Three variables are being used for economic conditions like increasing female employment in labor market, CPI which denotes inflation and income inequality. We check their relationship with total reported crime with reference to Pakistan. The Augmented Dicky Fuller test is used for unit root process which suggested that all the variables are stationary at the 1st level. For the long run relationship Johanson-Cointegration technique has been applied. After statistical procedure results suggested that female employment, inflation and the Gini index are strongly related with crime. Coefficient of Gini index is high which means that in long-run income inequality affects the crime more than other two because income inequality is a long-run phenomenon so it affect the criminal activities with great magnitude. Vector Correction Model (VCM) has been applied to check the short-run relationship between variables. VCM results suggested that the model we estimate is divergent. Divergent model mean that there is no adjustment from long-run to short-run between variables as they are going away from
equilibrium. If we increase the lag length, the model can become divergent but due to crime
data unavailability it was difficult to increase the observations and the lags as well. Research
paper gives evidence that economic conditions have significant impact on crimes and increasing
female employment which is considered as labor market improvement is positively related with crime in Pakistan. This relationship may be the result of market imperfections. Moreover inflation by
decreasing purchasing power and income inequality by increasing the gap between social classes is
also the cause of increasing crime and they contribute significantly in crime situation of country.


The El Nino–La Nina asymmetry was estimated in the 10 different models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). Large differences in the "asymmetricity" (a variance-weighted skewness) of SST anomalies are found between models and observations. Most of the coupled models underestimate the nonlinearity and only a few exhibit the positively skewed SST anomalies over the tropical eastern Pacific as seen in the observation. A significant association between the nonlinear dynamical heating (NDH) and asymmetricity in the model–ENSO indices is found, inferring that asymmetricity is caused mainly by NDH. Among the 10 models, one coupled GCM simulates the asymmetricity of the tropical SST realistically, and its simulation manifests a strong relationship between the intensity and the propagating feature of ENSO—the strong ENSO events moving eastward and the weak ENSO events moving westward—which is consistent with the observation. Interestingly, the coupled general circulation models, of which the ocean model is based on the one used by Bryan and Cox, commonly showed the reasonably positive skewed ENSO. The decadal changes in the skewness, variance, and NDH of the model-simulated ENSO are also observed. These three quantities over the tropical eastern Pacific are significantly correlated to each other, indicating that the decadal change in ENSO variability is closely related to the nonlinear process of ENSO. It is also found that these decadal changes in ENSO variability are related to the decadal variation in the tropical Pacific SST, implying that the decadal change in the El Nino–La Nina asymmetry could manifest itself as a rectified change in the background state.


We connect the study of pseudodeterministic algorithms to two major open problems about the structural complexity of BPTIME: proving hierarchy theorems and showing the existence of complete problems. Our main contributions can be summarised as follows. A new pseudorandom generator and its consequences. We build on techniques developed to prove hierarchy theorems for probabilistic time with advice (Fortnow and Santhanam, FOCS 2004) to construct the first unconditional pseudorandom generator of polynomial stretch computable in pseudodeterministic polynomial time (with one bit of advice) that is secure infinitely often against polynomial-time computations. As an application of this construction, we obtain new results about the complexity of generating and representing prime numbers. For instance, we show unconditionally for each ε > 0 that infinitely many primes pn have a succinct representation in the following sense: there is a fixed probabilistic polynomial time algorithm that generates pn with high probability from its succinct representation of size O(|pn|ε). This offers an exponential improvement over the running time of previous results, and shows that infinitely many primes have succinct and efficient representations. Structural results for probabilistic time from pseudodeterministic algorithms. Oliveira and Santhanam (STOC 2017) established unconditionally that there is a pseudodeterministic algorithm for the Circuit Acceptance Probability Problem (CAPP) that runs in sub-exponential time and is correct with high probability over any samplable distribution on circuits on infinitely many input lengths. We show that improving this running time or obtaining a result that holds for every large input length would imply new time hierarchy theorems for probabilistic time. In addition, we prove that a worst-case polynomial-time pseudodeterministic algorithm for CAPP would imply that BPP has complete problems. Equivalence between pseudodeterministic constructions and hierarchies. We establish an equivalence between a certain explicit pseudodeterministic construction problem and the existence of strong hierarchy theorems for probabilistic time. More precisely, we show that pseudodeterministically constructing in exponential time strings of large rKt complexity (Oliveira, ICALP 2019) is possible if and only if for every constructive function T(n) ≤ exp(o(exp(n))) we have BPTIME[poly(T)] ⊈ i.o.BPTIME[T]/logT. More generally, these results suggest new approaches for designing pseudodeterministic algorithms for search problems and for unveiling the structure of probabilistic time.


