Chlorogenic acid or 5-Caffeoylquinic acid is a polyphenolic component present in coffee and its by-products. Chlorogenic acid has been shown to exert biological properties, particularly in relation to glucose and lipid metabolism, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities, among others. Due to its importance, it is necessary to evaluate the reliability of the analytical method for its determination in complex matrices such as food. In this work, different methods of chlorogenic acid extraction in coffee Silverskin were studied, as well as its quantification by HPLC. The results showed that the method of extraction with a mixture of methanol:water (3:1 v/v) in an ultrasonic bath, favored the recovery of chlorogenic acid with a recovery of 77.44%. The instrument detection limit for chlorogenic acid was 3.311 µg/mL and the quantification limit was 11.037 µg/mL. For coffee Silverskin, the concentration obtained of chlorogenic acid by the three extraction methods evaluated was in the range of 57 to 224 mg/kg of coffee silverskin (dry basis).


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that traces its earliest known cases to the Hubei region of China in late 2019. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe wreaking unprecedented disruption, increasing levels of xenophobia and racial discrimination have been documented against those of Asian descent. We investigate the historical connections between disease and rise of xenophobia as described in the peer-reviewed literature addressing prior epidemics, such as Ebola and the Hong Kong Flu, in conjunction with concurrent cases of prejudice toward certain groups of people. Attempts to better understand why such attitudes emerge are examined in the context of xenophobic actions during pandemics. Prevailing views suggest that xenophobia ultimately leads to increased stigmatization of those afflicted by disease, which in turn leads to decreased trust in the medical system, resulting in a negative feedback loop. Accurate disseminated information and improved public education on sources and modes of transmission of infectious diseases are essential to check xenophobic tendencies, reduce negative effects and foster greater cooperation.


In any production environment, discrete event simulation is a powerful tool for the analysis, planning, and operating of a manufacturing facility. Operations managers can use simulation to improve their production systems by eliminating bottlenecks, reducing cycle time and cost, and increasing capacity utilization. Offering a hands-on tutorial on how to model traditional applications to optimize production operations, Simulation of Industrial Systems: Discrete Event Simulation Using Excel/VBA Introduces the Design Environment for Event Driven Simulation (DEEDS), an original simulator, which facilitates the modeling of complex situations using four (self-contained) nodes: source, queue, facility, and delay. Demonstrates how to use discrete event simulation as a powerful tool for the analysis, planning, design, and operation of diverse production systems Shows how to model application areas such as facilities layout, material handling, inventory control, scheduling, maintenance, quality control, and supply chain logistics Integrates the design of experiments and optimization techniques for improving production systems With the comprehensive instruction provided within these pages, in combination with the flexibility of the DEEDS program environment, operations managers will be able to harness the power of discrete event simulation to streamline their production environments. The authors have created a website with a variety of teaching aids that professors will be able to access


Oral necrobacillosis (lumpy jaw) is known as one of the most common and significant diseases in captive macropods (Vogelnest and Portas 2008). The most important pathogen is the anaerobic bacteria, Fusobacterium necrophorum (Samuel 1983). Many studies have shown dental calculus as one of the risk factors for oral necrobacillosis, oral injury, feed contaminated with faeces, adverse environmental conditions, and molar exfoliation (Butler 1981, Oliphant and others 1984, Vogelnest and Portas 2008). In the present study, we conducted a retrospective study to reveal recurrence and evaluate the risk factors in swamp wallabies that presented with oral necrobacillosis. We showed that oral necrobacillosis recurred in all cases after apparent complete recovery, and that advanced age and cold weather were the contributing risk factors.

Seventy-five swamp wallabies were housed at the Nogeyama Zoological Gardens from 1987 to 2011. For this retrospective study, we selected 54 individuals for which clinical records had been maintained from birth to death.

The average age at the onset of the first lesion was examined. Further, the number of diseased individuals and the rate of diseased swamp wallabies were counted and calculated, respectively, at each age.

