Abstract. The South China Sea (SCS) is a receptor of numerous
natural and anthropogenic aerosol species from throughout greater Asia. A
combination of several developing countries, archipelagic and peninsular
terrain, a strong Asian monsoon climate, and a host of multi-scale
meteorological phenomena make the SCS one of the most complex
aerosol–meteorological systems in the world. However, aside from the
well-known biomass burning emissions from Indonesia and Borneo, the current
understanding of aerosol sources is limited, especially in remote marine
environments. In September 2011, a 2-week research cruise was conducted near Palawan, Philippines, to sample the remote SCS environment.
Size-segregated aerosol data were collected using a Davis Rotating Uniform
size-cut Monitor (DRUM) sampler and analyzed for concentrations of 28 elements
measured via X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Positive matrix factorization (PMF)
was performed separately on the coarse, fine, and ultrafine size ranges to
determine possible sources and their contributions to the total elemental
particulate matter mass. The PMF analysis resolved six sources across the
three size ranges: biomass burning, oil combustion, soil dust, a
crustal–marine mixed source, sea spray, and fly ash. Additionally, size
distribution plots, time series plots, back trajectories and satellite data
were used in interpreting factors. The multi-technique source apportionment
revealed the presence of biogenic sources such as soil dust, sea spray, and a crustal–marine mixed source. Anthropogenic sources were also identified: biomass burning, oil combustion, and fly ash. Mass size distributions showed elevated aerosol concentrations towards the end of the sampling period, which coincided with a shift of air mass back trajectories to southern Kalimantan. Covariance between coarse-mode soil dust and fine-mode biomass burning aerosols were observed. Agreement between the PMF and the linear regression analyses indicates that the PMF solution is robust. While biomass burning is indeed a key source of aerosol, this study shows the presence of other important sources in the SCS. Identifying these sources is not only key for characterizing the chemical profile of the SCS but, by improving our picture of aerosol sources in the region, also a step forward in developing our understanding of aerosol–meteorology feedbacks in this complex environment.


We asked 187 sequential eligible callers to our poison center (PC) what action they would have taken if the PC had not existed, and about their health insurance, if any. Callers eligible for this study were those not requiring medical care other than dilution or reassurance during the 24 hour follow up period. Most callers would have either called their physician or ER, or gone directly to a physician's office or to an ER without calling first. Assuming a cost of $25 for a physician's office visit, $100 for a ER visit, and no charge to the patient for calling their physician or pharmacist, and using our actual PC cost per case of $10, direct medical costs to the consumer were reduced by PC use by 75 to 80% for all such callers. This information supports ongoing cost effectiveness of PC provision of poison information services.


Abstract Skin infiltration in multiple myeloma (skin MM) is a rare clinical problem. Only a few cases of skin involvement have been reported, primarily in single case reports. We analyzed and present the clinical outcomes, immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic features, and relevant laboratory data on 53 biopsy-proven skin MM cases. The median time from MM diagnosis to skin involvement was 2 years. There appears to be an overrepresentation of immunoglobulin class A (IgA) and light chain disease in skin MM. We found no correlation between CD56 negative MM and skin infiltration. We found that skin MM patients presented in all MM stages (i.e. ISS stages I to III), and there was no preferential cytogenetic abnormality. Patients with skin MM carry a very poor prognosis with a median overall survival (OS) of 8.5 months as time from skin involvement. Moreover, patients with IgA disease and plasmablastic morphology appear to have a worse OS.


The study deals with the EO-NP's encapsulated cardamom essential oil for insecticidal activity. The prepared nanoparticles were subjected to characterization studies using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis, Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. The DLS analysis revealed that the size of the nanoparticles had a slight increase in diameter after three months of storage. Similarly, the characterization with TEM showed that the prepared nanoparticles were of round or spherical shape with clear morphology without any crack in the external surface. Considerable mortality was observed from the insecticidal bioassay carried out by contact, fumigant toxicity with cardamom essential oil nanoparticles encapsulated with PEG (EO-NPs) against adult Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus) (Coleoptra: Silvanidae). Further the Cardamom EO-NP's also produced significant repellency effect on the adult insects. About 85% mortality (Contact Toxicity) and 81% mortality (Fumigant Toxicity) was observed with 0.025 mg x cm2 concentration of EO-NP's. The results indicate that the cardamom essential oil encapsulated with PEG nanoparticles could be an effective alternative to chemical pesticides for the control of stored product grain pests. Further this is the first report on the insecticidal efficacy of PEG encapsulated Cardamom essential oil against Oryzaephilus surinamensis.


Aim of the HICAM project is to build a new, compact Gamma-ray imager with a submillimeter spatial resolution, based on the Anger Camera principle. The system is composed of a detection module with frontend ASICs, an acquisition board and a host PC, where real-time data processing and image reconstruction is implemented. The detector is based on an array of 100 Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) of 1 cm2 each in a 10 ×10 cm2 format, coupled to a single scintillator crystal. Position of the interaction with the crystal and energy of the incident radiation are obtained through the use of a MLE algorithm, that optimally exploits the information obtained from the detectors. Moreover it is possible to modify the algorithm in order to determine the depth of interaction of the Gamma photon inside the crystal. The MLE algorithm, on the other hand, requires a large amount of calculations per event. In order to process the events in real-time we have implemented the MLE algorithm on a GPGPU, obtaining a processing rate of 150000 events/second, considering a FOV of 512 ×512 ×10 points (calculation of the z coordinate is performed). In the paper we discuss the derivation of the algorithm, its performance for what concerns spatial resolution and distortion, and the speed of its implementation on the GPGPU.


Democracy's Lawyer: Felix Grundy of the Old Southwest. By J. Roderick Heller, III. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2010. Pp. 357. Cloth, $45.00.)Reviewed by Jeanne T. HeidlerContinuing the rich tradition of biography as illustrative of time and place as well as people, J. Roderick Heller, III has produced a vivid portrait of an important American statesman of the nation's formative years. Often portrayed as a foil, an ally, or both for leaders such as the Great Triumvirate of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun, Felix Grundy emerges from this exhaustively researched and well-written biography as an important political leader and groundbreaking attorney in his own right. It is a worthy endeavor. Though a talented and jovial man with few enemies and many friends, Grundy never rose above the secondary tier of the period's American statesmen. Possibly his unwavering devotion to family hindered his rise. In any case, he has become obscure, and Heller strives to rescue him from that undeserved state while ably explaining why Americans should know this fascinating figure.Grundy's life mirrored his country's. Heller traces Grundy's boyhood on the Virginia and Kentucky frontiers where he suffered considerable hardship, including the loss of two brothers in clashes with Native Americans. In describing this frontier existence, Heller paints a colorful picture of the pioneering entrepreneur of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Grundy's parents were exemplars of that spirit even as they doted on Felix, their youngest son. His accomplished mother, Elizabeth Burkham Grundy, continued to run the family businesses after the untimely death of her husband and insisted that young Felix acquire a good education, a rarity in the American wilderness of the eighteenth century. It gave him a notable advantage as he embarked on a successful legal career, earned a reputation for outstanding oratory, and became an accomplished member of the Kentucky and Tennessee legislatures and of Congress where he always upheld George Washington's dictum of legislative supremacy. As a War Hawk freshman representative in 18111812, he worked well with former rival Henry Clay to bring about war with Great Britain, an example of Grundy's greatest political gift. A talent for talk was matched by his principled advocacy for the common man, but it was his habit of treating opponents as fairly as allies that won him friends and admirers throughout the country as he became notable as an honest broker and a reasonable man.Heller makes a valuable contribution with his able assessment of Grundy's legal career. Most western lawyers dreamed of the day they could escape the rigors of riding their circuit, but Grundy relished the work. He became one of America's best criminal defense attorneys, with an uncanny ability to choose and then persuade jurors. …


Transmission of electric power over great distances imposes very severe economical and technical limitations. Series compensation techniques are found to be very effective in overcoming such economical and technical limitations, especially transmission line compensation using series capacitors, which has gained special interest among researchers because of its cost effectiveness. This work provides two series compensation algorithms for a student and presents a user-friendly software package developed in Visual Basic for the study of transmission line series compensation.


We study a system coupling the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in a 3D parallelepiped type domain with a damped plate equation. The plate is located in a part of the upper boundary of the fluid domain. The fluid domain depends on the deformation of the plate, and therefore it depends on time.
We are interested in the stabilization, with a prescribed decay rate, of such a system in a neighborhood of a stationary solution, by a Dirichlet control acting at the boundary of the fluid domain.
For that, we first study the stabilizability of the corresponding linearized system and we determine a finite-dimensional feedback control able to stabilize the linearized model.
A crucial step in the analysis consists in showing that this linearized system can be rewritten thanks to an analytic semigroup, the infinitesimal generator of which has a compact resolvent.
A fixed-point argument is used to prove the local stabilization of the original nonlinear system. The main difficulties come from the coupling between the fluid and plate equations, and the fact that the fluid domain varies with time, giving rise to geometric nonlinearities.
The results of the paper may be adapted to other more complex geometrical configurations for the same type of system. Ongoing research concerns the numerics of the control problem.