This study identifies and compares the distribution of mononuclear cells in the mammary gland tissues and milk of healthy and chronically infected with Staphylococcus aureus cows. Somatic cell counts (SCCs) during the 3 months before the study were >1 · 10 cell/ml in the infected quarters and <1 · 10 cell/ml in the infection-free quarters. Immediately after slaughter, samples from the tissues above the gland cistern and supra-mammary lymph node were collected. No histological differences were found between the supra-mammary lymph nodes of the healthy and infected udders, and both appeared normal. In the milk of the healthy infection-free mammary glands, SCC was <50 000 cells/ml) while epithelial cells were the predominant type. The percentage of CD18 was low than 45%, of which over three-quarters were polymorphonuclear (PMN), and less than onequarter were mononuclear cells. The later comprised CD4 or CD8 T-lymphocytes, macrophages (Mo) but not B-cells. In the tissues, there were few CD18 leukocytes, and most of the cells were T-lymphocytes. The number of B-lymphocytes bearing CD21 was similar to that of CD8 and were localized in the connective tissue as clusters of 2–5 cells, mainly in areas with no alveoli, or as single cell having a dendritic like form. The number of Mos was negligible. In the milk of the infected glands, SCC exceeded 700 000 cells/ml, of which >95% were CD18 positive. The distribution of the leukocytes had two patterns: one presented (>80%) of PMN cells and a small number of mononuclear cells; the second had less than 50% PMN and many mononuclear cells. The CD8 cells in these infected sections were observed throughout the mammary epithelial cells (MEc) around the alveoli and in the alveolar lumen (AL). The numbers and the location of CD21 B-lymphocytes were similar to those in the infection-free mammary glands. The number of CD5 positive cells was lower than T and Bcells combined and were located throughout the mammary epithelial cells, around the alveoli and within the connective tissue. Mo numbers were high in most of those infected quarters, and were localized around the connective tissue and within the AL.


This paper tests a factor pricing model for stock returns. The factors are returns on physical investment, inferred from investment data via a production function. The tests examine the model's ability to explain the variation in expected returns across assets and over time. The model is not rejected. It performs about as well as the CAPM and the Chen, Roll and Ross factor model, and it performs substantially better than a simple consumption-based model. In comparison tests, the investment return factors drive out all the other models. The paper also provides an easy technique for estimating and testing dynamic, conditional asset pricing models. All one has to do is include factors and returns scaled by instruments in an unconditional estimate. This procedure imposes none of the usual restrictions on conditional moments, and does not require prewhitened or orthogonalized factors.


A trichobezoar is a bezoar ( a mass found tapped in the gastrointestinal system) formed from the ingestion of hair. Trichobezoars are often associated with trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling). Trichobezoars are rare, but can be fatal if undected1,2. Surgical intervention is often required. Gastric outlet obstruction (G.O.O) is one of the presenting complaints of trichobezoars in the stomach. Patients with this condition often have an underlying psychiatric illness & history may not be easily forthcoming. This condition mainly occurs in young female. We are presenting a case of gastric outlet obstruction in a young female of 25 years old. After taking history, clinical examination, necessary investigation it seemed to be a case of trichobezoar. Laparatomy done under general anaesthesia, then opened the stomach and found it was a case of trichobezoar.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, December 2017, Vol.9(2); 85-87


This paper aimed at assessing phonological awareness in elementary school children, in order to examine criterion validity evidences through comparing grades, and also to identify differences related to gender and age. Participants were 221 children aged 6 to 12 years (M=8.53; SD=1.40), who individually responded to Roteiro de Avaliacao da Consciencia Fonologica (RACF), a screening instrument. Out of 15 possible scores, children scored an average of 11.23 (SD=2.60), finding greater difficulty in identifying intermediate sounds of words. The ANOVA indicated significant differences between grades [F(3,218)=18,66; p<0,001], with higher scoring for students in more advanced levels, which constitutes evidence of criterion validity for the instrument. The average scores of boys and girls were not significantly different, and in relation to age, older children had higher averages. It is suggested that further studies are conducted with larger and varied samples, as a way to also


: This paper presents a novel approach to the design verification of Software Product Lines(SPL). The proposed approach assumes that the requirements and designs are modeled as finite state machines with variability information. The variability information at the requirement and design levels are expressed differently and at different levels of abstraction. Also the proposed approach supports verification of SPL in which new features and variability may be added incre-mentally. Given the design and requirements of an SPL, the proposed design verification method ensures that every product at the design level behaviorally conforms to a product at the requirement level. The conformance procedure is compositional in the sense that the verification of an entire SPL consisting of multiple features is reduced to the verification of the individual features. The method has been implemented and demonstrated in a prototype tool SPLEnD (SPL Engine for Design Verification) on a couple of fairly large case studies.