The location(s) and number of lesion(s) were counted and analysed in each month, which also included recurrence cases. The average temperature of …


State-mandated falsehoods are rampant in the context of abortion regulation. State legislatures have required doctors, before performing abortions, to provide scientifically unsupported information to women, such as that having an abortion increases the risk of breast cancer, or that it has negative mental health effects. Given the lack of evidence to sustain these sorts of claims, it seems reasonable to refer to such statements as government-mandated lies. However, this article argues that government mandated lies in the abortion context are unique in several ways that make them unlikely to be found unconstitutional, despite the fact that they obviously hinder patients' interest in access to information and to a constitutionally-protected procedure. Ultimately, this article concludes that the primary harm from governmental lies in the abortion context is a form of expressive injury. Analogizing to the harm caused by violations of the Establishment Clause or by racist speech, I argue that under the revised framework established by the Supreme Court in the 2016 case Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, such expressive harms can and should be recognized as imposing an unconstitutional undue burden on the abortion right.


Many applications of remotely sensed digital imagery require images that are corrected for geometric distortions. It is often desirable to rectify different types of satellite imagery to a common data base. A high throughput rectification system is required for commercial application. High geometric and radiometric precision must be maintained. The thesis has accomplished the following tasks: \begin{enumerate} \item The sensors used to obtain remotely sensed imagery have been investigated and the associated geometric distortions inherent with each sensor are identified. \item The transformation between image coordinates and datum coordinates has been determined and the values of the parameters in the transformation are estimated. \item A unified rectification approach has been developed, for all types of remotely sensed digital imagery, which yields a high system throughput. \item Use of digital terrain models in the rectification process to correct for relief displacement has been incorporated. \item An efficient image interpolation algorithm has been developed. This algorithm takes into account the fact that imagery does not always correspond to sampling on a uniform grid. \item The applications of rectified imagery such as mosaicking and multisensor integration have been studied. \item Extension of the rectification algorithm to a future planetary mission has been investigated. \end{enumerate} The sensors studied include TIROS-N Landsat-1, -2 and -3 multispectral scanners, Seasat synthetic aperture radar, Landsat-4 thematic mapper and SPOT linear array detectors. Imagery from the last two sensors is simulated.


CHARACTERIZATION AND DURABILITY EVALUATION OF RECYCLED FRP COMPOSITES AND SANDWICH SPECIMENS Siddalingesh K. Kalligudd In this research, use of recycled thermoplastic polymer composites for manufacturing and evaluation of structural products is investigated. Durability (aging) evaluations of those polymers have been carried out to predict their service life. Durability studies were initiated coupon levels to evaluate material performance of recycled ABS polymer at under salt and alkaline aging. ABS polymers were reinforced with 4%, 7% and 12% fiber volume fractions of bi-directional glass fabric (fabric density: 12 oz/yd). Alkaline solution was prepared by mixing 1.4% of potassium hydroxide (KOH), 1% of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 0.2% of calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) 2) salts by weight, which resulted in a pH of 13.0. Salt solution was prepared by adding 3% sodium chloride (NaCl) by weight to the standard water which measured a pH of 7.0. Temperature and humidity were controlled by choosing different freeze-thaw cycles programmed in an environmental chamber for specific humidity and temperature. In this research, the coupon specimens with and without glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) conforming to ASTM standards were conditioned in salt and alkaline solution at room temperature and under freezethaw variations (in environmental chamber), before testing them at regular intervals of 1, 4, 8 and 12 months. The maximum tensile strength reductions were 20%, 33.15%, 61.46%, and 75.07% for 0, 1, 3 and 5 GFRP layered coupon specimens, respectively (with a corresponding fiber volume fraction of 0%, 4%, 7% and 12%). The maximum bending strength reductions were 13.31%, 13.78%, 31.33%, and 52.23% for 0, 1, 3 and 5 layer coupon samples, respectively. The maximum strength reductions in compression test were 11.82%, 30%, 29.44%, and 45.75% for 0, 1, 3 and 5 layer coupon specimens, respectively. The impact strength reductions were 17%, 70.87%, 83.42%, and 93.29% for corresponding 0, 1, 3 and 5 layer coupon specimens. Images were taken for both control and aged samples through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to note the FRP surface texture, variation in fabric pattern, fabric matrix interface, and potential delamination due to salt and alkaline aging. Thermoplastic (TP)-thermoset (TS) sandwich composites were manufactured to evaluate their behavior and feasibility for structural applications. The mechanical properties of composite products can be optimized by combining thermosets and thermoplastics to minimize the costs. Six different combinations of TS/TP sandwich specimens were manufactured with and without surface roughening. TS/TP/TS roughened specimen (16% FVF) showed a maximum tensile strength of 11.4 ksi, among six types of sandwich specimens. Similarly, maximum tensile modulus of 0.723 x 10 psi was noted. Research results indicate the significant potential of recycled polymer composites for different applications with the use of continuous glass fabrics (e.g., bidirectional fabrics). Durability evaluations including SEM results indicate that the strength reductions depend on fiber volume fraction and exposed fabric at the cut edges of coupon specimens. The thermoplastic FRP composite must be designed and manufactured such that fabrics are well protected from direct environmental exposure, and proper fiber wet-out is achieved during manufacturing. iii I am dedicating this thesis work to my grandparents Mrs. Prabhawati S. Itagi and Sanganna B. Itagi


