We study how corporate boards set earnings performance targets in CEOs' annual incentive plans (AIPs) and the implications for strategic management earning guidance. We find that corporate boards rely on management and analyst information in setting the earnings performance targets, and the weight placed on each signal increases with its precision. We also find that management earnings guidance issued before compensation committee meetings ("event-window management forecast (MF)") is more pessimistic than that issued by the same firm at other times. The pessimism in the event-window MF is more pronounced when the expected managerial benefits of having lower performance targets are greater. Ex post, the event-window MF pessimism is associated with higher bonus payouts to CEOs. We use a theoretical framework to illustrate how the use of earnings performance targets might drive our findings. This study highlights boards' tradeoffs in designing executive compensation and the resulting managerial strategic disclosure.


Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based materials possess numerous attractive characteristics; however, the application of MOF-based photocatalysts in the area of visible-light photocatalytic H2 evolution is still in its infancy. Herein, we develop a series of novel UiO-66-NH2-based composites with embedded NiO nanoparticles via solvothermal treatment and subsequent calcination. Their characterizations demonstrate intimate lattice-level contacts between UiO-66-NH2 photocatalysts and NiO nanoparticles. By optimizing each component, even without noble metal loading, the U6N-NiO-2 sample (the weight ratio of NiO to U6N-NiO-2 is theoretically calculated to be ca. 10 wt%) with 15 mg eosin Y as a sensitizer causes an enhanced H2 generation rate of 2561.32 μmol h-1 g-1 under visible-light irradiation using TEOA as a sacrificial reagent; furthermore, its corresponding quantum efficiency is as high as 6.4% at 420 nm. The H2 evolution activity of U6N-NiO-2 is about 5 times higher than that of the UiO-66-NH2 photocatalyst (denoted as U6N) and 23 times higher than that of U6N-NiO-2 without sensitizer. It is demonstrated that the high efficiency originates from the visible-light generated electrons of eosin Y and UiO-66-NH2, the efficient separation of carriers by the cascaded band structure and more negative CB of NiO as well as the good dispersion of NiO nanoparticles on the octahedral skeleton. This study provides new insights for the design of MOF-based materials without noble metal loading for visible-light photocatalytic H2 evolution.


Conformational changes of proteins are widely used in nature for controlling cellular functions, including ligand binding, oligomerization, and catalysis. Despite the fact that different proteins and artificial peptides have been utilized as electron-transfer mediators in electronic devices, the unique propensity of proteins to switch between different conformations has not been used as a mechanism to control device properties and performance. Toward this aim, we have designed and prepared new dimeric coiled-coil proteins that adopt different conformations due to parallel or antiparallel relative orientations of their monomers. We show here that controlling the conformation of these proteins attached as monolayers to gold, which dictates the direction and magnitude of the molecular dipole relative to the surface, results in quantitative modulation of the gold work function. Furthermore, charge transport through the proteins as molecular bridges is controlled by the different protein conformations, producing either rectifying or ohmic-like behavior.


We have demonstrated the feasibility of thick BaFe12O19 ceramic films fabricated on silicon (100) substrates. We obtained large area (1-in diameter) thick films (100-200 mum) by using a screen printing technique and amorphous SiO2 or Al2O3 buffer layers. To characterize the microstructural, magnetic, and microwave properties of ferrite films, we employed X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dc magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). We placed our emphasis on investigating silicon diffusion in terms of a depth analysis of composition for different buffer layers. We present and discuss FMR measurements for two polycrystalline samples with different buffer layers. We find that a-Al2O3 is superior to a-SiO2 as a buffer layer in achieving a tradeoff between magnetic and mechanical properties.


The paper analyses the risks of a potential "valley of death" in development of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) for refugees' social integration. Today's refugee crisis is distinct from previous ones because of remarkable refugees' reliance on technology. Therefore, not surprisingly, the effective employment of ICT is often mentioned in conjunction with refugees' integration as a mean of facilitating integrative efforts. While academic literature widely accepts that ICT deployment is especially relevant to refugees' social integration, little is done in terms of understanding that ICT impact requires a convergence of conditions of which ICT is only one of them. The paper questions the extent to which discrepancy between the ICT demand and supply creates a vacuum in the field of ICT for social inclusion. In order to understand parameters that influence efficiency of particular ICT solution for refugees' social integration we use quantitative analytical approach looking at both sides - demand and supply. We put under the magnifying glass performance of ICT mobile solution specifically developed for refugees' social integration, parallel with refugees' testimonials on their everyday mobile usage practices. Finally, after identifying that ICT solution for refugees' social integration is in the "valley of death" this study argues that ICT does not operate alone. Social inclusion is bilateral social process that places demand on both refugees and the hosting society. Keeping that in mind, we call for overcoming simplistic view of the need of ICT development for social change per se, and propose deeper analysis of all parameters necessary for delivering meaningful and effective ICT solution for social change.


Software development depends on many factors, including technical, human and social aspects. Due to the complexity of this dependence, a unifying framework must be defined and for this purpose we adopt the complex networks methodology. We use a data-driven approach based on a large collection of open source software projects extracted from online project development platforms. The preliminary results presented in this article reveal that the network perspective yields key insights into the sustainability of software development.


We present an algorithm that improves the overall performance of compression algorithms by applying low-pass filtering before the compression process and inverse filtering after decompression. Prefiltering images prior to encoding removes high spatial frequencies from the original image, thus increasing the compression ratio of the encoder. The image degradation caused by the filter together with the nonlinear transformation of a typical compression algorithm reduces the entropy of the original image, thus increasing the compression ratio. In addition to improving the compression ratio, the suggested scheme reduces the blocking effect that is common to block-based compression algorithms, such as the Joint Picture Experts Group (JPEG).


When Ben Lee was at Columbia Law School in the 1990s, he spent three months as a summer associate at the law firm then known as Lord, Day & Lord, which had represented the New York Times in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. During those months, Lee listened to the firm's elder partners recount gripping tales of the Sullivan era and depict their role in the epic speech battles that shaped the future of free expression. Hearing these stories, a young Lee dreamed that one day he too would participate in the country's leading speech battles and have a hand in writing the next chapter in freedom of expression.When I met with Lee in August 2013, forty-nine years after Sullivan, he was working on freedom of expression as the top lawyer at Twitter. Twitter and other Internet platforms have been heralded for creating the "new media," what Professor Yochai Benkler calls the "networked public sphere," for enabling billions around the world to publish and read instantly, prompting a world where anyone — you and I included — can be the media simply by breaking, recounting, or spreading news and commentary. Today, freedom of the press means freedom not just for an institutional press but freedom for all of us. The core business functions of Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms turn on expression — no less than the New York Times's. The lawyers working for these companies have business reasons for supporting free expression. Indeed, all of these companies talk about their businesses in the language of free speech. Google's official mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." WordPress.com's corporate mission is to "democrati[z]e publishing." Facebook's is to "give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected."Perhaps even more than other Internet platforms, Twitter thinks of itself as a medium for free speech: its former general counsel calls Twitter "the free speech wing of the free speech party," its CEO calls it the "global town square," its cofounder set out as a default principle against blocking speech that "[t]he [t]weets [m]ust [f]low," and the company instituted a "church-state divide" reminiscent of newspapers separating employees engaged in content from those selling advertising. Lee told me, "I don't know what others think with the phrase 'town square,' but I think about free expression cases."Had Lee been born fifty years earlier, his dream of influencing the future of free speech likely would have inspired him to take a job representing the New York Times or some other leading newspaper at a law firm like Lord Day. Instead, being born to a different time, Lee followed his dream by first taking a job working on free expression at Google, a company with 100 times the market cap of the New York Times and arguably 100 times the influence. While at Google, he worked on free expression alongside other well-known free speech lawyers, including Alex Macgillivray and Nicole Wong, whose influence has been documented in major news profiles. These lawyers must address difficult and novel cases concerning the speech of hundreds of millions of users. They have grappled with these questions on everything from the Occupy Wall Street movement to the publication of WikiLeaks. They have navigated issues from UK local law enforcement measures to Chinese state censorship. These lawyers have earned lots of praise, with reporters hoping their practices would become the "industry standard" and claiming that Twitter "beta-tested a spine." Many reporters credited Twitter's actions to its speech lawyers. Professor Jeffrey Rosen opined that Google's lawyers and executives "exercise far more power over speech than does the [U.S.] Supreme Court" and called an administrative law case (that I worked on) involving the blocking of Internet speech "a model for the free-speech battles of the future."Whether or not Rosen is right that Google lawyers somehow outrank Chief Justice John Roberts, no one should doubt that lawyers like Lee are shaping the future of free expression worldwide.