: An efficient procedure for the isolation of reduced delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV) from culture supernatants of beta-lactam antibiotic-producing microorganisms is described. The method utilises covalent chromatography to isolate thiols from culture broths that have been deproteinised and undergone borohydride reduction. 2-Pyridyl disulphide activated thiopropyl Sepharose was employed batchwise to isolate the thiols present in such broths from cultures of the known ACV excreter Cephalosporium acremonium N2 and the penicillin producer Penicillium chrysogenum P2. ACV was separated from these mixtures of thiols by gel permeation chromatography. Reversed-phase HPLC analysis showed the ACV to be of a high purity unless isolated from a highly complex culture medium.


Accurate osteotomy and implantation are important in total knee arthroplasty (TKA); misalignments have traditionally been reported to lead to early failure in TKA (1,2). Although the mechanical alignment method is traditionally recognized as the gold standard, kinematically aligned TKAs have recently gained a great interest for achieving better clinical outcomes (3,4). The primary goal of kinematically aligned TKA is to position the femoral and tibial components so that the angles and levels of the distal and posterior femoral joint lines and the tibial joint line are each restored to the patient's natural alignment, avoiding a neutral limb alignment unnatural to most patients (5,6).


In modern production, milling is considered the widespread cutting process in the formatting field. It remains important to study this manufacturing process as it can be subject to some parasitic phenomena that can degrade surface roughness of the machined part, increase tool wear and reduce spindle life span. In fact, the best quality work piece is obtained with a suitable choice of parameters and cutting conditions. In another hand, the study of tool vibrations and the cutting force attitude is related to the study of bearings as they present an essential part in the spindle system. In this work, a modeling of a High Speed Milling (HSM) spindle supported by two pair of Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB) is presented. The spindle is modeled by Timoshenko beam finite elements where six degrees of freedom are taken into account. The rigid displacements are also introduced in the modeling. Gyroscopic and centrifugal terms are included in the general equation. The bearings reaction forces are modeled as linear functions of journal displacement and velocity in the bearing clearance. A cutting force model for peripheral milling is proposed to estimate the tool-tip dynamic responses as well as dynamic cutting forces which are also numerically investigated. The time history of response, orbit, FFT diagram at the tool-tip center and the bearings dynamic coefficients are plotted to analyze dynamic behavior of the spindle.


No familial cases of epilepsy associated with bilateral occipital calcifications (EBOC) have been reported so far. This paper describes the clinical, electrophysiological and radiological study of two sisters affected by partial epilepsy, one with unilateral and the other with bilateral occipital calcifications. Celiac disease was excluded in both patients, even though they presented the same HLA pattern usually found in coeliac subjects.


An automatic forest-stand selection method was developed that integrates the procurement of profitable energy sources within a sustainable energy production system. We tested the method using a forest harvester simulator. We found that site-specific estimates of forest characteristics are important when predicting the potential of an energy-wood stand as a renewable energy source. Further, tree parameters can be combined with automatic stem measurements from a multiple-tree harvester to predict the energy-wood biomass in the stands. The selection process uses data from profitability studies. The selection process also uses environmental criteria to ensure that sufficient soil organic matter is left behind and to protect the soil against erosion. The integrated system of the harvester automatically adapts the system's models and stand-selection rules to account for various site-specific stand parameters. Predicting the profitable and environmentally acceptable yield of stand biomass has great potential in sustainable forest resource management, but managers must decide whether the operational procurement guidelines provided by the stand-selection method is acceptable under their local real-world wood procurement conditions.


A novel extract from green coffee beans is disclosed which contains polyphenols and bioactive compounds e.g. chlorogenic acids in a significantly higher concentration (70-80%) than in extracts of prior art methods (40-50%). The extract has greater ability to quench oxidative stress and destroy free radicals and offers health benefits due to its anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-tumor and anti-acid properties. The higher concentration of bioactive compounds has been achieved by use of polar solvents having polarity less than that of alcohols used for extraction viz. methanol or ethanol. The use of such solvents of lower polarity such as n-Butyl alcohol, ethyl acetate or acetone results in extraction of enriched chlorogenic acid fractions into the extract, leaving polar impurities behind in aqueous medium. The extract obtained has significantly higher content of polyphenols and chlorogenic acids ranging from 70-80% and a distinctive HPLC profile as shown in Fig.2.