Aims: Ziziphora tenuior L. is used as an analgesic and to treat digestive diseases in Iranian traditional medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ziziphora tenuior L. on pain and compare it with Diclofenac in male rats. Materials & Methods: This Experimental study was done on 72 male rats. Animals were randomly divided into 9 group (n=8) including C (with no treatment), P (Placebo receiving water and alcohol), K400, K800, and K1600 (receiving the extract 400, 800, and 1600mg/kg doses respectively), DK1600 (receiving 0.4mg/kg Diclophenac and 1600mg/kg dose of the extract), N (receiving Naloxan), and M (receiving Morphine). 15min after each oral administration, animals were injected with formalin and animal movements and behavior were recorded in two acute and chronic phases. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software using Tukey and One-way ANOVA tests. Findings: Pain score in PC group reduced significantly compared to C group (p≤0.05). Pain significantly decreased in K400, K800 and K1600 groups compared with control group (p≤0.05). Pretreatment with Naloxone significantly reduced analgesic effect of the extract compared with control group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Ziziphora tenuior L. decreases pain that might be caused by compounds such as Limonene and Pulegone especially.


We describe our recent work on the lattice formulation of N = 4 three-dimensional super-YangMills. Our formulation was based on the Donaldson-Witten twist, but we have also been studying the formulation based on the Blau-Thompson twist by Joseph. We find in the latter case there is a single counterterm necessary to restore supersymmetry in the continuum limit, and that this counterterm can be computed with a two-loop calculation in lattice perturbation theory. It is crucial that this three-dimensional model is super-renormalizable. We also describe some of the motivations for studying three-dimensional theories, including mirror symmetry and holographic cosmology.


Abstract : The report describes the development of a high speed photomicroscopic technique, using dark-field microscopy, for the measurement of turbulent velocity distributions in a circular pipe. The method is especially adapted to velocity measurements extremely close to a boundary, of the order of five microns. Velocities are obtained from the analysis of 16 mm film exposure with a high speed camera, due to the motion of illuminated polystyrene tracers, 1.305 microns in diameter, dispersed in distilled water and aqueous solutions of non-Newtonian additives. An electronic flash time base is used to synchronize absolute and relative motion for a permanent record on the film. The photomicroscopic method was used to determine velocity distributions of distilled water and aqueous solutions of the non-Newtonian additives Polyox-301, CMC, and Polyhall-27, flowing in a circular lucite channel 5030 microns in diameter, at a Reynolds number of 4,000. Additive concentrations of 1/100% and 1/10% by weight were used. The results for distilled water indicate excellent agreement with the postulated linear velocity distribution for flow in the laminar sublayer. Polyox-301 at both concentrations displayed a marked increase in the laminar sublayer thickness, as determined by the slope of the laminar sublayer velocity profile, while CMC and Polyhall-27 showed little deviation with distilled water. A quantitative description of the laminar sublayer structure with and without additives is also incorporated. (Author)


Documentary animation is a hybrid cinematic form, the history of which goes back over 100 years. Earlier such films were rather a rarity, while lately they appear on screens more and more often. Using numerous examples, the article discusses the goals of artists turning to this unusual and controversial practice. The main thematic blocks are highlighted, the boundaries between the fictional artistic world and the real basis of a film are determined. The author also attempts to distinguish between animated documentary and "full-fledged" documentary animation. After reviewing the genesis (films by W. McCay, J. and F. Hubley) and films that have become modern classics of the direction (Waltz with Bashir, Crulic: The Path to Beyond etc.), the most notable modern samples—primarily those filmed in Poland and in Russia, where animadoc is rapidly gaining momentum—were analyzed in detail. Directors use this form when talking about historical events (reconstruction), ambiguous personalities and unusual places, as well as about their own or others' internal problems and experiences. Documentary animation is becoming a common means of (auto)psychotherapy and fits into the current trend of pronouncing taboo topics and working out hidden traumas. Animation allows to penetrate deeply into the world of characters without violating their personal boundaries. An important place is held by metafilms, reflecting on the language of the animadoc and cinema in general. Today, documentary with the use of animation is more common than "real" animadoc, although the line between the fictional artistic world and the actual basis of films is rather fluid. The phenomenon is still in the making. Nevertheless, such films must have a real component: interviews (usually off-screen), newsreels, photographs, genuine objects, etc. The factual basis is not a sufficient argument to classify the work as a documentary animation—the decisive factor here is the hybridization of the form.


Abstract In this article a closer look will be taken on motivation, expectation, and present situation of third year undergraduate students of German studies in Croatia at the University of Rijeka. Due to the author's extensive experience in teaching translation classes from Croatian to German for undergraduate students in the third year, it is noticeable that most students have problems in certain areas, i.e. they are not able to correctly translate short Croatian texts into German in terms of correct grammar and syntax, even when words were explained in advance to facilitate the process of translation and upon extensive grammar practice in the first and second year of undergraduate studies. As studying a language also requires a lot of self-study and interest in the language being studied, it is certainly not enough just to sit in the courses at the university and do only the most necessary things to somehow pass the exams. It is essential to be engaged intensively with the country, the culture, and the people, to take part in exchange programmes, travel as often as possible to the country whose language you are about to learn, take the opportunity to communicate with native speakers, watch films or TV shows, read books or magazines in the target language etc. Thanks to the new technologies, nowadays one has almost endless possibilities to be exposed to the target language, even if one does not have the opportunity to travel to the destination country. But to what extent do students use what is available to them and are they at all motivated for the necessary effort of self-study? To answer these questions, a questionnaire was prepared to gain a deeper insight into the students' motivation to enrol German language and literature at the university, their expectations of what the language study would be like and the present situation in their third year of undergraduate studies. The evaluation of the questionnaire should provide information on the extent to which the students were familiar with what to expect from their studies, how they deal with the requirements and challenges, to what extent they are willing and prepared to do something outside of the courses to improve their language proficiency autonomously, what the study of German studies should serve them in the future and if self-study has a visible impact on their language proficiency, i.e. if students who do a certain amount of self-study do have better results.


A method for commissioning an EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulation of medical linac photon beams through wide-field lateral profiles at moderate depth in a water phantom is presented. Although depth-dose profiles are commonly used for nominal energy determination, our study shows that they are quite insensitive to energy changes below 0.3 MeV (0.6 MeV) for a 6 MV (15 MV) photon beam. Also, the depth-dose profile dependence on beam radius adds an additional uncertainty in their use for tuning nominal energy. Simulated 40 cm x 40 cm lateral profiles at 5 cm depth in a water phantom show greater sensitivity to both nominal energy and radius. Beam parameters could be determined by comparing only these curves with measured data.


&NA; Date Presented 3/31/2017 This study found relationships among generation of ideas for motor action, the ability to complete narrative story retelling, and components of narrative language in children with dyspraxia and those with ideational praxis deficits. Results inform understanding of ideational skills in children. Primary Author and Speaker: Teresa A. May‐Benson Additional Authors and Speakers: Sarah Friel


Five new bismuth(III) halide compounds (BiX3, X = Br or I) of formulae {[BiBr(Me2DTC)2]n} (1), {[BiBr2(Et2DTC)]n} (2), {[BiI2(Me2DTC)]n} (3), {[BiI(Et2DTC)2]n} (4) and {[BiI(μ2-I)(Et2DTC)2]2}n (5) (Me2DTCH = dimethyldithiocarbamate, C3H7NS2 and Et2DTCH = diethyldithiocarbamate, C5H11NS2) were synthesized from the reactions between bismuth(III) bromide (BiBr3) or bismuth(III) iodide (BiI3) with tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (Me4tms), tetramethylthiuram disulfide (Me4tds) or tetraethylthiuram disulfide (Et4tds). The complexes were characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy and Thermal Gravimetry-Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA). Moreover, the crystal structures of 1–5 were determined with single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The ligands of compounds 1–5 were derived from reduction with concomitant degradation to dithiocarbamates. Complexes 1–4 are polymers, whereas complex 5 is a dimer, built up from monomeric units with square pyramidal (SP) geometry (1, 4 and 5) and pentagonal bipyramidal geometry (2 and 3) around the bismuth center. Complexes 1–5 were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against human adenocarcinoma breast (MCF-7) and cervix (HeLa) cells. The toxicity on normal human fetal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5) is also evaluated. Since estrogen receptors (ERs) are located in MCF-7, in contrast to HeLa cells, the estrogenic effect of 1–5 on MCF-7 cells was studied by means of a methylene blue assay. Hirshfeld surface volumes were analyzed to clarify the nature of the intermolecular interactions. Molecules with lower H-all atoms inter-molecular interactions tend to exhibit higher activity against both MCF-7 and HeLa cells. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies were performed for these complexes using 2D topological based disparity analysis. This finding underlines the significance of the halogen atoms in the coordination sphere of the metal ion.


Research suggests that the arts play significant part in the education of all pupils. The findings of numerous, wide-ranging studies indicate that the Expressive Arts fulfil a vital function in the development learners, meeting many of the outcomes described in the "Purposes of the Curriculum 3-18" diagram outlined on page 15 of "A Curriculum for Excellence". In the following review of recent research, it is evident that the arts provide meaningful contexts through which learners can actively participate in a wide range of learning experiences. It is evident that learning should take place in the arts: each separate discipline has its own knowledge and skills base. But learning also takes place through the arts. Because of the high level of active engagement and enjoyment experienced during good Expressive Arts lessons, learners gain a sense of achievement and increased self-esteem. Across the arts areas, learners are offered a very wide and varied range of experiences, enabling them to communicate in a number of ways, for example, orally, visually, through body language and through music. The collaborative nature of many arts activities enables learners to develop skills in working cooperatively with others, often in problem-solving, creative situations. The arts also offer many opportunities for learners to be pro-active and enterprising within meaningful and relevant contexts.