40Ar/39Ar incremental heating experiments on whole‐rock lunar samples commonly provide evidence of varying degrees of radiogenic 40Ar (40Ar*) loss. However, these experiments provide limited information about whether or not 40Ar* is preferentially lost from specific glasses, minerals, or polyphase domains. Ultraviolet laser ablation microprobe (UVLAMP) 40Ar/39Ar dating and electron probe microanalysis of mineral clasts and polyphase melt assemblages in Apollo 17 poikilitic impact melt rock 77135 show evidence of geochemical controls on 40Ar/39Ar dates. Potassium‐rich glass and K‐feldspar in the mesostasis are the dominant sources for Ar released during low‐temperature steps of published 40Ar/39Ar release spectra for this rock, while pyroxene oikocrysts with enclosed plagioclase chadacrysts contribute Ar predominantly to intermediate‐ to high‐temperature steps. Additionally, UVLAMP analysis of a mm‐scale plagioclase clast demonstrates the potential to use stranded 40Ar* diffusive loss profiles to constrain the thermal evolution of lunar impact melt deposits and indicates that the melt component of 77135 cooled quickly. While some submillimeter clasts of plagioclase are distinctly older than the melt, other small clasts yield dates younger than the oldest melt components in 77135, plausibly due to subgrain fast diffusion pathways and/or 40Ar* loss during brief episodes of reheating at high temperatures. Our data suggest that integrated petrologic and microanalytical geochronologic studies are necessary complements to bulk sample geochronologic studies in order to fully evaluate competing models for the impactor flux during the first billion years of the Moon's evolution.


Representations of numerical value have been assessed by using bounded (e.g., 0–1,000) and unbounded (e.g., 0-?) number-line tasks, with considerable debate regarding whether 1 or both tasks elicit unique cognitive strategies (e.g., addition or subtraction) and require unique cognitive models. To test this, we examined how well a mixed log-linear model accounted for 86 5- to 9-year-olds' estimates on bounded and unbounded number-line tasks and how well it predicted mathematical performance. Compared with mixtures of 4 alternative models, the mixed log-linear model better predicted 76% of individual children's estimates on bounded number lines and 100% of children's estimates on unbounded number lines. Furthermore, the distribution of estimates was fit better by a Bayesian log-linear model than by a Bayesian distributional model that depicted estimates as being anchored to varying number of reference points. Finally, estimates were generally more logarithmic on unbounded than bounded number lines, but logarithmicity scores on both tasks predicted addition and subtraction skills, whereas model parameters of alternative models failed to do so. Results suggest that the logarithmic-to-linear shift theory provides a simple, unified framework for numerical estimation with high descriptive adequacy and yields uniquely accurate predictions for children's early math proficiency.


A study of the food and feeding habits of fishes forms an important aspect
of fishery biological investigations. Some work has been done in the past
on the food and feeding habits of oil sardine, Sardinella longiceps Val.
Hornell (1910) first published an account of the food of oil sardine and also
emphasised the importance of undertaking the study in greater detail.
Hornell and Nayudu (1924) gave a brief account on the food of oil sardine
along with a note on the plankton off West-Hill, Calicut. Subsequent studies
on the food and feeding habits of this fish have been made by Chidambaram
(1950) and Nair (1953) and brief references by John and Menon (1942), Nair
and Subrahmanyan (1955) and Subrahmanyan (1959). Thus, some amount
of reliable information is already available on the food and feeding habits
of the oil sardine. The results published so far do not, however, include any
observations north of Calicut, which is a fishing centre on the Malabar coast-
The present account deals with some preliminary quantitative and qualitative
observations made on the food of Sardinella longiceps Val., at Mangalore,
an important fishing centre representative of the Mysore coast during the
period February 1957 to January 1960.


Objectives: This study aimed to determine sociodemographic correlates of practice towards oral hygiene (OH) among university students in a private university. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among university students in Malaysia using a prevalidated questionnaire. The convenient stratified sampling method was adopted to recruit participants from four main faculties of a private university. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 24.0 was used to analyze the data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the correlates of practice of OH among the study participants. Results: Out of a total of 324 participants, female students had far-good practice towards OH than males. The final year students showed better OH practice than the pre-final years. Among the studied races, the Chinese students had the highest percentage of adequate practice than the rest. Overall, this study found that most of the students had fair to good practice towards OH. Conclusion: Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were present among the six demographic variables. The current study found that age groups, race, faculty, year of education, parents' education, and healthcare professionals in the family were the sociodemographic correlates of practice towards OH among the university students in Malaysia.


In last decades the Steganography is an tremendous progress, at the same time there exist issues to detect the steganalysis in motion based video where the substance is reliably in motion conduct that makes that to detect it. Analyzing the difference between the rated motion value plays a crucial role that enables us to focus on difference between the locally optimal SAD and actual SAD after adding-or-subtracting-one operation on the motion value. Based on the motion vectors to play out the classification and extraction process at last, two features sets are been used based on the fact that most motion vectors are locally optimal for most video codec ' s to complete this process. The conventional approaches announced the technique for proposed prevails to meet the requirement applications and detecting the steganalysis in videos compare in the literature.


2577 The Met receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) is the only high-affinity receptor for the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Met kinase activation can be achieved via HGF stimulation, Met overexpression, or a variety of activating mutations. Met activation subsequently results in pleiotropic responses that, in a cell-context dependent manner, may include cell proliferation, motility, migration, invasion, survival and angiogenesis. While these effects are important for developmental processes, when dysregulated, Met has been shown to promote tumor growth, survival and metastasis. We have identified a series of novel, potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of Met kinase activity exemplified by INCB028060. INCB028060 exhibits pM potency against Met kinase in vitro. The compound is highly specific for Met kinase with > 10,000-fold selectivity over a panel of > 50 human kinases. Using human cancer cell lines derived from tumor types where Met is frequently overexpressed, we find that INCB028060 possesses nM or sub-nM potency in blocking Met phosphorylation as well as phosphorylation of downstream effectors such as ERK, AKT, STAT3, GAB-1 and FAK. As a result, INCB028060 has demonstrated potent inhibition of Met-dependent cell migration, proliferation, and effective induction of apoptosis in tumor cells, while the compound does not inhibit the growth of tumor cells (e.g. SNU-1 gastric cancer) that do not overexpress Met. While INCB028060 does not inhibit EGFR1, EGFR3 and IGF1R directly, treatment with INCB028060 causes a dramatic reduction in phosphorylated EGFR1, EGFR3 and IGF1R in the human Met-dependent SNU5 gastric cancer and H1993 lung cancer cell lines. The data indicate that in cancer cells where the met gene is amplified, the activated Met kinase may have pleiotropic effects on multiple RTK signaling pathways and therefore could play an important role in driving tumor cell growth and survival. INCB028060 has favorable in vitro ADME characteristics and excellent in vivo PK properties. Using Met/HGF-driven xenograft mouse tumor models, we find that oral dosing of INCB028060 results in dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth and the compound is well tolerated in mice at doses that achieve complete inhibition of tumor growth. Together, the data suggest that INCB028060 is a potent, selective and orally available Met kinase inhibitor that may have therapeutic potential.


Multilingual access to information and services is a key requirement in any pervasive or ubiquitous computing environment. In this paper we review the design of a common alphabet for up to fifteen languages and describe its application to multilingual speech recognition in low-resource devices in real-time. We give an overview of the special requirements for acoustic modeling in such environments and present initial results of a technique that aims on a more efficient discrimination between languages in training while keeping low memory footprint. We also report the usefulness of a multilingual recognizer as a language-independent system to bootstrap a new language.


Background and Objectives: The treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections is becoming increasingly more complicated due to the emergence of various types of antibiotic resistance. The present study was undertaken to know the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin intermediate and vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA and VRSA respectively) and multidrug resistant MRSA and to evaluate the phenotypic detection methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 non-duplicate isolates of Staphylococcus aureus which were isolated from various clinical samples were tested for methicillin resistance by using the oxacillin disc diffusion test (1µg), the cefoxitin disc diffusion test (30 µg) and the oxacillin agar screen method (Muller Hinton agar (MHA) with 4% NaCl+6 µg/ ml oxacillin). Vancomycin screen agar (MHA containing 5 µg/ml vancomycin) was used for screening the VISA/VRSA isolates. The MIC of vancomycin was determined by using the agar dilution method and the E-test. The antibiogram of the isolates to other antibiotics was studied by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: 80 (32%) isolates were found to be methicillin resistant by the cefoxitin disc diffusion method, 78 (31.2%) were found to be methicillin resistant by the oxacillin agar screen test and 77 (30.8%) were found to be methicillin resistant by the oxacillin disc diffusion method. No VISA and VRSA isolate was detected by using the vancomycin screen agar test, agar dilution and the E-test. The vancomycin screen agar showed 100% specificity and 100% negative predictive value. Sixty seven (83.8%) of the 80 MRSA isolates and 26.8 % of the total 250 Staphylococcus aureus isolates tested were found to be multidrug resistant MRSA. Conclusions: Where the facilities are limited, the cefoxitin disc diffusion test and the vancomycin screen agar test can be used for screening the MRSA and the VRSA isolates respectively. With the revised CLSI guidelines, the screening method for VISA with an MIC of 4µg/ml needs to be evaluated with further more


PURPOSE
To evaluate the effectiveness of combined intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and perioperative chemotherapy in the management of unresectable pancreatic cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-nine patients with localized unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated in a multimodality program of initial IORT and perioperative chemotherapy (fluorouracil [5-FU]/leucovorin) followed by combined external-beam radiation (40 to 55 Gy) and continued chemotherapy. Patients were evaluated for toxicity, pattern of failure, and survival. The follow-up times of these patients range from a minimum of 12 months to a maximum of 62 months, with a median of 28 months.

RESULTS
The incidence of perioperative mortality was 0%. Early postsurgical morbidity (grade 3/4) was observed in seven of 49 patients (14%) and late treatment-related morbidity (grade 3/4) in eight of 43 patients (19%) alive beyond 6 months. Morbidity was primarily gastrointestinal (GI), with no hematologic toxicities observed. The median survival time in the total group of patients is 16 months, with a 2-year survival rate of 22% and a 4-year survival rate of 7%. Freedom from local progression of disease was achieved in 71% of patients.