The users of mobile phone are exponentially increasing. The applications are developed every day in a variety of domains to enhance the Quality of User Experience (QoUE) along with utility determinants. The design of the mobile application impacts the QoUE. QoUE in mobile applications is a measure that describes the appropriateness of the purpose of the application and the need for user retention. However, the challenge is to identify, understand, focus and interconnect the variety of determinants influencing the QoUE based on mobile application design. These determinants are based on the diversity of users and the related functional needs, user-specific needs, and background functioning of the application. The modelling and analysis help mobile application developers to improve, increase and retain user engagement on the app based on improved QoUE. To do so, a qualitative analytical method is employed in the following steps. The first ever Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) is proposed to show the causal-effect links of the interdependent determinants in mobile applications based on QoUE. In our model, the existence of relationships between determinants relies on a thorough literature review. The weight of these links is estimated by users of different ages and lines of work. This is performed by an empirical study based on a questionnaire filled by experts. The questionnaire is based on the formal utility and perceived QoUE-based topics. Finally, scenario-based analysis on formed FCM based on these inputs is performed. We show that small changes in cases using different direct determinants can be used to enhance QoUE. These changes can be studied before launching an application for the user, thereby limiting the need to rework the improvements based on QoUE and providing useful guidance for the possible increase in user base and behaviour change.


This paper represents to develop a new Radix Based FFT Algorithm for the analysis of Multiband OFDM and their FPGA parameters calculation, in order to reduce the complexity for the efficient operation of multiband -OFDM. This brief compares the use of multiplier less and DSP slice-based cross-correlation for IEEE 802.16d orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) timing synchronization on Xilinx Virtex6 and Spartan-6 #64257eld programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The natural approach, given the availability of embedded DSP blocks on these FPGAs, would be to implement standard multiplier-based cross-correlation. However, this can consume a signi#64257cant number of DSP blocks, which may not #64257t on low-power devices. Hence, we compare a DSP48E1 slice based design to four different quantization of multiplier less correlation in terms of resource utilization and power consumption. OFDM timing synchronization accuracy is evaluated for each system at different signal to-noise ratios. Results show that even relatively coarse multiplier less co-efficient quantization can yield accurate timing synchronization, and does so at high clock speeds. Multiplier less designs enjoy reduced power consumption over the DSP48E1 Slice-based design.


The object of this paper is to analyze the rapid expansion in outflows of foreign direct investment from India and the spurt in foreign acquisitions by Indian firms, during the past decade, situated in the wider context of international investment from developing countries. It finds that the sectoral-composition and geographical distribution of outward foreign direct investment from India provides two sharp contrasts with that from developing countries: much of it was in manufacturing activities and most of it was in industrialized countries. These characteristics were mirrored in the pattern of foreign acquisitions by Indian firms. The economic stimulus and the strategic motive for the internationalization of firms from India was provided by a range of underlying factors driving the process: market access for exports, horizontal or vertical integration, delivery of services, capturing international brand names, access to technology, sourcing raw materials and global leadership aspirations. The significance of these factors differs across sectors, even firms. It is clear, however, that the rapid growth in foreign direct investment outflows from India that began circa 2000 and the spurt in foreign acquisitions by Indian firms that began circa 2005 were both, in part, attributable to the conjunctural factors implicit in the liberalization of the policy regime and the greater access to financial markets. But it must be recognized that Indian firms could not have become international without the capacity and the ability to compete in the world market. The attributes of Indian firms, which created such capacities and abilities, are embedded in the past and have emerged over a much longer period of time. This internationalization of firms from India has economic implications, both positive and negative, at a microlevel for firms and at a macro-level for the economy.


Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) conducted a watching brief on six test pits
along the proposed route of an electricity cable, running along a disused railway
embankment to the south of Avenham Park on the south side of Preston (SD 5378 2849
– SD 5411 2742). The Lancashire Sites and Monuments Record (SMR 6611) suggested
that the railway embankment may have been built upon, and the site of an earlier viaduct
on the Preston to Blackburn line (Ordnance Survey 1849, Fig 2) which may have been
incorporated within it.
The test pits revealed successive layers of construction material, some of which had
varying amounts of demolition rubble within them. Only test pit 4 showed a distinct
concentration of demolition rubble, including brick and sandstone fragments, but no
structural remains of the viaduct were revealed.
The proposed development route for the electricity cable is unlikely to impact upon any
surviving archaeological remains of the viaduct within the parameters of excavation to a
depth of 1m for the laying of the cable. There is little evidence to suggest that the
viaduct survives at all. It is recommended that no further archaeological investigations
are necessary for this proposed development.