Refrigerants of the conventional cooling systems contribute to global warming and ozone depletion significantly, therefore it is necessary to develop new cooling systems that use renewable energy resources and waste heat to perform the cooling function with eco-friendly working fluids. To address this, the present study introduces and analyzes a novel regenerative thermo-mechanical refrigeration system that can be powered by renewable heat sources (solar, geothermal, or waste heat). The system consists of a novel expander–compressor unit (ECU) integrated with a vapor-compression refrigeration system. The integrated system operates at the higher-performance supercritical conditions of the working fluids as opposed to the lower-performance subcritical conditions. The performance of the system is evaluated based on several indicators including the power loop efficiency, the coefficient of performance (COP) of the cooling loop, and the expander–compressor diameters. Several working fluids were selected and compared for their suitability based on their performance and environmental effects. It was found that for heat source temperature below 100 °C, adding the regenerator to the system has no benefit. However, the regenerator increases the power efficiency by about 1% for a heat source temperature above 130 °C. This was achieved with a very small size regenerator (Dr = 6.5 mm, Lr = 142 mm). Results show that there is a tradeoff between high-performance fluids and their environmental effects. Using R32 as a working fluid at heat source temperature Th = 150 °C and cold temperature Tc1 = 40 °C, the system produces a cooling capacity of 1 kW with power efficiency of 10.23%, expander diameter of 53.12 mm, and compressor diameter of 75.4 mm.


A new full-precision algorithm to solve the Debye scattering equation has been developed for high-performance computing of powder diffraction line profiles from large-scale atomistic models of nanomaterials. The Debye function was evaluated using a pair distribution function computed with high accuracy, exploiting the series expansion of the error between calculated and equispace-sampled pair distances of atoms. The intensity uncertainty (standard deviation) of the computed diffraction profile was estimated as a function of the algorithm-intrinsic approximations and coordinate precision of the atomic positions, confirming the high accuracy of the simulated pattern. Based on the propagation of uncertainty, the new algorithm provides a more accurate powder diffraction profile than a brute-force calculation. Indeed, the precision of floating-point numbers employed in brute-force computations is worse than the estimated accuracy provided by the new algorithm. A software application, ROSE-X, has been implemented for parallel computing on CPU/GPU multi-core processors and distributed clusters. The computing performance is directly proportional to the total processor speed of the devices. An average speed of ∼30 × 109 computed pair distances per second was measured, allowing simulation of the powder diffraction pattern of an ∼23 million atom microstructure in a couple of hours. Moreover, the pair distribution function was recorded and reused to evaluate powder diffraction profiles of the same system with different properties (i.e. Q rather than 2θ range, step and wavelength), avoiding additional pair distance computations. This approach was used to investigate a large collection of monoatomic and polyatomic microstructures, isolating the contribution from atoms belonging to different moieties (e.g. different species or crystalline domains).


We use annual real GDP and the volume of the bond, stock and credit markets to assess the causal relationship between the aggregate bond market development and economic growth in the USA, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, France and the Netherlands over the 1950 to 2001 period. The literature on the real - financial nexus to date has focused on the credit and stock markets, with few exceptions. Partially due to data availability problems, the impact of bond markets on economic growth has not yet been examined in the same way. To fill this gap we provide empirical evidence for long-run equilibrium and Granger causality in at least one direction in the relationship among real GDP and bond, credit and stock markets in seven economies with large bond markets. The supplyleading hypothesis that development of the financial markets enhances growth is supported in all countries except for Germany. The demand-leading hypothesis that economic development pulls the development of the financial markets is supported only for Germany. A feedback between domestic credits and output is found in Japan. There is evidence for a feedback between the equity markets and real output in Japan and the Netherlands.


A simple technique is introduced to estimate the inter-modal coupling relations of two Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) subsystems connected via an arbitrary interface. Based on a subsystem modal approach, the dynamic stiffness matrix of a generic built-up system is derived analytically. The coupling stiffness terms between any pair of subsystem modes can then be determined in explicit expressions. Under the proper SEA conditions, e.g. each subsystem has a high modal density and the couplings between SEA subsystems are sufficiently weak, these inter-modal coupling stiffness expressions can be greatly simplified. The results can then be easily accommodated within the standard SEA modeling procedure to predict the SEA response of generic built-up systems in a simple manner. Theoretical applications are made to estimate the SEA coupling loss factors between two subsystems connected by two rigid points.


The structural, mechanical and lattice dynamical properties of Ru2B3 and Os2B3 have been investigated by using a first-principles method based on the density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation. The single crystal elastic constants are numerically estimated using strain–stress approach. The polycrystalline aggregate elastic parameters are calculated from the single elastic constants via the Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximations. Subsequently, the ductility and brittleness are characterized with the estimation from Pugh's rule (B/G) and Cauchy pressure. Additionally, the Debye temperature is calculated from the average elastic wave velocity obtained from bulk and shear moduli. The calculated parameters are consistent with the previous experimental and theoretical data. These borides are both mechanically and dynamically stable in the considered structure.


OBJECTIVE
Radiation dose to the cochlea has been proposed as a key prognostic factor in hearing preservation following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for vestibular schwannoma (VS). However, understanding of the predictive value of cochlear dose on hearing outcomes following SRS for patients with non-VS tumors of the lateral skull base (LSB) is incomplete. The authors investigated rates of hearing loss following high-dose SRS in patients with LSB non-VS lesions compared with patients with VS.

METHODS
Patients with LSB meningioma or jugular paraganglioma and serviceable pretreatment hearing who underwent SRS treatment during 2007-2016 and received a modiolus dose > 5 Gy were included in a retrospective cohort study, along with a similarly identified control group of consecutive patients with sporadic VS.

RESULTS
Sixteen patients with non-VS tumors and a control group of 43 patients with VS met study criteria. Serviceable hearing, defined as American Academy of Otololaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery class A/B, was maintained in 13 non-VS versus 23 VS patients (81% vs 56%, p = 0.07). All 3 instances of hearing loss in non-VS patients were observed in cerebellopontine angle (CPA) meningiomas. Non-VS with preserved hearing had a median modiolus dose of 6.9 Gy (range 5.7-19.2 Gy), versus 7.4 Gy (range 5.4-7.6 Gy) in those patients with post-SRS hearing loss (p = 0.53). Sporadic VS patients received an overall median modiolus point-dose of 6.8 Gy (range 5.4-11.7 Gy).

CONCLUSIONS
The modiolus dose threshold of 5 Gy does not predict hearing loss in patients with non-VS tumors undergoing SRS, suggesting that dosimetric parameters derived from VS may not be applicable to this population. Differential rates of hearing loss appear to vary by pathology, with paragangliomas and petroclival meningiomas demonstrating decreased risk of hearing loss compared to CPA meningiomas that may directly compress the cochlear nerve similarly to VS.


The article describes the signs and symptoms of different emergencies: cardiopulmonary arrest, coma, syncope, allergic diseases, spontaneous pneumothorax. The algorithm of pre-hospital resuscitation is given for primary care physicians.


In the information infrastructure project NOWA (NeurOscientific Workflow Assistance) of the collaborative research center CRC/TRR 135 Cardinal mechanisms of perception: Prediction, Valuation, Categorization we develop and combine tools for the sharing of research data. In this context, NOWA aims to create an organizational and technological framework that supports workflows throughout the entire research data lifecycle. This article addresses the conceptual and technical part of NOWA. We first discuss the specific requirements of the scientists and then compare them with proven solutions from the computer science and software engineering domain, respectively. These so-called best practices are then adapted to the specific needs within the CRC. Finally, we conclude the article by an overview of the planned technical and technological implementation of the NOWA assistance system.


This article provides an overview of current applications of machine learning (ML) in seismology. ML techniques are becoming increasingly widespread in seismology, with applications ranging from identifying unseen signals and patterns to extracting features that might improve our physical understanding. The survey of the applications in seismology presented here serves as a catalyst for further use of ML. Five research areas in seismology are surveyed in which ML classification, regression, clustering algorithms show promise: earthquake detection and phase picking, earthquake early warning (EEW), ground‐motion prediction, seismic tomography, and earthquake geodesy. We conclude by discussing the need for a hybrid approach combining data‐driven ML with traditional physical modeling.


The study of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of platinum based anti-cancer drugs has done much to direct their development, at both preclinical and clinical levels. The clinical development of cisplatin depended on an understanding of its mechanism of action. The amelioration of the renal toxicity of cisplatin with sodium chloride infusion and forced diuresis is thought to rely on a common ion effect to suppress the formation of aquated species in the renal tubule. Studies of the modulation of cisplatin toxicity with other agents have followed, although none has yet achieved widespread acceptance. Following the demonstration of the important clinical role for cisplatin, studies of the relationship between toxicity and the reactivity of the leaving groups led to the development of the less toxic but equally effective analogue, carboplatin. The clinical development of carboplatin has in turn been strongly influenced by the studies of its pharmacokinetics, with pharmacokinetically guided dosing now being standard in many cancer centres and also being widely used in current clinical trials. Pharmacokinetic studies in animals have demonstrated that it is possible to make analogues that have good oral bioavailability. Apart from the convenience of oral administration, there is also the suggestion that these molecules may possess activity against certain cisplatin resistant cell lines. For the future, the development of sensitive methodologies whereby the exact types of platinum-DNA adducts formed can be characterized may allow the reason for the remarkable anti-tumour activity of these complexes to be elucidated and further, more selective compounds to be designed. The history of the development of platinum compounds emphasizes the importance of performing intensive pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and mechanistic studies in concert with the clinical development of any class of agents.