CONCLUSION
The patients who undergo IORT with electrons and treated with perioperative chemotherapy (5-FU leucovorin) followed by additional external-beam radiation and chemotherapy appear to have improved survival, with few early or late complications. Dose escalation of external-beam radiation and chemotherapy may further improve local control of disease and survival of patients.


ABSTRACT Earlier research on residential mobility has demonstrated a tendency for the young old of the 55+ population to prefer peripheral locations, whereas older age groups choose central locations. Here, we present survey results indicating that such late-adulthood differences in preferences are supported by age-related shifts corresponding to differences in housing preferences expressed by individuals in peripheral as well as central locations in Sweden. A sample of 2,400 individuals aged 55 years and over was asked to select the seven most important characteristics of a dwelling from a list of 21 alternatives (Survey of Housing Intentions among the ELDerly in Sweden (SHIELD), 2013). The preferences expressed were used as dependent variables in logistic regressions to determine to what extent the housing preferences of older people are linked to age, gender, socio-economic status and type of geographical area. The results demonstrated a close link between neighbourhood characteristics and housing preferences. Owning the dwelling, having a garden and access to nature were stressed as important by individuals living in non-metropolitan middle-class areas and in suburban elite areas. The youngest cohort expressed similar preferences. Older age groups instead stressed the importance of an elevator, single-storey housing and a good design for independent living; preferences that have similarities to those expressed by individuals living in large cities and smaller urban centres where such housing is more readily available.


In this paper, we introduce a new class of degenerate Hermite poly-Bernoulli polynomials with q-parameter and give some identities of these polynomials related to the Stirling numbers of the second kind. Some implicit summation formulae and general symmetry identities are derived by using dierent analytical means and applying generating functions. These results extend some known summations and identities of degenerate Hermite poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials.


We use computational Langevin dynamics simulations to show that the orientation of the dipolar rotors in a one-dimensional chain can be controlled using a local field. Flipping the direction of the field initiates a process in which each of the chain dipoles may switch its orientation. We define the conditions for which the dipole chain remains in one of its two stable orientations. We observe the switching mechanism between these two stable orientations using a local electric field generated by a fixed control dipole, and the effectiveness of the switching process as a function of temperature, rotational friction coefficient, length of the array, and magnitude of the control dipole. We show two examples of curved chains where this process is possible as well. We model molecular dipolar rotors as point dipoles and show that we can transfer a signal along a one-dimensional chain. The propagated signal is not a photon, phonon, or charge, but is rather mechanical. One could argue that this is the smallest array of mechanical gears.


The migration of couples and families has thus far been mainly approached from human-capital and gender perspectives. In this paper, we investigate how the male and female partner's local ties influence the likelihood of family migration. Our hypotheses are that local ties to work and family strongly decrease the likelihood of migrating; that, given the dominating gender structures, ties to the man's work are more influential than ties to the woman's work; and that ties to the woman's family are more influential than ties to the man's family. We use data from the unique ASTRID micro database for Sweden, based on administrative information about the entire Swedish population. The method is logistic regression analysis of moving a distance exceeding 50 kilometers, for two-gender couples who did not separate between December 2004 and December 2005. We find marked negative associations of working close to home, the presence of parents and siblings nearby, and whether someone lives near the place of birth, with the likelihood of migrating. The man's ties to work seem to be more important to the likelihood of migrating than the woman's, but we find hardly any gender differences in the impact of ties to family.


The development of novel synthetic systems with tailored catalytic activity is a high priority area with interesting applications. The use of the templating approach with nanomaterials allows the creation of three dimensional cavities in polymeric matrices with specific molecular recognition properties that can be tailored by the structure of the template used. We report an in-depth study of the effects of solvents on the catalytic activity of templated and non-templated nanogels in the Kemp elimination, a reaction for which there is no enzyme. A full morphology characterisation of the nanoparticles, using small angle neutron scattering techniques and transmission electronic microscopy, has allowed the identification of significant differences in shape, size and, more significantly, in the internal structure of templated and non-templated nanogels. Moreover the data clearly indicate a very different behaviour of the nanoparticles, as a result of variations in acetonitrile content. The data provide for the first time structural evidence of templated cavities and identify important differences in swelling behaviour, aggregation, colloidal stability between templated and non-templated nanogels, which not only explain the differences in kinetic data but also identify important characteristics required for the development of novel catalysts with improved efficiency.


ABSTRACT Virtually all iron objects recovered from a 7th century Byzantine shipwreck off the coast of Turkey were encrusted with a carbonate-rich layer. Mineralogical and chemical examination reveals limonite, siderite, and aragonite as dominant authigenic phases. The encrustations can be explained by oxidation (corrosion) of the metal in sea water. Analogous processes are suggested for many concretions formed around metallic nuclei in sea water.


While investigating the effect on B cells of repetitive in vivo immunization with tetanus toxoid (TT), we observed the subsequent development of specific anergy for T cell delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) to TT. This appeared approximately 35 d after a series of five booster immunizations. Concurrently, in vitro T cell blastogenic responses were preserved. Serum obtained when the skin tests were nonreactive demonstrated a profound inhibitory activity on T cell reactivity. This activity was shown to be anti-antibody activity that was both anti-F(ab)'2 and, specifically, anti-TT F(ab)'2. It blocked binding of TT to a pool of allogeneic antibodies and also inhibited allogeneic antigen-specific T cell blastogenesis. Thus, we could identify activity in the serum of hyperimmunized individuals that appeared auto-anti-idiotypic (anti-id) and represented a single or family of major crossreacting idiotypes (id) for TT. The expression of the auto-anti-id correlated with the loss of T cell reactivity in vivo and in vitro. Subsequent examinations revealed persistent, specific cutaneous anergy beyond six months, which was then associated with a failure of T cells to react with antigen in vitro. Mixing experiments with cells from these later times and cryopreserved autologous cells obtained prior to hyperimmunization revealed there had been the development of antigen-specific T suppressor cells. Thus, in vivo DTH tolerance following hyperimmunization was associated with an inhibitory serum activity that appeared to be anti-id. Persistence of tolerance (greater than 6 mo) occurred with the development of T suppressor cells.


This case summarizes the 2006 fresh spinach recall and questions prompted by one of the largest outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States in recent years — an estimated 4,000 cases. While every food recall is important and unique, the contamination of fresh spinach with the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 during the summer and fall of 2006 and the breadth of the recall and the severity of the consequences from E. coli O157:H7 lend themselves to this exemplary case study. This study also helps illustrate the complexity of the food supply chain and the food recall process. A similar incident, involving fresh tomatoes and peppers rather than spinach, and Salmonella rather than E. coli, occurred in the spring and summer of 2008. It is explored briefly at the end of this case study.


The coupling between structural support and protection makes biological systems an important source of inspiration for the development of advanced smart composite structures. In particular, some particular material configurations can be implemented into traditional composites in order to improve their impact resistance and the out-of-plane properties, which represents one of the major weakness of commercial carbon fibres reinforced polymers (CFRP) structures. Based on this premise, a three-dimensional twisted arrangement shown in a vast multitude of biological systems (such as the armoured cuticles of Scarabei, the scales of Arapaima Gigas and the smashing club of Odontodactylus Scyllarus) has been replicated to develop an improved structural material characterised by a high level of in-plane isotropy and a higher interfacial strength generated by the smooth stiffness transition between each layer of fibrils. Indeed, due to their intrinsic layered nature, interlaminar stresses are one of the major causes of failure of traditional CFRP and are generated by the mismatch of the elastic properties between plies in a traditional laminate. Since the energy required to open a crack or a delamination between two adjacent plies is due to the difference between their orientations, the gradual angle variation obtained by mimicking the Bouligand Structures could improve energy absorption and the residual properties of carbon laminates when they are subjected to low velocity impact event. Two different bioinspired laminates were manufactured following a double helicoidal approach and a rotational one and were subjected to a complete test campaign including low velocity impact loading and compared to a traditional quasi-isotropic panel. Fractography analysis via X-Ray tomography was used to understand the mechanical behaviour of the different laminates and the residual properties were evaluated via Compression After Impact (CAI) tests. Results confirmed that the biological twisted structures can be replicated into traditional layered composites and are able to enhance the out-of-plane properties without a dangerous degradation of the in-plane properties.


Peace is normally understood as the absence of war among nations. But that definition presupposes the overarching importance of nations as the key units of human association. There are, however, many other non-national entities, such as races, ethnic communities, religions, cultures, and civilizations. These entities, too, engage in conflict from time to time, as exemplified by the interracial violence and religious antagonisms in various parts of the world today and, of course, that which took place in the past. Yet why do we preserve the terms "war" and "peace" only for interstate relations? This is a very limited perspective, inasmuch as wars are a phenomenon whose appearance long preceded the formation of nations in the modern centuries; and besides, a presumed state of peace among countries can conceal serious hostilities between races or religions within and across national boundaries. Nazi Germany was technically at peace with all countries till 1939, and yet violent acts were committed there against groups of people domestically who were not considered racially acceptable. In today's world, there are no large-scale international wars, but domestic tensions and physical assaults occur daily within many countries. Terrorists wage war against states and their citizens alike, but they are not nations. To counter their threat, war preparedness in the traditional sense may be useful, perhaps, but it is much less effective than the coming together of individuals and groups to create a condition of interdependence and mutual trust. World peace must fundamentally be founded on a sense of shared humanity, regardless of which country people happen to live in. To consider war and peace purely in the context of international relations, therefore, is insufficient, even anachronistic. What we need is less an international than a transnational idea of peace.