Nanoparticles (NPs) based on host compound NaYF4 with core@shell structures were synthesised by the precipitation reaction in high-boiling point octadecene/oleic acid solvent. Four laser wavelengths were used (808, 975, 1208, or 1532 nm) for excitation of the obtained NPs. The resulting emission and mechanisms responsible for spectroscopic properties were studied in detail. Depending on NP compositions, i.e. type of doping ion (Er3+, Tm3+, or Yb3+) or presence of dopants in the same or different phases, adjustable up-conversion (UC) could be obtained with emission peaks covering the visible to near-infrared range (475 to 1625 nm). The presented results demonstrated multifunctionality of the prepared NPs. NaYF4:2%Tm3+@NaYF4 NPs exhibited emission at 700 and 1450 nm under 808 nm laser excitation or 800 and 1625 nm emission under 1208 nm laser radiation, as a result of ground- and excited-state absorption processes (GSA and ESA, respectively). However, NaYF4:5%Er3+,2%Tm3+@NaYF4 NPs showed the most interesting properties, as they can convert all studied laser wavelengths due to the absorption of Tm3+ (808, 1208 nm) or Er3+ ions (808, 975, 1532 nm), revealing a photon avalanche process under 1208 nm laser excitation, as well as GSA and ESA at other excitation wavelengths. The NaYF4:2%Tm3+@NaYF4:5%Er3+ NPs revealed the resultant emission properties, as the dopant ions were separated within core and shell phases. The NaYF4:18%Yb3+,2%Tm3+@NaYF4 and NaYF4:18%Yb3+,2%Tm3+@NaYF4:5%Er3+ samples showed the brightest emission, around 800 nm, under 975 nm excitation, though other laser wavelengths allowed for observation of luminescence, as well, especially in NPs with Er3+ in the outer shell, capable of UC under 1532 nm. The presented results highlight the unique and universal properties of lanthanide ions for designing luminescent NPs for a variety of potential applications, such as confocal microscopy.


Introduction and objective The BALTI-Prevention Trial1 translational sub-study (recruitment completed in 2011) and VINDALOO Trial2 (recruitment completed in 2015) both used oesophagectomy as a model for investigation of the pharmacological prevention of ARDS. The VINDALOO trial showed a lower ARDS incidence independent of the agents evaluated. Our objective was to characterise this difference. Methods Databases from both trials were available and additional information was obtained retrospectively from hospital records. Analysis was performed using appropriate statistical tests. Results There was a substantially higher ARDS incidence in BALTI-P compared to VINDALOO (RR 1.17 (1.08–1.28)) (Figure 1). There were more never (21 versus 7) and fewer current (12 versus 25) smokers in the VINDALOO group (p = 0.003). Perioperative risk scores did not differ between groups (P-POSSUM mortality p = 0.98, P-POSSUM morbidity p = 0.87, O-POSSUM p = 0.58), nor did use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 1.0). The incidence of serious complications (Clavien-Dindo score of four or more), was not different between the two groups (RR 1.15 (0.94–1.40)). Univariate analysis of the combined groups showed risk factors for ARDS not using regional anaesthesia (OR 3.2 (1.0–9.8) p = 0.038) and current smoking (OR 3.0 (1.1–8.3) p = 0.038). Abstract S15 Figure 1 ARDS incidence was higher in the BALTI-Prevention compared to the VINDALOO trial (p = 0.004) Conclusion Smoking is an environmental risk factor for ARDS and changing patterns in smoking behaviour appear important in these perioperative cohorts. Other studies have demonstrated that aggregates of small but important changes in care can cumulatively make a significant difference to risk of nosocomial ARDS and our data suggests that this may have resulted in a reduction in perioperative ARDS in this group. Our study has demonstrated that ARDS incidence post oesophagectomy has fallen. In future, trials utilising oesophagectomy as a model of ARDS should consider selection of a defined higher-risk sub-set of patients. References Perkins G, et al. The beta agonist lung injury trial prevention. A randomised controlled trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2014;189(6):674–683. Parekh D, et al. Vitamin D to prevent acute lung injury following oesophagectomy (VINDALOO): study protocol for a randomised placebo controlled trial. Trials 2013;14(100). doi:10.1186/1745-6215-1114-1100.


A QSAR algorithm (PCANN) has been developed and applied to a set of calcium channel blockers which are of special interest because of their role in cardiac disease and also because many of them interact with P-glycoprotein, a membrane protein associated with multidrug resistance to anticancer agents. A database of 46 1,4-dihydropyridines with known Ca2+ channel binding affinities was employed for the present analysis. The QSAR algorithm can be summarized as follows: (1) a set of 90 graph theoretic and information theoretic descriptors representing various structural and topological characteristics was calculated for each of the 1,4-dihydropyridines and (2) principal component analysis (PCA) was used to compress these 90 into the eight best orthogonal composite descriptors for the database. These eight sufficed to explain 96% of the variance in the original descriptor set. (3) Two important empirical descriptors, the Leo-Hansch lipophilic constant and the Hammet electronic parameter, were added to the list of eight. (4) The 10 resulting descriptors were used as inputs to a back-propagation neural network whose output was the predicted binding affinity. (5) The predictive ability of the network was assessed by cross-validation. A comparison of the present approach with two other QSAR approaches (multiple linear regression using the same variables and a Hologram QSAR model) is made and shows that the PCANN approach can yield better predictions, once the right network configuration is identified. The present approach (PCANN) may prove useful for rapid assessment of the potential for biological activity when dealing with large chemical libraries.