Analyzing the aspect of competitiveness, the approach to it may be bipolar. On the one hand, the object of interest is the competitiveness of entities in the meaning of enterprises. This is grasped in a more microeconomic way. On the other hand, however, a more global approach to competitiveness is encountered, considering the competition of a country. However, a country's competitiveness often represents the catalyst of competitive advantage of a single enterprise. Therefore, this paper will concern the competition elements, both in the macro and micro sphere. A case of a global corporation's competition will also be presented.


Abstract Historically, energy transitions have occurred gradually over the span of several decades, marked by incremental improvements in technologies. In recent years, public interest in accelerating the next energy transition has fueled a clean-energy policy agenda intended to underpin the development of a decarbonized energy economy. However, policies to date have encouraged investors to fund renewable energy projects utilizing proven technologies that are not competitive without the help of government subsidies. A true transition of the energy mix requires innovations that can compete with conventional energy over the long term. Investments in innovative technology projects are scarce because of the "commercialization gap," which affects projects that are too capital-intensive for venture capital yet too risky for private equity, project, or corporate debt financing. Accelerating innovation through the commercialization gap will require governments to allocate public dollars to, and encourage private investment in, these riskier projects. Policy-makers will face a trade-off between prioritizing policies for accelerating the energy transition and accounting for the risks associated with innovation funding in a tight budgetary environment.


In this work, several aspects of molecular magnetism were investigated by experimental and theoretical methods. Synthetic works with carbazole-based Schiff base ligands led to dinuclear complexes involving Cu(II), Co(II), and Zn(II) ions. The Cu(II) complexes showed weak antiferromagnetic exchange interaction. In the case of Co(II), slow magnetic relaxation properties were found. Multiconfigurational calculations on Co(II) complexes with a wide variety of [N2O2] coordination environments gave insight into occuring spin-orbit coupling effects. Furthermore, linearly coordinated Co(II) complexes have been identified as potentially high-performing single-molecule magnets. The magnetic properties of lanthanide(III) complexes with the triaminoguanidine ligand system were calculated with the CASSCF/RASSI methodology. Simulations of the susceptibility data were used for the interpretation of hydrogen bond mediated exchange interactions. Several known oligonuclear systems, including Cu4O4 heterocubanes, hexanuclear Cu(II) wheels, and triaminoguanidine-based Cr(III) triangles, were reinvestigated with focus on the exchange interaction between the metal centers. Employing the broken symmetry DFT methodology, their magnetic properties were reinvestigated.


We consider the problem of constructing optimal decentralized controllers. We formulate this problem as one of minimizing the closed-loop norm of a feedback system subject to constraints on the controller structure. We define the notion of quadratic invariance of a constraint set with respect to a system, and show that if the constraint set has this property, then the constrained minimum-norm problem may be solved via convex programming. We also show that quadratic invariance is necessary and sufficient for the constraint set to be preserved under feedback. These results are developed in a very general framework, and are shown to hold in both continuous and discrete time, for both stable and unstable systems, and for any norm. This notion unifies many previous results identifying specific tractable decentralized control problems, and delineates the largest known class of convex problems in decentralized control. As an example, we show that optimal stabilizing controllers may be efficiently computed in the case where distributed controllers can communicate faster than their dynamics propagate. We also show that symmetric synthesis is included in this classification, and provide a test for sparsity constraints to be quadratically invariant, and thus amenable to convex synthesis.


Optical CDMA is one of the few multiple access concepts which permit concurrent, non-blocking virtual channels. However, conventional approaches with linear codes induce stringent device requirements which stem from the bandwidth inefficiency, also denoted as the time penalty, of CDMA. In order to have the advantages of CDMA without its concommitant time penalty, we have been concentrating on multi-attribute CDMA. A previous paper reported on the analysis, design, and analog performance of bandwidth efficient matrix configurations. The research with analog transceivers validated the theory of constructing and implementing matrix codes. In the paper we go a step further and demonstrate the concurrent transmission of digital signals in a fully populated 4/spl times/4 optical matrix (CDMA) system by measuring its raw (no thresholding or processing) bit error rate. The authors measured a raw BER of 2.0*10E-9 at 155 Mb/s.


Over the last decade, Ecuador experienced inclusive growth fueled by a favorable external environment that financed a vast expansion of the public sector. The country is now facing severe external and fiscal challenges due to the significant extended fall in oil prices and the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. Since mid-2014, Ecuador has lost almost half of its merchandise export income due to the decline in oil prices. Oil revenues averaged 13.2 percent of GDP between 2011 and 2014 and one-third of total fiscal revenues. The fall in oil and other commodity prices on global markets has opened broad macroeconomic imbalances and exposed Ecuador's pre-existing vulnerabilities. As a fully dollarized economy with limited savings from the boom years, Ecuador cannot soften adjustment via a nominal depreciation or a drawdown of macroeconomic buffers. The strengthening of the U.S. dollar and the major currency depreciations in neighboring trading partners also place pressures on external competitiveness. Furthermore, access to foreign borrowing has become more limited. Consequently, the burden of the adjustment falls on fiscal and income policies.


A novel technology is explored, using which an aligned array carbon nanotube film (aacf) can be perfectly peeled off from itself growing substrate as well as transferred onto an aluminum tape substrate, being assembled a composite film together with the Al tape. The electrical conductance and the field emission behaviors have been tested for the composite films. Experimental results show that the composite film has electrical resistance between 10 ohm and 1127 ohm, which depends on thickness and quality of the sticky glue layer between the carbon nanotub (cnt) film and the Al substrate. F-N curve proves the electronic emission of the composite film is field emission. I-V measurement curves demonstrate that the composite film with good electrical conductance has better field emission behavior and that the turn-on field and threshold field of sample 1 are 1.1 V/um and 1.8 V/um respectively. The technology datum show the composite film can meet the requirements of the emission cathode in flat panel displays.


Viewpoint variation is a major challenge in video- based human action recognition. We exploit the simultaneous RGB and Depth sensing of RGB-D cameras to address this problem. Our technique capitalizes on the complementary spatio-temporal information in RGB and Depth frames of the RGB-D videos to achieve viewpoint invariant action recognition. We extract view invariant features from the dense trajectories of the RGB stream using a non-linear knowledge transfer model. Simultaneously, view invariant human pose features are extracted using a CNN model for the Depth stream, and Fourier Temporal Pyramid are computed over them. The resulting heterogeneous features are meticulously combined and used for training an L1L2 classifier. To establish the effectiveness of the proposed approach, we benchmark our technique using two standard datasets and compare its performance with twelve existing methods. Our approach achieves up to 7.2% improvement in the accuracy over the nearest competitor.


Gyratory shear tests and repeated load triaxial compression tests were conducted on five different base courses which were furnished by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Two of the materials, one stabilized with asphalt and the other unstabilized, were open-graded aggregate bases designed to provide a high degree of porosity. The other three materials were conventional bases now being used by the NJDOT. The conventional bases were a high-quality, asphalt-stabilized base material, a crushed rock, and a pit-run gravel. The laboratory tests indicated that for dynamic loads, such as would be the case for high-speed highway traffic, the open-graded bases would perform better than or as well as the nonstabilized conventional bases but not as well as the high-quality stabilized base. For static loading the nonstabilized bases were superior to the asphalt-stabilized bases. The minimum coverage requirement for the open-graded bases is estimated to be approximately 6 in. The data provided by gyratory testing proved to be useful in evaluating the base materials, and the recommendation is made to continue development of gyratory testing for evaluation of pavement materials. (FHWA)


This book examines contemporary urban sharing mobilities, such as shared and public forms of everyday urban mobility. Tracing the social and economic history of sharing mobilities and examining contemporary case studies of mobility sharing services, such as Car2go, BlaBlaCar, and Uber, the authors raise questions about what these changes mean for access to and engagement with the public spaces of transport in the city. Drawing on the thought of Lefebvre, the book considers how contemporary sharing mobilities are affecting people's 'right to the city', with particular attention paid to the privatised, frictionless practices of movement through the city. In addition, the authors ask what has happened to earlier forms of shared mobility and illustrate how some of these practices continue successfully today. Considering the potential that modern incarnations of shared mobilities offer to urban citizens for engaging in meaningful shared mobilities that are not simply determined by the interfaces of technology and market forces, this book will appeal to sociologists and geographers with interests in mobility and urban studies.


Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is expected to have a biological augmentation potential in the healing of various diseases and injuries, including rotator cuff tears. However, few evaluations have been performed specifically for large to massive tears. Purpose: To assess the efficacy of PRP augmentation in patients undergoing arthroscopic repair for large to massive rotator cuff tears. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 48 patients scheduled for arthroscopic repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears were randomly assigned to receive either PRP-augmented (PRP group) or conventional treatment (conventional group). In the PRP group, 3 PRP gels (3 × 3 mL) were applied to each patient between the torn end and the greater tuberosity. The primary outcome measure was the retear rate assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomographic arthrography (CTA) at a minimum of 9 months after surgery. Secondary outcome measures included pain, range of motion, muscle strength, overall satisfaction, functional scores, and the change in cross-sectional area (CSA) of the supraspinatus. Results: The retear rate of the PRP group (20.0%) was significantly lower than that of the conventional group (55.6%) (P = .023). Clinical outcomes showed no statistical difference between the 2 groups (all P > .05) except for the overall function (P = .043). The change in 1-year postoperative and immediately postoperative CSA was significantly different between the 2 groups: –15.54 ± 94.34 mm2 in the PRP group versus −85.62 ± 103.57 mm2 in the conventional group (P = .047). Conclusion: The application of PRP for large to massive rotator cuff repairs significantly improved structural outcomes, as evidenced by a decreased retear rate and increased CSA of the supraspinatus compared with repairs without PRP augmentation. While there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes except the overall shoulder function after 1-year follow-up, better structural outcomes in the PRP group might suggest improved clinical outcomes at longer term follow-up.