INTRODUCTION
Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC) could potentially restore endothelial function in vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED). The mechanism for ADSC endothelial differentiation remained unidentified.

AIM
To test whether ADSC could differentiate into endothelial cells in the penis and to identify the underlying mechanism of ADSC endothelial differentiation.

METHODS
For in vivo endothelial differentiation, ADSC were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), injected into rat corpora cavernosa, and localized by immunofluorescence and phase-contrast microscopy. For in vitro endothelial differentiation, ADSC were grown in endothelial growth medium 2 (EGM2), stained for endothelial markers CD31, von Willebrand Factor (vWF), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and assessed for the ability to form tube-like structures in Matrigel and to endocytose acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL). To identify factors that promote ADSC endothelial differentiation, ADSC were grown in various media, each of which contained a specific combination of supplemental factors and assessed for LDL-uptake. PD173074, a selective inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) receptor, was used to confirm the importance of FGF2 signaling for ADSC endothelial differentiation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
In vivo endothelial differentiation was assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy. In vitro endothelial differentiation was assessed by immunofluorescence, Matrigel tube formation, and Ac-LDL uptake.

RESULTS
Injected ADSC were localized to the sinusoid endothelium, some of which stained positive for both BrdU and endothelial antigen rat endothelial cell antigen. ADSC proliferated at a faster rate in EGM2 than in standard DMEM, expressed endothelial markers CD31, vWF, and eNOS, formed tube-like structures in Matrigel, and endocytosed Ac-LDL. These properties were greatly diminished when ADSC were grown in the absence of FGF2 but were unaffected when grown in the absence of vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, or epidermal growth factor. Furthermore, ADSC displayed similar endothelial properties when grown in FGF2-supplemented basic medium as in EGM2. Finally, blockade of FGF2 signaling with PD173074 abrogated ADSC endothelial differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS
ADSC could differentiate into endothelial cells in the penis. FGF2 signaling mediates ADSC endothelial differentiation.


A hallmark of COVID-19 is a hyperinflammatory state that is associated with severity. Various anti-inflammatory therapeutics have shown mixed efficacy in treating COVID-19, and the mechanisms by which hyperinflammation occurs are not well understood. Previous research indicated that monocytes, a key innate immune cell, undergo metabolic reprogramming and produce inflammatory cytokines when stimulated with SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesized that binding by the viral spike protein mediates this effect, and that drugs which regulate immunometabolism could inhibit the inflammatory response in monocytes. Monocytes stimulated with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit 1 showed a dose-dependent increase in glycolytic metabolism that was associated with production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. This response was dependent on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, as chetomin inhibited glycolysis and cytokine production. Inhibition of glycolytic metabolism by 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) or glucose deprivation also inhibited the glycolytic response, and 2-DG strongly suppressed cytokine production. Glucose-deprived monocytes rescued cytokine production by upregulating oxidative phosphorylation, an effect which was not present in 2-DG-treated monocytes due to the known effect of 2-DG on suppressing mitochondrial metabolism. Finally, pre-treatment of monocytes with metformin strongly suppressed spike protein-mediated cytokine production in monocytes, and abrogated glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism. Likewise, metformin pre-treatment blocked cytokine induction by SARS-CoV-2 strain WA1/2020 in direct infection experiments in monocytes. In summary, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces a pro-inflammatory immunometabolic response in monocytes that can be suppressed by metformin, and metformin likewise suppresses inflammatory responses to live SARS-CoV-2. This has potential implications for the treatment of hyperinflammation during COVID-19.


The object G2 will pass within ∼100 au from Sgr A* in 2014. Due to its very short periapse, the study of the dynamical evolution of this object in the short-term future may offer some insight into the region surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Galaxy. With this scenario in mind, it has recently been proposed by Bartos et al. that, prior to its perinigricon, G2 will likely experience multiple encounters with members of the black hole and neutron-star populations believed to orbit near the Galactic Centre. Here, we further explore this possibility and study the general case for collisions with the G2 object using the latest orbital solutions provided by Phifer et al. and Gillessen et al., and a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) with G2 as a function of the orbital parameters of the incoming body. Our results indicate that encounters at distances closer than 100 au started to become statistically significant only during the last few years or so. MOIDs under 100 au are statistically more probable for the most dynamically cold orbits. If there is a population of objects moving in low-inclination, low-eccentricity orbits around the central black hole, the highest probability for a close encounter with G2 is found to be in the period 2014 January–March, but enhanced activity due to encounters may start as early as 2013 July–August.


In the present study we reported the feasibility of extracellular biopolymer(PF01) produced by Pseudomonas fluorescence as an alternative biosorbent to remove Cu(II) ions from environmental wastewater. The ability of PF01 to remove the Cu(II) ions was investigated by using batch biosorption procedure. The effects such as pH, dosage of biosorbent, Cu(II) initial concentration and sorbate–sorbent contact time on the adsorption were studied. The pseudo-second order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models were noted be fit to the experimental data. The maximum Cu(II) adsorption capacity was 78.99 mg/g at pH 5.0 , at 28°C. The carboxyl , hydroxyl and amino groups of the PF01 were involved in chemical interaction with the Cu(II) ions depicted by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR). The study points to the potential of new use of extracellular biopolymer PF01 as an effective biosorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from environmental wastewater.


In order to achieve a high-quality machining process with superior productivity, it is very important to tackle the phenomenon of chatter in an effective manner. The problems like tool wear and improper surface finish affect the milling process and are caused by self-induced vibration termed as chatter. A strategy to control chatter vibration actively in the milling process is presented. The mathematical modeling of the process is carried out initially. In this paper, an innovative technique of discrete time sliding mode control (DSMC) is blended with the type-2 fuzzy logic system. The proposed active controller results in a significantly high mitigation of vibration. The DSMC is linked to the time-varying gain which is an innovative approach to mitigate chattering. The theorem is laid down which validates that the system states are bounded in the case of DSMC-type-2 fuzzy. Stability analysis is carried out using Lyapunov candidate. The nonlinearities linked with the cutting forces and damper friction are handled effectively by using the type-2 fuzzy logic system. The performance of the DSMC-type-2 fuzzy concept is compared with the discrete time PID (D-PID) and discrete time sliding mode control for validating the effectiveness of the controller. The better performance of DSMC-type-2 fuzzy over D-PID and DSMC-T1 fuzzy in the minimization of milling chatter are validated by a numerical analysis approach.


Fish populations exhibit variation in life-history and demography based on a variety of biological, environmental, and anthropogenic factors. Understanding the spatial patterns in life-history variability for commercially exploited fish stocks is important when making management decisions and designating stock boundaries. Between 2015 and 2017, 2,189 Lingcod were collected from seven geographically distinct regions along the West Coast to investigate latitudinal patterns in population distribution, growth, timing of maturity, condition, and natural and fishing mortality. Life history parameters of growth, maturity, longevity, condition, and natural and total mortality were calculated and compared for Lingcod in each region and by sex. A principle components analysis was used to relate trends in life-history parameters to coastwide environmental patterns in sea surface temperature and productivity. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination plot and PERMANOVA were used to identify biologically relevant breakpoint(s) for Lingcod along the U.S. West Coast. The results from this study demonstrate that Lingcod exhibit strong latitudinal patterns in life history that is consistent with Bergmann's Rule, where Lingcod from colder, northern waters grow faster and larger, live longer, mature at larger sizes, and have lower natural mortality rates than Lingcod from warmer, southern waters. Lingcod total mortality rates did not follow a latitudinal trend but were highest in Washington and Southern California regions, which is consistent with historic fishing practices, current fishing pressure, and local patterns of productivity within those regions. Between sexes, female Lingcod were found to grow faster and larger, live longer, mature at larger sizes, and were in worse condition than male conspecifics. These findings suggest that while Lingcod life-history traits related to age, growth, and condition are strongly influenced by localized patterns of temperature and oceanography along the coast, there can be considerable variation based on a regions' history of exploitation. A biologically relevant breakpoint for Lingcod along the U.S. West Coast was identified at the central Oregon coast, dividing the Lingcod stock into northern and southern substocks. The coastwide Lingcod population and fishery may benefit by using this boundary as a biologically appropriate break point when conducting future stock assessments. Implications for applying these findings to other federally managed groundfish species and stock assessment models are discussed.


The central idea proposed here is that, in entropy–producing processes, a specific choice from among a competing class of constitutive functions can be made so that the state variables evolve in a way that maximizes the rate of entropy production. When attention is restricted to quadratic forms for the rate of entropy production, the assumption leads to results that are fully in keeping with linear phenomenological relations that satisfy the Onsager relations. In other words, the usual linear evolution laws such as Fourier's law of heat conduction, Fick's law, Darcy's law, Newton's law of viscosity, etc., all corroborate this assumption. We clarify the difference between the maximum rate of entropy production criterion that characterizes choices among constitutive relations and the minimum entropy production theorem due to Onsager (1931) that characterizes steady states for special choices of the rate of entropy production. We then show that for other forms of entropy production that are not quadratic for which the Onsager relations and related theorems cannot be applied, we can use the procedure described here to obtain nonlinear laws. We demonstrate by means of an example that even yield–type phenomena can be accommodated within this framework, while they cannot within the framework of Onsager. We also discuss issues concerning constraints, especially in thermoelasticity within the context of our ideas.