Background Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) are a growing population with a higher prevalence of insomnia than women of the same age without a history of cancer. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to be effective in this population, but it is not widely available to those who need it. Objective This study aimed to better understand BCSs' experiences with insomnia and to explore the feasibility and acceptability of delivering CBT-I using a virtual assistant (Amazon Alexa). Methods We first conducted a formative phase with 2 focus groups and 3 in-depth interviews to understand BCSs' perceptions of insomnia as well as their interest in and comfort with using a virtual assistant to learn about CBT-I. We then developed a prototype incorporating participant preferences and CBT-I components and demonstrated it in group and individual settings to BCSs to evaluate acceptability, interest, perceived feasibility, educational potential, and usability of the prototype. We also collected open-ended feedback on the content and used frequencies to describe the quantitative data. Results We recruited 11 BCSs with insomnia in the formative phase and 14 BCSs in the prototype demonstration. In formative work, anxiety, fear, and hot flashes were identified as causes of insomnia. After prototype demonstration, nearly 79% (11/14) of participants reported an interest in and perceived feasibility of using the virtual assistant to record sleep patterns. Approximately two-thirds of the participants thought lifestyle modification (9/14, 64%) and sleep restriction (9/14, 64%) would be feasible and were interested in this feature of the program (10/14, 71% and 9/14, 64%, respectively). Relaxation exercises were rated as interesting and feasible using the virtual assistant by 71% (10/14) of the participants. Usability was rated as better than average, and all women reported that they would recommend the program to friends and family. Conclusions This virtual assistant prototype delivering CBT-I components by using a smart speaker was rated as feasible and acceptable, suggesting that this prototype should be fully developed and tested for efficacy in the BCS population. If efficacy is shown in this population, the prototype should also be adapted for other high-risk populations.


This study investigates relationships between platelet reactivity and coronary blood flow obstruction in stable angina pectoris. Consented were 36 patients with single-vessel disease. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group (n = 14) had less severe (< = 80%) and the second group (n = 22) had severe coronary flow impairment (90%). Before elective coronary angiography platelet in vitro reactivity in venous whole blood was determined using a flow cytometry technique. A thrombin-receptor activating peptide (TRAP-6) (0.77 and 0.06 g/l) and ADP (8.5 and 1.7 µmol/l) were used to activate platelets. The number of fibrinogen positive cells (%) i.e., activated platelets after stimulation was employed as experimental parameter. Less severe flow obstruction was associated with more reactive platelets. When stimulating with 0.77 g/l TRAP-6 the number of activated platelets was 64 ± 15 (SD)%. The corresponding value for the group with severe flow obstruction was 40 ± 17(SD)%. The difference is significant (P < 0.001). 0.06 g/l TRAP-6 yielded similar results (P < 0.01). Also when using 8.5 µmol/l ADP to challenge platelets less severe flow obstruction was associated with enhanced reactivity (P < 0.01). 1.7 µmol/l ADP generated comparable results (P < 0.05). Thus, in stable angina pectoris coronary flow obstruction is inversely related to platelet reactivity.


This paper proposes a double fiber taper-based mode converter that converts LP(01) to LP(02) and vice versa. The first taper is used to convert LP(01) to some higher order LP(0m) (m>1) modes while the second taper suppresses the undesired higher order modes (m>2) and results in LP(02) overwhelmingly dominated. A simulation shows that conversion efficiency of almost 100% at the central wavelength of O-, S-, and C-Band, and above 98% over the S- and C-Band was achieved. Moreover, suppression of undesired higher order modes is more than 10 dB over the whole O-, S-, and C-Band. In particular, the suppression is more than 19 dB for the whole C-Band. The analysis also shows that the performance of the mode converter is not sensitive to slight variations of the converter's parameters. The same converter also can be used to convert LP(02) back to LP(01). It is shown that conversion efficiency higher than 99% and suppression of undesired higher order modes higher than 30 dB can be obtained. Further, a (de)multiplexer for an LP(02) and an LP(01) mode was designed using the mode converter combined with a symmetric directional coupler. The multiplexer is broadband and has an insertion loss less than 0.5 dB in the C-Band.