The rocker switch considered has been investigated under normal hand-operating conditions, using high-speed photography. From this information, a computer-based mathematical model of the dynamics of the switch operation has been developed and verified experimentally. The model has been assembled to accommodate as many variables as possible, thus allowing their effect on the system to be evaluated. The variables are assessed by consideration of their effect on the kinetic energy in the moving contact. A reduction in kinetic energy at impact has been shown in a previous paper (ibid., vol.CHMT-7, no.1, p.125-6, 1984) to result in a reduction in contact bounce, prolonging contact life. Using optimization procedures, two design philosophies, based on the reduction of kinetic energy at impact, are given. The first is applied to al standard switch, the second considers a general optimization, based on the reduction of moving contact inertia, which is identified as a major parameter. >


Evidence-based therapies stemmed from the movement toward evidence-based medicine, and later, evidence-based practice (EBP) in psychology and allied fields. EBP reflects a progressive historical shift from naïve empiricism, which is based on raw and untutored observations of patient change, to systematic empiricism, which refines and hones such observations with the aid of systematic research techniques. EBP traces its roots in part to the development of methods of randomization in the early 20th century. In American psychology, EBP has traditionally been conceptualized as a three-legged stool comprising high-quality treatment outcome evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences and values. The research leg of the stool is typically operationalized in terms of a hierarchy of evidentiary certainty, with randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses of such trials toward the apex. The most influential operationalization of the EBP research leg is the effort to identify empirically supported treatments, which are psychotherapies that have been demonstrated to work for specific psychological conditions. Still, EBP remains scientifically controversial in many quarters, and some critics have maintained that the research base underpinning it is less compelling than claimed by its proponents.


Gouty panniculitis is caused by the deposition of urate crystals in the subcutaneous tissue, accompanied by a lobular panniculitis. It presents as subcutaneous nodules, most commonly located on the lower extremities. Being an unusual clinical presentation of gout, the sonographic findings of gouty panniculitis have been scarcely described in the literature. Our report describes the ultrasound features we found in a case of gouty panniculitis and the usefulness of this technique for diagnosis and monitoring of this disease.


For image recognition with camera phones, defocus and motion blur cause a serious drop of the image recognition rate. In this paper, we employ generative learning, i.e., generating blurred images and learning based on massive local features extracted from them, for a recognition method using approximate nearest neighbor search of local features. Major problems of generative learning are long processing time and a large amount of memory required for nearest neighbor search. The problems become serious when we use a large-scale database. In the proposed method, they are solved by cascaded recognizers and scalar quantization. From experimental results with up to one million images, we have confirmed that the proposed method improves the recognition rate, and cuts the processing time as compared to a method without generative learning.


10 upper-extremity spastic subjects and 10 normal subjects were studied with a force-reflecting joystick in the performance of a continuous time-tracking task as well as an acquisition task termed, "Fitts' Law." Certain force-reflection paradigms, in a spatial sense, allowed the spastic subjects to obtain performance proficiency near levels of the normal subjects as measured by a capacity metric.


Twenty‐eight previously untreated patients with unresectable and radical radiotherapy incurable advanced stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck underwent cis‐diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) induction chemotherapy followed by radiation with 6500 rad to the primary and 5000 rad to the supraclavicular area given over six weeks. Of the 26 patients completing this regimen, none had a complete remission after DDP alone. Following radiation therapy, 39% of the patients had a total regression of all disease. This modality converted 16 patients to operable candidates. After surgery, 68% of the patients were in complete remission. Survival was significantly correlated (P ≤ 0.001) with complete disappearance of disease, and surgical intervention was additive to chemotherapy and radiation. Histopathologic staging demonstrated that clinical assessment of residual disease in the neck determined after chemotherapy and radiation of the neck was unreliable. Therefore, radical neck dissection appears indicated in lesions initially staged as N2 and N3 irrespective of the postradiation clinical status of the neck region. Finally, a serious limitation of improved survival duration was the occurrence of disseminated disease in patients whose primary and regional lesions were well controlled.


BACKGROUND
Several cases of nemaline myopathy (NM) have been described in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The clinical and histological characteristics of classical NM are known, but remain to be defined in HIV positive patients.

METHODS
A retrospective review of the NM over a 12-year period (1982-1993) was carried out. The clinical and histological data of the classical NM were compared with those associated to the HIV.

RESULTS
Eight cases of NM were collected: five in HIV negative patients (classical NM) and three in HIV positive patients. The latter patients with NM were all males with no family history of myopathy. Motor development had been normal and was not associated with disorders in other systems and the muscular symptoms were slight. On muscle biopsy a lower percentage of fibers with nemaline bodies and type 2 muscle fiber atrophy were observed, as well as slight alterations in the oxidative reactions. A second muscle biopsy performed two years after in one of these patients was normal. Females predominated in the group of HIV negative patients with family history, motor retardation during infancy and different extramuscular alterations being frequent. The muscle symptoms were more marked and severe in the two cases with respiratory musculature involvement. Histologic study demonstrated a higher percentage of nemaline bodies, predominance of type 1 muscle fiber atrophy and frequent alterations in the oxidative reactions.

CONCLUSION
Nemaline myopathy presented in patients with HIV infection differs from the classically described form. The presence of nemaline bodies on muscle biopsy in HIV positive patients may be interpreted more as an epiphenomenon in relation with HIV infection than as a primary myopathy.


CONTEXT
Helicopter emergency medical services and their possible effect on outcomes for traumatically injured patients remain a subject of debate. Because helicopter services are a limited and expensive resource, a methodologically rigorous investigation of its effectiveness compared with ground emergency medical services is warranted.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the association between the use of helicopter vs ground services and survival among adults with serious traumatic injuries.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Retrospective cohort study involving 223,475 patients older than 15 years, having an injury severity score higher than 15, and sustaining blunt or penetrating trauma that required transport to US level I or II trauma centers and whose data were recorded in the 2007-2009 versions of the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank.

INTERVENTIONS
Transport by helicopter or ground emergency services to level I or level II trauma centers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Survival to hospital discharge and discharge disposition.

RESULTS
A total of 61,909 patients were transported by helicopter and 161,566 patients were transported by ground. Overall, 7813 patients (12.6%) transported by helicopter died compared with 17,775 patients (11%) transported by ground services. Before propensity score matching, patients transported by helicopter to level I and level II trauma centers had higher Injury Severity Scores. In the propensity score-matched multivariable regression model, for patients transported to level I trauma centers, helicopter transport was associated with an improved odds of survival compared with ground transport (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.17; P < .001; absolute risk reduction [ARR], 1.5%). For patients transported to level II trauma centers, helicopter transport was associated with an improved odds of survival (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.13-1.17; P < .001; ARR, 1.4%). A greater proportion (18.2%) of those transported to level I trauma centers by helicopter were discharged to rehabilitation compared with 12.7% transported by ground services (P < .001), and 9.3% transported by helicopter were discharged to intermediate facilities compared with 6.5% by ground services (P < .001). Fewer patients transported by helicopter left level II trauma centers against medical advice (0.5% vs 1.0%, P < .001).

CONCLUSION
Among patients with major trauma admitted to level I or level II trauma centers, transport by helicopter compared with ground services was associated with improved survival to hospital discharge after controlling for multiple known confounders.


The sedative effects of intramuscular (IM) alfaxalone in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (alfaxalone-HPCD) were evaluated in cats. The cats were treated with alfaxalone-HPCD in five occasions with a minimum 14-day interval between treatments: an IM injection of 1.0 mg/kg (IM1), 2.5 mg/kg (IM2.5), 5 mg/kg (IM5) or 10 mg/kg (IM10), or an intravenous injection of 5 mg/kg (IV5). The sedative effects were evaluated subjectively using a composite measurement scoring system (a maximum score of 16). Cardio-respiratory variables were measured non-invasively. The median sedation scores peaked at 10 min (score 9), 15 min (score 14), 10 min (score 16), 10 to 20 min (score 16) and 2 to 5 min (score 16) after the IM1, IM2.5, IM5, IM10 and IV5 treatments, respectively. The IM5 treatment produced longer lasting sedation, compared to the IV5 treatment. Durations of maintenance of lateral recumbency after the IM10 treatment (115 ± 22 min) were longer than those after the IM2.5 (40 ± 15 min), IM5 (76 ± 21 min) and IV5 treatments (50 ± 5 min). Cardio-respiratory variables remained within clinically acceptable ranges, except for each one cat that showed hypotension (<60 mmHg) after the IM10 and IV5 treatments. Tremors, ataxia and opisthotonus-like posture were observed during the early recovery period after the IM2.5, IM5, IM10 and IV5 treatments. In conclusion, IM alfaxalone-HPCD produced dose-dependent and clinically relevant sedative effect at 2.5 to 10 mg/kg in healthy cats. Hypotension may occur at higher IM doses of alfaxalone-HPCD.