High availability is a key non-functional requirement that software and telecom service providers strive to achieve. With the ongoing shift to cloud computing, the challenges of satisfying the high availability requirement become more arduous, as the cloud introduces additional features, such as on-demand access, scalability, virtualisation, which add to the complexity of the high availability solution. In this article, we target the issue of achieving high availability for the software applications running in the cloud. We first benchmark two of the most prominent middleware implementations for HA. We then build on the most responsive one to present our solution to address the complexity issue of applications high availability deployed in the cloud. Finally, we discuss a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the overhead of our proposed solution.


Background: Poor maternal mental health is a major public health concern since it adversely impacts both maternal and child health outcomes. This study aimed to document the barriers to utilizing perinatal mental health services in Karnataka, India, and to determine its relationship with risk factors of poor maternal mental health in this context. Methods: Qualitative research methods using in-depth interviews were conducted on twenty-one local stakeholders who represented health service providers in various capacities: mental health specialists (n = 4), gynaecologists (n = 2), government officials from the Department of Health and Family Welfare (n = 2), and Department of Women and Child Development (n = 2), senior state consultant to United Nations Children's Fund (n = 1), and frontline workers (n = 10). Data were analysed using a thematic framework analysis approach. Results: We identified multiple barriers to service utilization operating at the levels of the health system, community, family, and the individual. Health-system level barriers included lack of a universal screening mechanism, poor infrastructure, poor training of frontline workers on mental health issues, and inadequate time for counselling and treatment. Community-level barriers included stigma and misconceptions, leading to a lack of social support. Family and individual level barriers included the financial burden of availing services, lack of family and partner support, and lack of empowerment and motivation in the woman to seek services. Family and individual level barriers interacted with risk factors of poor maternal mental health. Based on this evidence and drawing from the literature, we propose a contextualised, stepped-care model for universal screening, detection, referral, and treatment of women with perinatal mental health conditions for Karnataka that is integrated with the reproductive, maternal, and child health (RMNCH) program in primary care settings. Conclusions: The framework developed in this study suggests that addressing the identified barriers would potentially increase uptake of available services, create awareness about and demand for high-quality mental health services, reduce the risk factors of poor maternal mental health, and eventually improve our understanding of its true burden in the state of Karnataka. This is essential for proper implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programs relevant to perinatal mental health.


Pycnandra (Sapotaceae), the largest endemic genus in New Caledonia, comprises 66 species classified in six subgenera. We tested phylogenetic relationships and a proposed infrageneric classification by sampling 60 species for sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ETS, ITS, RPB2) and plastid DNA (trnH–psbA) and nine morphological characters. Data were analysed with Bayesian inference, parsimony jackknifing and lineage through time. We recovered a phylogenetic tree supporting the recognition of six proposed subgenera (Achradotypus, Leptostylis, Pycnandra, Sebertia, Trouettia and Wagapensia). Because a subgeneric classification is used, the nomenclature will be stable when the members are transferred to Pycnandra. Morphological traits were optimized in the BEAST analysis, adding evidence to earlier work that morphology has limited value for successfully diagnosing groups in Sapotaceae. We confirm a previously suspected case of cryptic species that exhibit the same morphological features and require the same abiotic conditions, but are distantly related in the phylogenetic tree. We detected two possible new cases of cryptic sibling species that might warrant recognition. A slowdown in speciation rate in several genera has been suggested as evidence that New Caledonia was once submerged after rifting from Australia. Plotting lineages through time reveals two important intervals at 7.5–8.6 Ma and present to 1.5 Ma, when net molecular diversification within the genus was zero. This indicates that the genus presently has reached a dynamic equilibrium, providing additional evidence that New Caledonia is an old Darwinian island, being submerged during the Eocene and colonized after re-emergence c. 37 Ma.


The incretin hormones glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are secreted from enteroendocrine cells in the gut and regulate physiological and homeostatic functions related to glucose control, metabolism and food intake. This review provides a systematic summary of the molecular mechanisms underlying secretion from incretin cells, and an understanding of how they sense and interact with lumen and vascular factors and the enteric nervous system through transporters and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) present on their surface to ultimately culminate in hormone release. Some of the molecules described below such as sodium coupled glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1), G-protein coupled receptor (GPR) 119 and GPR40 are targets of novel therapeutics designed to enhance endogenous gut hormone release. Synthetic ligands at these receptors aimed at treating obesity and type 2 diabetes are currently under investigation.


This study aimed to investigate the effects of Clostridium tyrobutyricum (C. tyrobutyricum) on colonic immunity and the role of IL-22 in the protective function of C. tyrobutyricum. Mice were supplemented with 108 CFU/mL C. tyrobutyricum daily for 20 days, followed by injecting with LPS for 24 h. In vivo interference of IL-22 via injecting with an adeno-associated virus was conducted to elucidate the role of IL-22 in C. tyrobutyricum attenuating colonic inflammation. The results showed that C. tyrobutyricum decreased the mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-1β. C. tyrobutyricum enhanced the mRNA expression of IL-22 and the expression of MUC2 in the colon. The in vivo interference results showed that C. tyrobutyricum enhanced the mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-1β while decreased the expression of MUC2 after knocking down IL-22. The flow cytometric analysis showed that C. tyrobutyricum decreased the proportions of macrophages, DCs, and mast cells and effectively regulated the proportion of Th17 cells, indicating that C. tyrobutyricum may stimulate the expression of IL-22 via regulating Th17 cells. Our study concluded that C. tyrobutyricum protected against LPS-induced colonic barrier dysfunction and inflammation via IL-22 signaling, suggesting that C. tyrobutyricum could be a potential probiotic in regulating colonic health.


Good stage management is key to the smooth running of any theatrical production and, as technology continues to develop and regulations tighten, the responsibilities of the stage manager have never been greater. In this essential guide, Peter Maccoy examines the qualities and skills necessary for effective management, stressing the importance of understanding both the creative and the technical processes involved in theatre. From negotiating contracts through to rehearsals, performance and post-production, Essentials of Stage Management is packed with invaluable advice on every aspect of the job and every type of theatre. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/essentials-of-stage-management-9780713665284/#sthash.YtgUMzrU.dpuf


Aboriginal Australians living in remote communities are likely to be "mobile only" users. The sharing of devices among kin is common and linked to demand sharing practices that stretch back to presettler times. While sharing can produce benefits (acting as a form of insurance), it can also lead to privacy-related problems among this group, including illicit use of banking and social media accounts via shared devices. In this article, we examine the ways in which the aspect of Aboriginal sociality known as relatedness is interacting with online privacy frameworks designed for individual device use and device management. The findings suggest that the sociotechnical frameworks of platforms and devices do not accord with cultural dynamics, including obligations to others. Moreover, efforts by individuals and Elders to avoid privacy-related problems are leading to digital exclusion in various forms, from the deliberate destruction of devices to whole communities opting out of mobile infrastructure.


Background and Objectives. During interscalene block, ipsilateral hemidiaphragmatic paresis occurred in all patients who received > 34 ml of local anesthetic in the authors' previous studies. This study was done to determine whether diaphragmatic function could be spared by a smaller local anesthetic volume. Methods. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to receive either a 45 ml or 20 ml interscalene brachial plexus block. For all blocks, 1.5% mepivacaine with added epinephrine and bicarbonate was used. Baseline serial measurements and those over a 30-minute test period before surgery were analyzed for significant differences between groups in onset or final change in any of the following measured variables: cephalad dermatomal extent of sensory anesthesia, clinically assessed upper extremity motor function, ipsilateral hemidiaphragmatic excursion during maximal sniff (inspiratory), and pulmonary function. Results. There were no clinically significant differences between groups in any of the measured variables. Large reductions in routine pulmonary function tests were measured in all patients in both groups at 2 minutes after injection. At 30 minutes, baseline forced vital capacity (FVC) had diminished by 40.9 ± 11.7% in the 45 ml group and 32.0 ± 8.9% in the 20 ml group. One patient with pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had a decrease in FVC from 1.83 l to 0.59 l, a 68% decrement from the baseline measurement, both measured in the supine position. Conclusion. Reducing the volume of local anesthetic to 20 ml did not prevent the 100% incidence of diaphragmatic paresis or significantly lessen the compromise in pulmonary function that had been reported to occur during interscalene brachial plexus anesthesia.


The invention provides a knitted fabric containing bamboo fibers, kapok fibers and silk worm protein fibers. The knitted fabric containing the bamboo fibers, the kapok fibers and the silk worm protein fibers comprises the following components, by weight, 55-65 parts of the bamboo fibers, 15-25 parts of the kapok fibers and 10-20 parts of the silk worm protein fibers. The knitted fabric containing the bamboo fibers, the kapok fibers and the silk worm protein fibers has the following technical advantages that the knitted fabric fully uses characteristics of different fibers so that the fibers can make up for deficiencies of one another and complement one another, and the product structure is optimized.