A classic dynamic asset allocation problem optimizes the expected final-time utility of wealth, for an individual who can invest in a risky stock and a risk-free bond, trading continuously in time. Recently, several authors considered the corresponding static asset allocation problem in which the individual cannot trade but can invest in options as well as the underlying. The optimal static strategy can never do better than the optimal dynamic one. Surprisingly, however, for some market models the two approaches are equivalent. When this happens the static strategy is clearly preferable, since it avoids any impact of market frictions. This paper examines the question: when, exactly, are the static and dynamic approaches equivalent? We give an easily tested necessary and sufficient condition, and many non-trivial examples. Our analysis assumes that the stock follows a scalar diffusion process, and uses the completeness of the resulting market model. A simple special case is when the drift and volatility depend only on time; then the two approaches are equivalent precisely if (μ (t)− r)/σ2(t) is constant. This is not the Sharpe ratio or the market price of risk, but rather a nondimensional ratio of excess return to squared volatility that arises naturally in portfolio optimization problems.


This paper deals with issues arising from a central theme in contemporary computer modeling – visualization. We first tie visualization to varieties of modeling along the continuum from iconic to symbolic and then focus on the notion that our models are so intrinsically complex that there are many different types of visualization that might be developed in their understanding and implementation. This focuses the debate on the very way of 'doing science' in that patterns and processes of any complexity can be better understood through visualizing the data, the simulations, and the outcomes that such models generate. As we have grown more sensitive to the problem of complexity in all systems, we are more aware that the twin goals of parsimony and verifiability which have dominated scientific theory since the 'Enlightenment' are up for grabs: good theories and models must 'look right' despite what our statistics and causal logics tell us. Visualization is the cutting edge of this new way of thinking about science but its styles vary enormously with context. Here we define three varieties: visualization of complicated systems to make things simple or at least explicable which is the role of pedagogy; visualization to explore unanticipated outcomes and to refine processes that interact in unanticipated ways; and visualization to enable end users with no prior understanding of the science but a deep understating of the problem to engage in using models for prediction, prescription, and control. We illustrate these themes with a model of an agricultural market which is the basis of modern urban economics – the von Thunen model of land rent and density; a model of urban development based on interacting spatial and temporal processes of land development – the DUEM model; and a pedestrian model of human movement at the fine scale where control of such movements to meet standards of public safety is intrinsically part of the model about which the controllers know intimately.


The coke combustion rate in an iron ore sintering process is one of the most important determining factors of quality and productivity. Biomass carbon material is considered to be a coke substitute with a lower CO2 emission in the sintering process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combustion rate of a biomass carbon material and to use a sintering simulation model to calculate its temperature profile. The samples were prepared using alumina powder and woody biomass powder. To simplify the experimental conditions, alumina powder, which cannot be reduced, was prepared as a substitute of iron ore. Combustion experiments were carried out in the open at 1073 K~1523 K. The results show that the combustion rates of the biomass carbon material were higher than that of coke. The results were analyzed using an unreacted core model with one reaction interface. The kinetic analysis found that the kc of charcoal was higher than that of coke. It is believed that the larger surface area of charcoal may affect its combustion rate. The analysis of the sintering simulation results shows that the high temperature range of charcoal was smaller than that of coke because of charcoal's low fixed carbon content and density.


AIM
In schizophrenia, metabolic syndrome incidence is double that of the general population, with women having a higher incidence. Pharmacogenetically regulated folic acid may be related to this risk. DNA methylation and metabolic syndrome within this group has not been previously studied.

METHODS
Metabolic syndrome was evaluated with fasting laboratory measurements, and dietary and lifestyle assessments. Methylation analysis used a peripheral sample for the LINE-1 assay. DNA was also genotyped for MTHFR 677C/T.

RESULTS
This analysis included 133 subjects. We found a significant relationship between LINE-1 methylation, and an interaction between MTHFR and gender, controlling for serum folate (p = 0.008). Females with the 677TT genotype had the lowest methylation (56%) compared with the other groups (75%).

CONCLUSION
TT genotype females had the lowest methylation, which may explain metabolic syndrome gender differences in schizophrenia. Folate supplementation may be a suggested intervention within schizophrenia; however, additional work is required.


We introduce a complementary-medium-based matched filter synthesized through transformation optics (TO) for the recognition of nanopatterns at visible frequencies. The recognition is independent of the spatial position of the nanopatterns and is unrelated to the existence of other noise structures. Analytical results are verified by numerical simulations. Our results can linearly scale down to much smaller nanopatterns and may inspire new interesting applications of TO in biology, medicine, and chemistry for nondestructive and label-free discrimination imaging of biological cells, protein macromolecules, and organic tissues with linear optical systems instead of nonlinear optics.