Applied gas turbine blade material(Ni base Super-alloy) for aircraft as principal parts material of existing electricity generating gas turbine blade. Studied microstructure change after do heat treatment, Hot Isostatic Press(HIP) processing to nickel-based super-alloy. Emphasize in properties of matter refreshing effect confirmation by HIP processing, microstructure observed by scanning electron microscope. HIP processing effect caused positive effect in high temperature Creep and low cycle fatigue failure by microscopic air hole exclusion. Sheep of Eutectic region decreased solid solution being done B, and also precipitated size of cuboidal shape great. Heat treatment effect was seen modification by M23C6 carbide creation that Script MC carbide is microscopic and does Discrete through solution treatment in high temperature state. Precipitation that grow after HIP processing over solution processing and aging processing in heat treatment process solid solution after is done again precipitate being done size decrescent.


Anomalous temperature dependence has been observed in the magneto-transport of PbTe thin films on BaF2. A factor-of-10 increase in the longitudinal magnetoresistance rho zz(B) at high fields is seen for decreasing temperature in the range 12<T<0.3 K, while the Hall coefficient changes by less than 20%. These observations suggest that the localisation of carriers on impurities or magnetic freeze-out is not occurring, contrary to the case of HgCdTe. Far-infrared transmission using lambda L=70.6 and 118.8 mu m in magnetic fields up to 13 T exhibits temperature dependence in cyclotron resonance, dielectric anomaly and spin resonance transitions. The temperature dependence in n-type PbTe is due primarily to the transfer of carriers from the lowest-energy strain-split (111) valley to the higher-energy (111) valleys as the temperature is increased. The transfer of carriers is not the origin of the anomalous magneto-transport, however, since below T approximately=2 K no transfer of carriers occurs, while the transport temperature dependence continues for another order of magnitude in temperature.


In this study, a new approach of the application of finite element method is presented, to solve the initial stages of crack propagation problems which mean the deformation due to the stress and strain of a material. In early applications of the finite element method for the analysis of crack propagation, the crack-tip motion was modelled by discontinuous jumps. We have implemented one dimensional finite element discretization to solve crack propagation problem. The parallel algorithm with parallel computer system has been used in order to perform the computational analysis of finite element for this study. Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) has been used as a message passing software with Parallel Computer System. The result of this study will be useful in the mathematics and engineering fields. In mathematics, the research will widen the application of finite elements in solving the engineering science problems. Keywords: Finite Element Method (FEM), Crack Propagation, Parallel computation, Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM). DOI: 10.3329/diujst.v5i1.4378 Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.5(1) 2010 pp.19-28


Learning unsupervised node embeddings facilitates several downstream tasks such as node classification and link prediction. A node embedding is universal if it is designed to be used by and benefit various downstream tasks. This work introduces PanRep, a graph neural network (GNN) model, for unsupervised learning of universal node representations for heterogenous graphs. PanRep consists of a GNN encoder that obtains node embeddings and four decoders, each capturing different topological and node feature properties. Abiding to these properties the novel unsupervised framework learns universal embeddings applicable to different downstream tasks. PanRep can be furthered fine-tuned to account for possible limited labels. In this operational setting PanRep is considered as a pretrained model for extracting node embeddings of heterogenous graph data. PanRep outperforms all unsupervised and certain supervised methods in node classification and link prediction, especially when the labeled data for the supervised methods is small. PanRep-FT (with fine-tuning) outperforms all other supervised approaches, which corroborates the merits of pretraining models. Finally, we apply PanRep-FT for discovering novel drugs for Covid-19. We showcase the advantage of universal embeddings in drug repurposing and identify several drugs used in clinical trials as possible drug candidates.


Palmitoylation is a key post-translational modification mediated by a family of DHHC-containing palmitoyl acyl-transferases (PATs). Unlike other lipid modifications, palmitoylation is reversible and thus often regulates dynamic protein interactions. We find that the mouse hair loss mutant, depilated, (dep) is due to a single amino acid deletion in the PAT, Zdhhc21, resulting in protein mislocalization and loss of palmitoylation activity. We examined expression of Zdhhc21 protein in skin and find it restricted to specific hair lineages. Loss of Zdhhc21 function results in delayed hair shaft differentiation, at the site of expression of the gene, but also leads to hyperplasia of the interfollicular epidermis (IFE) and sebaceous glands, distant from the expression site. The specific delay in follicle differentiation is associated with attenuated anagen propagation and is reflected by decreased levels of Lef1, nuclear β-catenin, and Foxn1 in hair shaft progenitors. In the thickened basal compartment of mutant IFE, phospho-ERK and cell proliferation are increased, suggesting increased signaling through EGFR or integrin-related receptors, with a parallel reduction in expression of the key differentiation factor Gata3. We show that the Src-family kinase, Fyn, involved in keratinocyte differentiation, is a direct palmitoylation target of Zdhhc21 and is mislocalized in mutant follicles. This study is the first to demonstrate a key role for palmitoylation in regulating developmental signals in mammalian tissue homeostasis.


Even if sound and music are deeply intertwined phenomena, it is still fiercely debated whether all music is made up of sound, and vice versa, whether all sound can be deemed as music. Researchers from many different backgrounds have proposed numerous solutions to the conundrum; however, most of them analyse music and sound out of their natural context, ignoring not negligible variables such as listeners and cognitive constraints.

This paper fills this gap, by introducing a theoretical model, called the Circle of Sound, which aims to solve the sound/music dilemma. The Circle of Sound is based on cognition, and has been developed according to the concepts of musical complexity, musical understanding and musical enjoyment. By combining these concepts, a new operational definition of music is proposed. The theoretical framework provided can also be used as a basis for future experimental investigations, willing to shed some light on how musical is understood by
people.


Light exposure at night increases alertness; however, it is not clear if light affects nocturnal alertness in the same way that it affects measures of circadian regulation. The purpose of this study was to determine if a previously established functional relationship between light and nocturnal melatonin suppression was the same as that relating light exposure and nocturnal alertness. Four levels of narrow-band blue light at the cornea were presented during nighttime sessions. The ratio of electroencephalographic alpha power density with eyes closed to eyes open (alpha attenuation coefficient, AAC) and the Norris mood scale were used. The AAC and ratings of alertness increased monotonically with irradiance and were highly correlated. Both measures of alertness were highly correlated with model predictions of nocturnal melatonin suppression for the same circadian light stimulus, consistent with the inference that the suprachiasmatic nuclei play an important role in nocturnal alertness as well as circadian regulation.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of full-mouth disinfection (FMD) on glycemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHOD AND MATERIALS
Sixty dentate patients who were never-smokers with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited for the study. Based on clinical examination they were divided into two groups: one with chronic periodontitis and the other without chronic periodontitis. Periodontal parameters Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), and probing pocket depth (PPD) were evaluated. Blood samples were assessed for the levels of fasting glucose (FG), insulin, and C-reactive protein (CRP), and insulin glucose ratio was calculated using a mathematical equation (HOMA-IR). All parameters were assessed at baseline, and at 3 months and 6 months after FMD.

RESULTS
The results showed a significant reduction in PI, GI, PPD, FG, and HOMA-IR from baseline to 6 months. The CRP levels were constant throughout the study period.

CONCLUSION
Within the limitations of the present study it can be concluded that FMD contributes to significant reduction in insulin resistance, thereby improving the glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.


In point grinding process, the contact area of point grinding is much smaller than that of conventional cylindrical grinding under same conditions, so the grinding power and heat to measure is lower and the cooling condition is improved obviously. For green manufacturing, the point grinding process has the significance to reduce the consumption of grinding fluid and improve ground surface integrity and greenness. This study analyzes the geometric configuration of the contact area between wheel and workpiece in point grinding process, establishes the geometric and mathematic models of the contact area, and investigates the relations between the grinding parameters and the grinding power by the simulations. The MQL and semi-dry point grinding experiments are performed on the ground surface integrity. These investigations show that the MQL and semi-dry grinding can be achieved in point grinding process under less contact area and higher jet pressure condition for the high greenness demand.


DOTs are interested in developing guidelines for use of large diameter corrugated HDPE pipe buried under roadways with shallow fill, but this application has not been studied extensively. A pooled fund study consisting of full-scale field tests and computer modeling has been initiated to address this matter. The objectives of the project are to improve understanding of the behavior of large diameter thermoplastic culverts under low fill heights, and develop design and installation procedures for inclusion in DOT and AASHTO specifications. The field tests are being conducted at the MnRoad Research Facility, which maintains a two-lane test road traversed only by test vehicles, a truck with a maximum axle load of 107 kN (24,000 lb) travels in one lane and a truck with 80 kN (18,000 lb) maximum axle load travels in the other. Ten 20 m (65 ft) runs of 1,500 mm (60 in.) diameter test pipe were installed. Test pipe consisted of eight runs of thermoplastic pipe, and one run each of reinforced concrete and corrugated steel pipe. Nominal installation depths were 0.3 m and 0.6 m (1 ft and 2 ft) to the top of pavement. Backfill materials were A-1 and A-2 soils per AASHTO M145. Backfill compaction effort was minimal. Pipes were instrumented with strain gages, displacement transducers, soil pressure cells, and thermocouples. All instruments are connected to dataloggers that are remotely accessed via an internet connection. This paper reports on the installation of the test pipe and early results on pipe performance. Deflections and strains are small. There has been some settlement in the backfill due to the low compaction levels.


: Experimental results showed that the ECG changes (elevation of T wave, a shift of the S-T segment and disturbances of the atrio-ventricular conduction) under the effect of vasopressin occurred in rats aged 24-26 months after lower doses of vasopressin than in the animals aged 10-12 months. With the administration of the same doses coronary insufficiency was more pronounced in the old animals (more frequent disturbances of the atrio-ventricular conduction, grade II or III, and greater derangement of general hemodynamics).