Objectives Major long-term care (LTC) reforms in the Netherlands in 2015 may specifically have disadvantaged socioeconomically deprived groups to acquire LTC, possibly impacting the use of acute care. We aimed to demonstrate whether LTC reforms coincided with changes in the use of out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services (PCSs), and to compare changes between deprived versus affluent neighbourhoods. Design Ecological observational retrospective study using routinely recorded electronic health records data from 2013 to 2016 and population registry data. Setting Data from 15 OOH PCSs participating in the Nivel Primary Care Database (covering approximately 6.5 million inhabitants) in the Netherlands. PCS utilisation data on neighbourhood level were matched with sociodemographic characteristics, including neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES). Participants Electronic health records from 6 120 384 OOH PCS contacts in 2013–2016, aggregated to neighbourhood level. Outcome measures and analyses Number of contacts per 1000 inhabitants/year (total, high/low-urgency, night/evening-weekend-holidays, telephone consultations/consultations/home visits). Multilevel linear regression models included neighbourhood (first level), nested within PCS catchment area (second level), to account for between-PCS variation, adjusted for neighbourhood characteristics (for instance: % men/women). Difference-in-difference in time-trends according to neighbourhood SES was assessed with addition of an interaction term to the analysis (year×neighbourhood SES). Results Between 2013 and 2016, overall OOH PCS use increased by 6%. Significant increases were observed for high-urgency contacts and contacts during the night. The largest change was observed for the most deprived neighbourhoods (10% compared with 4%–6% in the other neighbourhoods; difference not statistically significant). The increasing trend in OOH PCS use developed practically similar for deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. A a stable gradient reflected more OOH PCS use for each lower stratum of SES. Conclusions LTC reforms coincided with an overall increase in OOH PCS use, with nearly similar trends for deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. The results suggest a generalised spill over to OOH PCS following LTC reforms.


Abstract Today there are as many as 16–30 million cases of enteric fever per year, almost exclusively in the developing world caused mainly by unhygienic conditions and poor sanitations, with a mortality rate of 10%. Typhoid fever is important surgically because abdominal complications such as intestinal perforation, bleeding, cholecystitis and pancreatitis represent the most serious complications of the illness. Typhoid perforation of the ileum is one of the most common causes of bowel perforation in the developing world. This review will focus on surgical complications and management in children. Persistent or severe enteric fever usually culminates in some surgical complications in the form of hemorrhage, perforation, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, abscess etc. Morbidity and mortality are significantly high in children than in adults. Timely and proper surgical intervention are pivotal in reducing morbidity and mortality from surgical complications of enteric fever. Hypovolemia and sepsis must be corrected by hydration and antibiotics followed by definitive treatment of the underlying complication. Enteric fever continues to be a menace for children in third world countries. Underestimated incidence is due to the lack of a simple diagnostic test for enteric fever. Perforations and hemorrhage are the complications to be managed meticulously. Early diagnosis of perforation and surgical intervention reduces morbidity as well as mortality.


PURPOSE
To compare the different methods proposed for glaucoma diagnosis and follow-up.

METHODS
Review of those papers that have published the sensitivity and specificity of the different methods, as well as simultaneous comparative studies of several of these methods, especially those that used patients in the initial stages of the disease.

RESULTS
After analyzing the sensitivity and specificity results of the proposed techniques, we have found no evidence that blue-yellow perimetry (SWAP), nerve fibers photography, laser polarimetry (GDx), electrophysiological techniques or optic nerve head topography have better diagnosis abilities than white-white perimetry. This last technique evolves with the others, giving new criteria and strategies with higher precision. The different comparative results of the anatomical and functional procedures do not coincide and do not allow one to establish definite conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS
The most promising expectations are nowadays on temporal phenomena (FDT, Flicker, PULSAR), new methods for analyzing optic nerve topography results and the value of the loss variance (LV) on TOP perimetry. The worst results correspond to blue-yellow perimetry and GDx.


Emerging CMOS and MEMS technologies enable the implementation of a large number of wireless distributed microsensors that can be easily and rapidly deployed to form highly redundant, self-configuring, and ad hoc sensor networks. To facilitate ease of deployment, these sensors should operate on battery for extended periods of time. A particular challenge in maintaining extended battery lifetime lies in achieving communications with low power. This paper presents a direct-sequence spread-spectrum modem architecture that provides robust communications for wireless sensor networks while dissipating very low power. The modem architecture has been verified in an FPGA implementation that dissipates only 33 mW for both transmission and reception. The implementation can be easily mapped to an ASIC technology with an estimated power performance of less than 1 row.


The transmission expansion planning (TEP) problem consists of determining when and where new circuits are needed and should be installed to serve the growing demand for electric power. TEP is a hard, large-scale, non-linear, mixed-integer and non-convex combinatorial problem. Finding the solution for the TEP problem is very difficult as the number of options to be analysed and compared increases exponentially with the size of the network. This study presents an application of the modified particle swarm optimisation technique, with a novel initialisation (population monitored for complementary magnitudes initialisation), for improved performance (in terms of success rate and convergence) to the highly complex TEP problem. Here, the DC model of the transmission network is considered. The success of the proposed methodology has been tested on the Garver 6-bus system, IEEE 24-bus system and Southern Brazilian 46-bus system and validated.


We present two general methods, the so-called Locust and the generalized Hough algorithm, to search for narrow-band signals of moderate frequency evolution and limited duration in datastreams of gravitational wave detectors. Some models of long gamma-ray bursts (e.g. van Putten et al 2004 Phys. Rev. D 69 044007) predict narrow-band gravitational wave burst signals of limited duration emitted during the gamma-ray burst event. These types of signals give rise to curling traces of local maxima in the time–frequency space that can be recovered via image processing methods (Locust and Hough). Tests of the algorithms in the context of the van Putten model were carried out using injected simulated signals into Gaussian white noise and also into LIGO-like data. The Locust algorithm has the relative advantage of having higher speed and better general sensitivity; however, the generalized Hough algorithm is more tolerant of trace discontinuities. A combination of the two algorithms increases search robustness and sensitivity at the price of execution speed.


Introduction A study of migration is of key importance in social science, particularly in population studies. The importance emerges not only from the movement of people between places but also from its influence on the lives of individuals and urban growth. Broadly migration is a relocation of residence of various duration and various nature. But, generally, ruralurban dominates the domain of research and planning as its role in changing the lives of migrant families both at the place of origin and destination.


Natural environments are full of ambient noise; nevertheless, natural cognitive systems deal greatly with uncertainty but also have ways to suppress or ignore noise unrelated to the task at hand. For most intelligent tasks, experiences and observations have to be committed to memory and these representations of reality inform future decisions. We know that deep learned artificial neural networks (ANNs) often struggle with the formation of representations. This struggle may be due to the ANN's fully interconnected, layered architecture. This forces information to be propagated over the entire system, which is different from natural brains that instead have sparsely distributed representations. Here we show how ambient noise causes neural substrates such as recurrent ANNs and long short-term memory neural networks to evolve more representations in order to function in these noisy environments, which also greatly improves their functionality. However, these systems also tend to further smear their representations over their internal states making them more vulnerable to internal noise. We also show that Markov Brains (MBs) are mostly unaffected by ambient noise, and their representations remain sparsely distributed (i.e. not smeared). This suggests that ambient noise helps to increase the amount of representations formed in neural networks, but also requires us to find additional solutions to prevent smearing of said representations.


Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Anemia is common in breast cancer patients and can be treated with blood transfusions or with recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) to stimulate red blood cell production. Clinical studies have indicated decreased survival in some groups of cancer patients treated with EPO. Numerous tumor cells express the EPO receptor (EPOR), posing a risk that EPO treatment would enhance tumor growth, but the mechanisms involved in breast tumor progression are poorly understood. Here, we have examined the functional role of the EPO-EPOR axis in pre-clinical models of breast cancer. EPO induced the activation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways in human breast cancer cell lines. EPOR knockdown abrogated human tumor cell growth, induced apoptosis through Bim, reduced invasiveness, and caused downregulation of MYC expression. EPO-induced MYC expression is mediated through the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways, and overexpression of MYC partially rescued loss of cell proliferation caused by EPOR downregulation. In a xenotransplantation model, designed to simulate recombinant EPO therapy in breast cancer patients, knockdown of EPOR markedly reduced tumor growth. Thus, our experiments in vitro and in vivo demonstrate that functional EPOR signaling is essential for the tumor-promoting effects of EPO and underline the importance of the EPO-EPOR axis in breast tumor progression.


Objectives Globalization has made many of the traditional occupational safety and health risks worse due to the large number of new worker generations that have been exposed to hazards that are well known and documented. This is, in particular, the case in developing countries and economies in transition. For a better picture for national and international decision making, globally available data sources were studied and analyzed.

Methods Employment figures, reported fatal accident rates, mortality data on different diseases and injuries, and attributable fractions identified in the literature for diseases shown to be related to work were used to analyze global occupational accident data and information available on work-related diseases covering most countries.

Results A midpoint of 2.2 million was estimated for fatalities occurring worldwide annually due to work-related factors. The most significant problems identified were work-related cancer (in particular, in industrialized countries), occupational accidents (rapidly industrializing countries), work-related cardiovascular diseases, work-related communicable diseases (tropical developing countries), and work-related lung diseases in countries where mining is a major activity (such as China, Vietnam, South Africa, and the like). In addition, 270 million nonfatal occupational accidents and 160 million work-related diseases were estimated to occur every year.

Conclusions While estimates can be gradually improved by adding new national information on exposures and exposed populations, these estimates can be a benchmark for such further work.