With the growth of Internet and technology in the past decade, online learning has become increasingly popular and evolved. Online examination is an integral and vital component of online learning. Student assessment in online learning is largely submitted remotely without any face-to-face interaction and therefore, student authentication is widely seen as one of the major challenges. This study aims to investigate potential threats to student authentication in the online examinations and analyzing the benefits and limitations of the existing authentication approaches. We propose the use of challenge questions for student authentication in the online examinations. For this purpose, we designed a profile based authentication framework (PBAF) together with a user-id and password for the authentication of students during online examinations, utilizing a cohort of personal and academic questions as challenge questions. We conducted an empirical study on a group of online students from local and overseas Universities. The result shows the impact of questions type on the usability, in particular the amount of time taken by the introduction of the proposed approach. We also conducted a post experiment survey to collect student feedback on the proposed technique.


Objective In this study, we investigated the prognostic role of interim fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (I-PET/CT) and BCL2 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. Materials and methods A total of 106 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL underwent PET/CT scans at baseline and a subsequent I-PET/CT after the fourth cycle of chemotherapy. I-PET/CT was analyzed using the Deauville five-point score. The prognostic significance of I-PET/CT and BCL2 was evaluated by predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results With a median follow-up of 25 months, the 2-year PFS and OS were 78 and 95% in the I-PET/CT-negative group and 33 and 57% in the I-PET/CT-positive group (P<0.001). Patients with BCL2 positivity showed a shorter PFS than the BCL2-negative patients (P=0.002), but not in OS (P=0.068). In multivariate analysis, I-PET/CT and BCL2 were independent variables in assessing the outcome of PFS. I-PET/CT was also an independent factor for OS. Irrespective of the results of BCL2, patients with I-PET/CT positivity had a significant inferior outcome than the I-PET/CT-negative patients. In the I-PET/CT-negative group, patients with BCL2 positivity had a significantly shorter PFS than the BCL2-negative patients (P=0.005). Conclusion I-PET/CT and BCL2 were two significant independent indicators of outcome for patients with DLBCL in the rituximab era. I-PET/CT was much better than BCL2 for patient stratification. BCL2 showed its supplementary role for further patient stratification when I-PET/CT was negative.


The German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR) was established in 1980. From 1980 to 1997 4,447 CNS tumours in children below 15 years of age have been reported to the registry. From 1988 to 1997 the average annual incidence was 2.5/100,000 children. This corresponds to 19.2% of the registered diseases. Compared with incidence rates reported from other developed countries one can estimate that there is about 25% underreporting of CNS tumours in the GCCR. This is in contrast to the relatively complete ascertainment of other childhood malignancies (above 95%). Based on 3012 incident cases from 1988 to 1997 the Kaplan-Meier-estimate of 5-year-survival probability is 65% for all CNS tumours and 54% for PNETs and gliomas. An active long-term-follow-up shows that 30% of 142 children with secondary neoplasms following primary lymphoid leukaemias developed a CNS tumour. Following any primary childhood malignancies 45 CNS tumours were recorded, amongst these were one third leukaemias. The paper reports first results from a population based case control study which included 466 children with CNS tumours and 2,458 healthy controls. These indicate an increased risk for children with low birth weight and for children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Additional data can be found in the Internet (http:?info.imsd.uni-mainz.de/K_Krebsregister).


Hypertension is associated with vascular changes characterised by remodelling, endothelial dysfunction and hyperreactivity. Cellular processes underlying these perturbations include altered vascular smooth muscle cell growth and apoptosis, fibrosis, hypercontractility and calcification. Inflammation, associated with macrophage infiltration and increased expression of redox-sensitive pro-inflammatory genes, also contributes to vascular remodelling. Many of these features occur with ageing, and the vascular phenotype in hypertension is considered a phenomenon of 'premature vascular ageing'. Among the many factors involved in the hypertensive vascular phenotype, angiotensin II (Ang II) is especially important. Ang II, previously thought to be the sole effector of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), is converted to smaller peptides [Ang III, Ang IV, Ang-(1-7)] that are biologically active in the vascular system. Another new component of the RAS is the (pro)renin receptor, which signals through Ang-II-independent mechanisms and might influence vascular function. Ang II mediates effects through complex signalling pathways on binding to its G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) AT1R and AT2R. These receptors are regulated by the GPCR-interacting proteins ATRAP, ARAP1 and ATIP. AT1R activation induces effects through the phospholipase C pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinases, tyrosine kinases/phosphatases, RhoA/Rhokinase and NAD(P)H-oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species. Here we focus on recent developments and new research trends related to Ang II and the RAS and involvement in the hypertensive vascular phenotype.