In this work, an optimization of an Ultra-Wideband Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA) using a single symmetric Composite Right/Left-Handed Transmission Line (CRLH TL) cell in the balanced condition is presented by hybrid Genetic and Nelder-Mead Algorithm (GA-NMA). The GA-NMA multi-objective optimization is implemented independently to determine LC parameters for the maximum power delivery considering optimum tradeoff between mismatching levels at the input and output port of the transistor for a predetermined noise figure provided that the balance condition and the optimal value of the transition frequency are ensured. Finally, the designed LNA is simulated using Sonnet simulator.


While web applications provide enormous opportunities, they also present potential threats and risks due to a lack of trust among users. Reputation systems provide a promising way for building trust through social control by harnessing the community feedback in the form of feedback. However, reputation systems also introduce vulnerabilities due to potential manipulations by dishonest or malicious players. In this paper, we focus on important feedback aggregation related vulnerabilities, in particular, feedback sparsity with potential feedback manipulations, and develop resilient models and techniques. We propose similarity measures for differentiating dishonest feedbacks from honest ones and propose an inference framework to address the sparsity issues. We perform extensive evaluations of various algorithmic component of the framework and evaluate their effectiveness in countering feedback sparsity.


Achieving robust language technologies that can perform well across the world's many languages is a central goal of multilingual NLP. In this work, we take stock of and empirically analyse task performance disparities that exist between multilingual task-oriented dialogue (ToD) systems. We first define new quantitative measures of absolute and relative equivalence in system performance, capturing disparities across languages and within individual languages. Through a series of controlled experiments, we demonstrate that performance disparities depend on a number of factors: the nature of the ToD task at hand, the underlying pretrained language model, the target language, and the amount of ToD annotated data. We empirically prove the existence of the adaptation and intrinsic biases in current ToD systems: e.g., ToD systems trained for Arabic or Turkish using annotated ToD data fully parallel to English ToD data still exhibit diminished ToD task performance. Beyond providing a series of insights into the performance disparities of ToD systems in different languages, our analyses offer practical tips on how to approach ToD data collection and system development for new languages.


Maize (Zea mays L.) yields in southern Africa are low, due largely to drought and low-N stress. Selection of stress-tolerant genotypes by CIMMYT is conducted indirectly under managed stress conditions, although the selection effi ciency of this approach is not known. A retrospective analysis of 704 elite hybrid trials conducted from 2001 to 2009 was used to determine the relative ability of optimal, low-N, and managed drought trials to predict performance under the conditions of random abiotic stress and low-N fertility usually faced by African farmers. Well-fertilized trials in the rainy season were categorized as having experienced random abiotic stress if mean yield was <3 t ha -1 and the yield-anthesis date correlation was <0.1; otherwise they were classed as optimal. High genetic correlations were estimated between random abiotic stress and low-N or optimal conditions. Heritability was highest under optimal conditions and lowest under random abiotic stress. Indirect selection under low-N and optimal conditions was more effi cient than direct selection under random abiotic stress or indirect selection under managed drought, especially for early maturing genotypes, but direct selection was most effi cient for predicting performance under low N. Elite maize hybrids tolerant to random abiotic stress can be most effi ciently selected under optimal and/or low-N conditions while low-N tolerant genotypes should be selected directly under low N.


Introduction Chemical stimulation with capsaicin in the intestinal lumen induces abdominal pain, presumably through a mechanism involving the polymodal vanilloid receptor TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor subtype 1). Other stimulators of TRPV1 include heat, acid or ethanol. We evaluated the effects of duodenal acid and ethanol exposure on chemosensitivity and mechanosensitivity in healthy volunteers. Methods In two placebo-controlled arms of the study, healthy volunteers received duodenal infusions of either hydrochloric acid (0.1 mol/l) (n=8) or ethanol (5% vol/vol) through an oroduodenal tube. Mechanosensitivity was tested applying pressure-controlled duodenal distensions and chemosensitivity was tested by duodenal perfusion with capsaicin (40 μg/ml; 2.5 ml/min). Quality and intensity of upper abdominal symptoms were evaluated with a graded questionnaire during mechanical and chemical stimulation of the duodenum. Results During hydrochloric acid infusion, capsaicin-induced perception was reduced (P<0.01) and latency to discomfort was increased from 24.5 min (25th/75th%:16.5/36 min) during placebo to 50 min (25.5/60 min) (P<0.01). Ethanol had no significant effect on chemosensitivity [latency to discomfort for placebo vs. ethanol: 26 min (18/40 min) vs. 20 min (9/60 min)] (P>0.05). Neither duodenal acidification nor ethanol altered mechanosensitivity significantly (P>0.05). Conclusion Duodenal acid activated mechanisms that lead to a decreased sensitivity for intraluminal capsaicin; these mechanisms might protect duodenal chemonociceptors from being sensitized by acid. Whether this mechanism is impaired in patients with upper gastrointestinal functional disease remains to be determined.


Machine translation systems can be classified into rule-based and corpus-based approaches, in terms of their core methodology. Since both paradigms have been largely used during the last years, one of the aims in the research community is to know how these systems differ in terms of translation quality. To this end, this paper reports a study and comparison of several specific Catalan-Spanish machine translation systems: two rule-based and two corpus-based (particularly, statistical-based) systems, all of them freely available on the web. The translation quality analysis is performed under two different domains: journalistic and medical. The systems are evaluated by using standard automatic measures, as well as by native human evaluators. In addition to these traditional evaluation procedures, this paper reports a novel linguistic evaluation, which provides information about the errors encountered at the orthographic, morphological, lexical, semantic and syntactic levels. Results show that while rule-based systems provide a better performance at orthographic and morphological levels, statistical systems tend to commit less semantic errors. Furthermore, results show all the evaluations performed are characterised by some degree of correlation, and human evaluators tend to be specially critical with semantic and syntactic errors.


Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology is one of the promising options to generate green energy. However, the cost of kWhe produced is relatively high compared with fossil resources and can be reduced by integrating a cogeneration system exploiting waste energy. In this study, a technico-economic evaluation of a 1 MWe CSP plant with a condensation heat (85 °C) is investigated. The temperature constraint is set to meet the thermal separation needs of the draw solution of a forward osmosis desalination process. The purpose of this study focuses on the factors involved in reducing the cost per kWhe, which are the selection of the organic fluid used in the organic Rankine cycle and the appropriate choice of the solar multiple (SM) according to the appropriate storage hours (SH) maximizing the CSP thermal efficiency. The performance of different organic fluids was compared, based on the calculation of the thermodynamic cycle efficiency. The cyclopentane was retained for its reduced cost. Operating with this fluid, a sensitivity analysis was realized to test the effect of the solar multiple and storage hours on the power plant. It allows us to conclude that different appropriate combination between storage hours and solar multiple can be chosen, for the needs of our project, we opt for 8 h and 1.85, respectively. Thus, in this case, the cost of kWh was found to be 23.95¢.


The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) National Bee Unit (NBU) has been responsible for maintaining the Integrated Bee Health Programme in England and Wales since the early 1990s. The role of the Bee Health Programme is to protect the honey bee, a major pollinator of agricultural and horticultural crops and wild flora, and to provide up-to-date technical support to beekeepers. The Bee Health Programme is funded in England by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). The work includes inspection of honey bee colonies, disease and pest diagnosis, development of contingency plans for emerging threats, minimising the risk of introduction of potentially serious exotic pests and diseases through importation by import risk analysis and related extension work and consultancy services to both government and industry. There is also an underpinning programme of research and development.


In this paper we will report the first results of our work carried out within the framework of the SIBERIA II project. This project has the aim to demonstrate the viability of full greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting using a set of multi-sensor Earth Observation instruments, detailed existing databases of field information and some of the worlds most advanced climate models. Freeze-thaw information is intended to be used for validation and input into the GHG models. Utilising the high temporal sampling of the SeaWinds sensor on QuikSCAT, along with a unique gridding and extraction method, from observational to analysis space, we present a new approach for freeze-thaw detection by time series analysis and evaluation of the temporal characteristics of the backscattered signal.


There is often a large disparity between the size of a game we wish to solve and the size of the largest instances solvable by the best algorithms; for example, a popular variant of poker has about $10^{165}$ nodes in its game tree, while the currently best approximate equilibrium-finding algorithms scale to games with around $10^{12}$ nodes. In order to approximate equilibrium strategies in these games, the leading approach is to create a sufficiently small strategic approximation of the full game, called an abstraction, and to solve that smaller game instead. The leading abstraction algorithm for imperfect-information games generates abstractions that have imperfect recall and are distribution aware, using $k$-means with the earth mover's distance metric to cluster similar states together. A distribution-aware abstraction groups states together at a given round if their full distributions over future strength are similar (as opposed to, for example, just the expectation of their strength). The leading algorithm considers distributions over future strength at the final round of the game. However, one might benefit by considering the trajectory of distributions over strength in all future rounds, not just the final round. An abstraction algorithm that takes all future rounds into account is called potential aware. We present the first algorithm for computing potential-aware imperfect-recall abstractions using earth mover's distance. Experiments on no-limit Texas Hold'em show that our algorithm improves performance over the previously best approach.