Welcome to the fourth edition of the AI Index Report. This year we significantly expanded the amount of data available in the report, worked with a broader set of external organizations to calibrate our data, and deepened our connections with the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). The AI Index Report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence. Its mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, and globally sourced data for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop intuitions about the complex field of AI. The report aims to be the most credible and authoritative source for data and insights about AI in the world.


Abstract Vere Gordon Childe is the most prominent archaeologist produced by Australia to date. His writing influenced two generations of the public's understanding of the human past, alongside the academic interpretation and teaching of prehistory, while his work has stimulated more professional conferences and critiques than any other in the discipline. This paper explores how close Childe came to taking a different path, outlining the circumstances that led him to abandon archaeology and pursue a potentially high profile political career. This began and ended amid opposition and controversy, when external circumstances forced him out of politics and, at the age of 30, back to archaeology. This account of the details of Childe's early life, motivation, passions and skills draws on unpublished archives held in the State Records of New South Wales, and other early sources, together with the disparate materials that have become available since the biography of Childe published in 1981.


We present a 67-year-old man who had undergone aortobifemoral synthetic graft surgery one year earlier. The patient experienced thrombosis of the graft nine months after the operation, and thrombectomy of the graft was planned. However, the patient refused to undergo repeat surgery for thrombus removal and was referred to our center for possible endovascular treatment. We treated the patient with percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy. The thrombi were chronic in nature but could be removed with minimal residue in any part of the graft by using repeated aspiration thrombectomy with 7 F guiding catheters. Underlying stenosis of both distal graft anastomoses was treated with percutaneous balloon angioplasty, and a self-expanding stent was deployed on the right distal anastomosis. A small fragment of thrombus embolized to the right popliteal artery and was removed with aspiration thrombectomy through a second antegrade puncture on the right side. We believe this is the first report of aspiration thrombectomy for an aortobifemoral graft thrombosis. The method was successful despite the chronic nature of the thrombi. Manual aspiration thrombectomy with largebore guiding catheters can be used as an effective recanalization method for delayed aortobifemoral graft occlusion and could be regarded as a good alternative technique to surgical thrombectomy in selected patients.


Education for all has always been an integral part of the sustainable development agenda. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) takes a holistic and realistic approach to learning by linking ecological, social and economic aspects of our daily lives. Thus ESD develops students' knowledge of environmental challenges and their abilities to promote sustainable development by fostering holistic, critical and independent thinking, the ability to formulate and solve problems and the ability to participate in democratic systems and to take responsibility for the well-being of our planet will be discussed in this paper. ESD can be implemented in educational practice which reveals a more competent child who can think and make well considered decisions. Further the paper also tries to highlight the issues of environmental changes and the principle of sustainability through education. The sustainable education for all require a new educational trend which is responsible accountable and expertise in both systemic and educational change for sustainable development. Finally the paper will observe the ways of education for sustainable development with literature review which motivates the principle of sustainability to their everyday activities and decisions.


The East African margin has a complex structure due to multiple phases of rifting with different stretching directions. The main phase of rifting leading to Indian Ocean opening lasted from the Late Pliensbachian to the Bajocian (c. 183 – 170 Ma). This occurred during impingement of the Bouvet hotspot which weakened the lithosphere sufficiently to allow continental break-up. Thick salt and marine shales were deposited during the Toarcian in the Majunga, Ambilobe and Mandawa basins and the onshore Ogaden Basin; marking the onset of the Indian Ocean marine incursion, when good quality oil-prone source rocks were deposited at this time. The recent giant gas discoveries in Tanzania and Mozambique are believed to be sourced from overmature Jurassic or, possibly, deeper Permian age Karoo shales. The margin from the Lamu Basin in the north to the Zambesi Delta in the south is covered by thick Tertiary and Cretaceous sediment derived from the East African rift shoulders, and Lower Jurassic source rocks are predicted to be in the gas window along most of the margin. However, the margins in South Africa, south Mozambique, northern Somalia and Madagascar are less deeply buried, and have better oil potential. The large Tsimimo and Bemolanga tar sand deposits and the recent announcement of an oil rim in the Inhasorro Field indicate that there are good oil-prone source rocks in the Karoo rifts and in the Albian Domo shales; and the search for oil continues with companies exploring in areas where Jurassic source rocks may be less deeply buried, and/or potential Albian–Turonian-aged source rocks are sufficiently buried to generate oil. Supplementary material: Figures S1–S3 are available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3894931


In response to a longstanding debate within the accounting profession on how to clearly distinguish liabilities from equity, we offer an alternative liability-equity classification scheme (the "Earned Capital Approach") in which capital acquired in exchange for issuing claims ("external capital") is classified as liabilities and capital acquired in exchange for providing goods and services ("earned capital") is classified as equity. The Earned Capital Approach differs from the approach underlying current financial reporting standards in that it is based on a fundamental distinction between the firm and its claimants rather than a distinction between types of claimants (e.g., owners versus creditors). In this paper, we summarize the accounting profession's ongoing attempts to distinguish liabilities from equity and discuss the conceptual underpinnings and financial reporting implications of the Earned Capital Approach.


We investigated why the western bearded dragon (Pogona minor) is an early coloniser of rehabilitated waste dumps in the mining area around Ora Banda, Western Australia. The daily distance travelled for 19 (14 female and 5 male) P. minor, measured using nylon thread spools attached to the lizard's tail, was 115 m. This corresponded to a mean linear distance moved of 68 m. Our data suggest that P. minor are one of the first species of reptiles to colonise mine site rehabilitation areas because they move appreciably greater daily distances than other agamid lizards, are spatially widely-foraging, frequently forage in or use saltbush (Atriplex spp) and bluebush (Maireana spp) as basking sites, regularly traverse open areas, readily move up and down steep slopes, and eat bull ants which are generally present on rehabilitated sites. Pogona minor also have a high reproductive potential and show no obvious aversion to mine sites as oviposition locations. Pogona minor eggs incubated at 27 °C took an average of 64 days to hatch, the mean snout-to-vent length was 36.1 mm and the mean mass was 1.74 g.


BACKGROUND
The failure of therapies aimed at modulating systemic inflammatory response syndrome and decreasing multiple organ failure (MOF) has been attributed in part to the inability to identify early the population at risk. Our objective, therefore, was to develop predictive models for MOF at admission and at 12, 24 and 48 hours after injury.

METHODS
Logistic regression models were derived in a data set with 411 adult trauma patients using indicators of tissue injury, shock, host factors, and the Acute Physiology Score-Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (APS-APACHE III).

RESULTS
MOF was diagnosed in 78 patients (19%). Injury Severity Score, platelet count, and age emerged as predictors in all models. Transfused blood, inotropes, and lactate were significant predictors at 12, 24, and 48 hours, but not at admission. The APS-APACHE III emerged only in the 0- to 48-hour model and offered minimal improvement in predictive power. Good predictive power was achieved at 12 hours after injury.

CONCLUSION
Postinjury MOF can be predicted as early as 12 hours after injury. The APS-APACHE III added little to the predictive power of tissue injury, shock and host factors.


Considering the more and more important issues concerning the climate changes and the global warming, the automotive industry is paying more and more attention to vehicle concepts with full electric or partly electric propulsion systems. The introduction of electric power sources allow the designers to implement moreadvanced motion control systems in vehicle, such as active suspensions. An example of this concept is the Autonomous corner module (ACM), designed by S. Zetterstrom. The ACM is a modular based suspension system that includes all features of wheel control, such as control of steering, wheel torque and camberindividually, using electric actuators. With a good control strategy it is believed that is it possible to reduce the fuel consumption and/or increase the handling properties of the vehicle.In particular, camber angle has a significant effect on vehicle handling. However, very few efforts have been done in order to analyse its effects on tire dissipated energy.The aim of this study is to develop a new tire model, having as starting point the simple Brush Tire model, in order to analyse the tire behaviour, in terms of forces generated and energy dissipated, for different dynamic situations. In order to reach this scope, the characteristic equations of the rubber material are implementedin a 3D Multi-Line brush tire model. In this way the energy dissipated, thus the rolling resistance force, can be studied and analysed, considering also the tire geometry.From the results of this work it is possible to assert that the angular parameters (e.g. camber angle) affect the power losses in rolling tires, as well as the tire geometry influences their rolling resistance. Thus, using a good control strategy, it is possible to reduce the power losses in tires.


Purpose: Several groups have investigated implanting gold markers into tumors and tracking these markers with kV imaging during a radiotherapy treatment session. Our group has recently published an algorithm robust enough to detect moving markers in implanted tumors on kV and MV images. Our prior work is limited to tumors moving slower than 1.6 cm/s. Here, we expand on our prior work and the work by other groups by using techniques from computer vision and machine learning to improve the performance of the tracking algorithm and remove the need for any data‐set/patient specific parameters or breathing wave form data. Method and Materials: We replace the classification function in our prior algorithm with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. To drop the need for data‐set specific thresholds, we use techniques from computer vision to examine additional features of the fiducial. Once a location is selected as a possible marker by template matching (correlation) we run a Sobel edge detector to trace the outline of the potential marker. With this outline, we can compute a series of morphological parameters, including the area, major and minor axis, and statistical moments. These additional features provide the SVM classifier with enough information to distinguish true and false markers without the need for data‐set specific thresholds or weights. To test our new algorithm, we image a moving MV phantom with two implanted markers, moving at various speeds. Results: We can now track markers on MV images moving at speeds between 1.6 cm/s to 3.14 cm/s with 95% efficiency. Conclusion: Compared to our prior approach and the approach of other groups, we can now track faster moving fiducials and do not require manual adjustment of threshold parameters.


Background The balance between generation and elimination of reactive oxygen species by superoxide dismutase (SOD) is crucially involved in the pathophysiology of liver cirrhosis. Reactive oxygen species damage cells and induce inflammation/fibrosis, but also play a critical role in immune defense from pathogens. As both processes are involved in the development of liver cirrhosis and its complications, genetic variation of the SOD1 gene was investigated. Patients and methods Two SOD1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1041740 and rs3844942) were analyzed in 49 cirrhotic patients undergoing liver transplantation. In addition, 344 cirrhotic patients with ascites were analyzed in a cohort of 521 individuals in terms of the relationship of these polymorphisms with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Results Although rs3844942 showed no associations with complications of cirrhosis, we observed a significant association between rs1041740 and the presence of ascites and SBP in the discovery cohort of patients with cirrhosis. Importantly, the association with SBP was not confirmed in the validation cohort of patients with ascites. By contrast, a trend toward lower SBP rates was observed in carriers of rs1041740. In this cohort, rs1041740 was not associated with survival. Conclusion These data suggest a complex role of SOD1 in different processes leading to complications of liver cirrhosis. rs1041740 might be associated with the development of ascites and possibly plays a role in SBP once ascites has developed.


Abstract. The highest mercury (Hg) wet deposition in the United States of America (USA) occurs along the Gulf of Mexico, and in the southern and central Mississippi River Valley. Gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM) is thought to be a major contributor due to high water solubility and reactivity. Therefore, it is critical to understand concentrations, potential for wet and dry deposition, and GOM compounds present in the air. Concentrations and dry-deposition fluxes of GOM were measured and calculated for Naval Air Station Pensacola Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in Florida using data collected by a Tekran® 2537/1130/1135, the University of Nevada Reno Reactive Mercury Active System (UNRRMAS) with cation exchange and nylon membranes, and the Aerohead samplers that use cation-exchange membranes to determine dry deposition. Relationships with Tekran®-derived data must be interpreted with caution, since the GOM concentrations measured are biased low depending on the chemical compounds in air and interferences with water vapor and ozone. Criteria air pollutants were concurrently measured. This allowed for comparison and better understanding of GOM. In addition to other methods previously applied at OLF, use of the UNRRMAS provided a platform for determination of the chemical compounds of GOM in the air. Results from nylon membranes with thermal desorption analyses indicated seven GOM compounds in this area, including HgBr2, HgCl2, HgO, Hg–nitrogen and sulfur compounds, and two unknown compounds. This indicates that the site is influenced by different gaseous phase reactions and sources. Using back-trajectory analysis during a high-GOM event related to high CO, but average SO2, indicated air parcels moved from the free troposphere and across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama at low elevation ( In order to develop methods to measure GOM concentrations and chemistry, and model dry-deposition processes, the actual GOM compounds need to be known, as well as their corresponding physicochemical properties, such as Henry's Law constants.


Male mammals are attracted to the scent marks of sexually receptive female conspecifics. Male voles spend more time investigating the scent marks of female voles in postpartum oestrus (PPE), a heightened state of sexual receptivity that occurs following the delivery of a litter, compared to those of female voles that are not in PPE, but in a moderate state of sexual receptivity. However, both types of females will attract male conspecifics to deposit their scent marks near those deposited by these females. The scent marks deposited by these males may indicate how many males have visited this female, which may affect how attractive she is to other males. In the present study, we exposed male meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, to the scent mark of a PPE female and a female that was not in PPE, a reference female (REF female); the scent marks of 0, 1 or 5 males were placed adjacent to the scent marks of these two female scent donors. In doing so, we tested three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is males will spend less time investigating the scent mark of a female that has more scent marks of male conspecifics adjacent to it compared to that of a female that has fewer scent marks of male conspecifics adjacent to it. The second hypothesis is the converse of the first hypothesis. The third hypothesis is males will spend more time investigating the scent mark of a PPE female than that of a REF female, independent of the number of scent marks of other males adjacent to them. Overall, our data suggests that a combination of factors may influence a male's preference for the scent marks of potential mates. Most tests suggest that males will respond preferentially to a female if she has more male suitors than another female, independent of the reproductive state of either female. If however, the number of male suitors is the same for each female, males tend to prefer the scent mark of the female that is in a more heightened state of sexual receptivity.


This paper aims to study the productivity of a vertical multi-effect diffusion solar still (VMEDSS) coupled with a solar tracking system and a photovoltaic/thermal solar water heater system (PV/T-SWH). The studied system can run continuously over 24 h to have a continuous production. The experimental climatic conditions of Ksar Challala (35 deg 13′ 12.835″ N, 2 deg 19′ 2.035″ E, Altitude: 800 m) in Algeria are used in this study, for 2 days: one in summer and one in winter. The obtained results were compared with those of the vertical still oriented southward. The results show clearly the effect of the solar tracking system on the increase of the still production during summer and winter. The production percentage increase has reached: 293.01% in summer and 15.1% in winter. Feeding the still equipped with a tracking system with hot water produced by the PV/T-SWH system gives good productivities during summer and winter where the increase in production reaches, respectively, 733.76% and 415.55%. The percentage production growth of the vertical still oriented southward fed with hot water is 376.38% and 394.78% of the days of summer and winter, respectively.


BACKGROUND
Pericardial effusion is an early complication following orthotopic heart transplantation. Effusion that requires surgical intervention not only prolongs in-hospital stay but also increases early mortality rate. EuroSCORE is one of the most common methods for calculating predictive mortality in heart surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis of 25 patients (22 men and 3 women, mean age 49±12 years). Mortality risk by EuroSCORE was estimated prior to surgery. All patients were operated on with Lower-Shumway technique and treated with standard triple immunosuppressive regimen (tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone). They were divided into 2 groups depending on postoperative pericardial effusion that required surgical intervention. There were 9 (36%) patients in the pericardial effusion group (PE group) and 16 (64%) in the control group (C group).

RESULTS
There was 1 death, on the 7th postoperative day, due to Clostridium difficile infection. Mean time of pericardial effusion echocardiographic detection was 9±2 days following surgery. The mean amount of fluid diagnosed in 4-chamber transthoracic echocardiography was 2.2±0.3 cm vs. 0.7±0.2 cm (p<0.05). Pericardial effusion followed thrombocytopenia of 98±17 vs. 172±26×10⁹/L in PE and C group (p<0.05). Patients' mean intensive care unit time stay was 23±9 days and 11±7 days in PE and C group, respectively (p<0.05). The overall hospitalization time was 38±12 days and 31±23 days in PE and C group, respectively (p<0.05). The discriminant analysis showed that EuroSCORE >16% is a single predicting variable for postoperative pericardial effusion (AUC 0.946, CI: 0.76-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS
Pericardial effusion is a common (36%) complication following heart transplantation. It requires surgical intervention and prolongs intensive care unit stay and overall hospitalization. The discriminant analysis showed that the EuroSCORE >16% is a single predicting variable for postoperative pericardial effusion.


In the context of covid-19 pandemics, different studies have reported an increase in the occurrence of psychological symptoms in the population, linking the coronavirus outbreak to a mental health epidemic. Stress and anxiety are the most commonly reported symptoms, along with panic behavior, fear of public events and other less impacting psychological issues. During the pandemic most affected countries have implemented online mental health interventions to deal with social distancing and isolation. To this end, it appears necessary to manage long-term impacts of the pandemic on mental health through effective evidence-based therapies, easily administered online. In the present work, mind-body interventions are discussed as an effective tool to this purpose. Particular focus is paid on the link between mental processes and gene expression, through the application of valid new class of mind-body practices: Mind-Body Transformations Therapy (MBT-T) and Creative Psychosocial Genomic Healing Experience (CPGHE). MBIs have been proven to be effective tools particularly in stress reduction as well as overall well-being promotion, in addition, they are easy to learn and administer both face-to-face and online.


In this post-modern world of high capital mobility, countries are being disciplined by the anonymous capital market. One view of the situation -perhaps the prevalent view among economists- is that Wall Street gets into your hair because you are running an unsustainable economic program and crises are bound to happen. A polar view is that countries are at the mercy of the capital market. This paper attempts to bring these views under one roof, putting special emphasis on balance-of-payment crises.


The Madeira River is the second largest Amazon tributary, contributing up to 50% of the Amazon River's sediment load. The Madeira has significant hydropower potential, which has started to be used by the Madeira Hydroelectric Complex (MHC), with two large dams along the middle stretch of the river. In this study, fine suspended sediment concentration (FSC) data were assessed downstream of the MHC at the Porto Velho gauging station and at the outlet of each tributary (Beni and Mamoré Rivers, upstream from the MHC), from 2003 to 2017. When comparing the pre-MHC (2003–2008) and post-MHC (2015–2017) periods, a 36% decrease in FSC was observed in the Beni River during the peak months of sediment load (December–March). At Porto Velho, a reduction of 30% was found, which responds to the Upper Madeira Basin and hydroelectric regulation. Concerning water discharge, no significant change occurred, indicating that a lower peak FSC cannot be explained by changes in the peak discharge months. However, lower FSCs are associated with a downward break in the overall time series registered at the outlet of the major sediment supplier—the Beni River—during 2010.