Studies on student question-generation have mainly emphasized its value as an instructional intervention and examined its effects using experimental or action research methods. Although the theoretical foundations of student question-generation are sound and its empirical bases are solid, issues with regard to the nature of the enacted learning processes and their relationships with perceived value remain largely unexamined empirically. These issues should have important instructional implications, as well as empirical, methodological, and theoretical significance. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the nature of student question-generation learning processes using information processing and student approaches to learning theories; establish empirical evidence for multiple learning approaches and investigate whether any learning strategies and task value differences exist among different learning approaches; and examine the relationships among learning strategies, learning approaches, and task value. This study uses a survey research method and incorporates a student question-generation component into an undergraduate course that is part of a teacher preparation program. Instruments with established reliability and validity are used. This study has four major findings. First, within a student question-generation context, learners tend to activate learning strategies and use a deep learning approach when studying. Second, students may commit themselves to more than one learning approach during a specific task. Third, learners with different learning approaches are found to have statistically significant differences in their use of learning strategies and perceived task value. Fourth, learners who perceive more value in student question-generation tend to adopt a deep learning approach. The theoretical, methodological, and empirical significance of this study is highlighted, followed by suggestions for instructional implementations and future work.


Infusions of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) fruits are traditionally used as antidiabetic medication in Mediterranean countries, but to our knowledge, no studies have been undertaken so far to determine the possible mechanisms involved in the antidiabetic properties of the fruit. The present study was designed to investigate whether these fruits possess hypoglycemic effects.
For this purpose, prepared suspension from C.C fruit (curcubitacea) was investigated in normal 12 h fasting rats. Blood glucose was determined before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after single oral administration of prepared drug in the doses of 10, 30, 90 mg/kg. Single oral administration of prepared drug in the dose of 30 mg/kg, decreased level of BG by 18%, 24% at 4, 6 h, as compared with the control animals. Such effects of drug were not pronounced in the doses of 10 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg at 0, 4, 6, and 12 h.
In conclusion, our results show that Citrullus colocynth fruit suspension have a hypoglycemic effect in the dose of 30 mg/kg, which could at least partially account for the antidiabetic activities of these fruits.


Basing their research subject on second string athletes in Shanghai, the authors probed into the relations between physical components and sports capacities of athletes of different events, hoping to provide a scientific criterion for athlete selection and sports training in the future. The authors performed physical component and aerobic and anaerobic capacity tests on 117 second string athletes (60 males and 57 females) of such three events as sprinting, bicycle racing and fencing, and revealed the following findings: basically there is a medium or high degree correlation between the body weight, muscle, protein and anaerobic capacity index of male and female athletes of the three events; there is a low degree correlation between the athlete's total muscle and protein weight, body weight, and blood lactic acid; there is a low degree negative correlation between the body fat and anaerobic capacity related indexes of the athletes of the three events. The said findings indicate that various physical components have a close relation with physical capacities; however, since different events have different characteristics, their correlations are significantly different.


General Relativity (GR) has resisted the test of time even a hundred years after its conception. However, GR loses precision and predictability not only at strong gravity regimes but also there are some unexplained phenomena in the weak gravity regimes. There have been a lot of efforts in studying possible deformations of GR because of the experimental and theoretical importance. It is technically very challenging to have an extension of GR, because the new theory would have to deal with the large scale problems taking into account at the same time the behaviour that will arise in the quantum theory. In other words, we are searching for a mathematically consistent theory, capable of reproducing GR at cosmological scales, that can provide an explanation of today's acceleration of the universe but at the same time, capable of giving a description of gravity following the principles of quantum mechanics. Since this task has proved to be very complicated, the aim of this work is to set only a first step to dissect GR and to study different extensions and limits of the theory in order to have a better understanding of it. In this thesis we therefore address the question: What are the possible ways of modifying and studying different limits of gravity? In this thesis we studied two extensions: adding new symmetries (supersymmetry) and adding new parameters (a mass parameter), and two limits: the non-relativistic limit and the ultra-relativistic limit.


Timber joints are one of the major factors that affect the structural behaviour of timber construction. Research on timber joints has attracted more attention recently in Taiwan. Several types of timber joints were investigated during the past two years, however, the go-dou and stepped dovetail connections, which are usually used to connect frames together and provide out-of-plane stiffness to timber frames, have not yet been studied. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the structural behaviour of these types of timber joints. First, 30 full-scale specimens were tested to study the rotational stiffness of the timber joints. Second, prediction models for rotational stiffness and the ultimate moment capacity of these two types of joints were established based upon a statistical approach. Last, stiffness degradation with cyclic loading was discussed. The results of this paper show that stepped dovetail connections have better performance than did go-dou connections in both ultimate moment capacity and stiffness degradation. In addition, for joints with a deep beam, the rotational stiffness of stepped dovetail connections was higher than that of go-dou connections.


The notion of "cognitive dimensions" developed by Green provides an analytic framework for assessing usability for a variety of information artifacts. The work here describes formal interpretation of dimensions in order to precisely assess the suitability of interactive systems for particular tasks. The particular dimension considered is viscosity-this concerns the ease with which information structures can be modified and updated within a given environment. A formal interpretation of such a dimension has the benefit of yielding practical measures and guidelines for assessment. This extends a growing body of work concerned with formally characterising interactive properties that are significant to successful use. The context in which we demonstrate our interpretation of dimensions is that of program modification, where a program represents an information structure to be updated. The framework developed provides an interpretation of empirical evidence regarding software quality and modifiability.


BACKGROUND
Objectives: Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia. Results of clinical trials using B-vitamins to reduce the cognitive risks attributed to tHcy have been inconsistent. The high prevalence of both hyperhomocysteinemia and cognitive impairment among kidney transplant recipients makes them an important population in which to evaluate the effect of lowering homocysteine on cognitive function. We therefore evaluated whether B-vitamin therapy to lower tHcy would prevent cognitive-decline in a cohort of stable kidney transplant recipients.

DESIGN
The study was a longitudinal ancillary of the FAVORIT trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled multi-site trial of high-dose B vitamins to reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in clinically stable kidney transplant recipients with elevated tHcy.

PARTICIPANTS
584 participants from 18 sites across North America.

INTERVENTION
The intervention consisted of a daily multivitamin containing high-doses of folate (5.0 mg), vitamin B12 (1.0 mg) and vitamin B6 (50 mg). The placebo consisted of a daily multi-vitamin containing no folate and recommended daily allowances of vitamins B12 and B6 (0 mg folate; 2.0 µg vitamin B12; 1.4 mg vitamin B6).

MEASUREMENTS
Annual neuropsychological assessment for up to 5 years (mean 3.3 years) using a standardized test battery. Efficacy was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis using end-of-trial data. Subgroup analyses included stratification for baseline plasma B-vitamin and tHcy concentrations.

RESULTS
At baseline, cognitive impairment was common with 61% of participants falling more than one standard deviation below published norms for at least one cognitive test. Fewer than 1% of participants had insufficient plasma folate < 5 ng/ml or vitamin B12 < 148 pmol/L. However, 44.6% had plasma B6 concentrations < 30 nmol/L. At follow-up, processing speed and memory scores were modestly but significantly better in the B-vitamin supplement group than in controls (p≤0.05). There was no interaction between baseline tHcy, B-vitamin status and treatment on the cognitive outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
High-dose B-vitamin supplementation provided modest cognitive benefit for kidney transplant recipients with elevated baseline tHcy. Since nearly all participants were folate and vitamin B12 sufficient at baseline, the potential cognitive benefits of folate and B12 supplementation in individuals with poor B-vitamin status remains to be determined.


Social justice can be thought of as an idea that exists within the minds of individuals and that concerns issues like what is right and wrong, what ought to be or not to be, and what is fair or unfair. This subjective quality of the justice judgment process makes it rather unpredictable how people will react when confronted with unjust events. The effects social justice can have on people's subsequent behaviors have been widely recognized in literature by showing that perceived fairness influences people's behaviors, attitudes, and feelings in many social interactions. Yet, the acknowledgement that people can have different reactions to experienced fairness does not tell us much about how people come to experience events as fair or unfair and when these fairness experiences may differ in intensity. The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to gain more knowledge of these processes and factors underlying social justice judgment processes. In order to try to achieve this aim, I addressed the question of how the way people process justice-related information may influence their subsequent reactions. In Chapter 1 it is argued that gaining further knowledge about how experiential-intuitive versus rationalistic-analytic modes of information processing work together and may potentially interact in helping people to distinguish between right and wrong may contribute significantly to understanding how people perceive and react to fair and unfair events. In this thesis I have examined in three chapters various elements of the experiential and rationalistic processes pertaining to justice judgment processes. Chapter 2 shows that experiencing personal uncertainty influences or affect how people perceive and react to fair and unfair events. Two experiments show that when personal uncertainty had made participants susceptible to individual differences in affect intensity, they reacted with both stronger procedural justice judgments and stronger affective reactions toward experienced procedural fairness. In Chapter 3 a new way of manipulating both experiential and rationalistic mindsets is introduced and results show that both ways of processing information may influence people's fairness reactions, but that particularly the strongest affective reactions to fair and unfair events tend to be found when people's experiential mindsets make experienced fairness susceptible to individual differences in affect intensity. Chapter 4 addresses the question whether experiential versus rationalistic modes of information processing also work together and may potentially interact in helping people to distinguish between right and wrong when they are confronted with fair and unfair events that happen to someone else. Results of two experiments show that participants in experiential mindsets held victims blameworthy, irrespective of usually found effects of individual differences in general belief in a just world or the level of threat to the just world. In contrast, participants in rationalistic mindsets show the generally observed just world reactions. In sum, the findings presented in this thesis advance our knowledge of processes and factors underlying social justice judgment processes, by furthering insights in how experiential and rationalistic ways of processing justice-related information influences how people perceive and react to fair and unfair events.