Global warming and climate change due to rising levels of greenhouse gases have placed significant pressure on the automobile industry to adopt more clean fuel, transportation electrification, and waste energy recovery technologies. As a result, several electrically assisted or driven turbo-machines have been proposed such as turbochargers, turbo-compressors, and electrical boosters. Therefore, the electrification of turbo-machinery has been trending for the past decade.
All the systems mentioned above consist of a conventional electrical machine connected to the turbo-machinery by a shaft, making the system relatively large, heavy, costly and mechanically complex.
In this paper, an integrated electrical machine-turbo machinery concept is proposed. It consists of an electrical machine mounted around a salient rotor that is shaped like an axial flow turbo-machinery wheel. The electrical machine can be used as a motor to drive or assist the operation of the turbo-machine or it can operate as a generator powered by the gas or fluid flow. Compared to the conventional electrically derived or assisted turbo-machine systems, the proposed system is expected to decrease the overall size, weight and complexity.
In order to illustrate this concept, an initial multi-physics feasibility study is presented. Electromagnetic and mechanical, performance are calculated and investigated using FEA. Additionally, aerodynamic consideration has been illustrated.


The pressure and the viscosity in two-dimensional sheared granular assemblies are investigated numerically. The behavior of both pressure and viscosity is smoothly changing qualitatively when starting from a mono-disperse hard-disk system without dissipation and moving towards a system of (i) poly-disperse, (ii) soft particles with (iii) considerable dissipation.
In the rigid, elastic limit of mono-disperse systems, the viscosity is approximately inverse proportional to the area fraction difference from $\phi_{\eta} \simeq 0.7$, but the pressure is still finite at $\phi_{\eta}$. In moderately soft, dissipative and poly-disperse systems, on the other hand, we confirm the recent theoretical prediction that both scaled pressure (divided by the kinetic temperature $T$) and scaled viscosity (divided by $\sqrt{T}$) diverge at the same density, i.e., the jamming transition point $\phi_J > \phi_\eta$, with the exponents -2 and -3, respectively. Furthermore, we observe that the critical region of the jamming transition becomes invisible as the restitution coefficient approaches unity, i.e. for vanishing dissipation.
In order to understand the conflict between these two different predictions on the divergence of the pressure and the viscosity, the transition from soft to hard particles is studied in detail and the dimensionless control parameters are defined as ratios of various time-scales. We introduce a dimensionless number, i.e. the ratio of dissipation rate and shear rate, that can identify the crossover from the scaling of very hard, i.e. rigid disks to the scaling in the soft, jamming regime.


The chemical investigation of the stem bark of B. purpurea belonging to the family Leguminosae led to the isolation of nine phytoconstituents namely, Myristic acid, Octadecanoic acid, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid, isopropyl-24- methyl-pentacosanoate, Stigmasterol, β-Amyrin, β-Sitosterol, Lupeol and ethyl 9,12- Hexadecadienoate. The isolated compounds were characterized using various spectrometric data. These compounds have been reported for the first time from the n-hexane extract of the stem bark of B. purpurea.


Abstract In this paper, ZnO thin film was prepared by sol-gel process on glass substrates. The deposited films were dried at 100 and 240 C and then annealed at 300, 400 and 500 C. The two-probe measurement showed that resistance of asprepared films is very high. The KrF excimer (λ=248 nm) laser irradiation with 1000 pulses, frequency of 1 Hz and 90 mJ/cm energy on surface of film resulted in the reduction of the films electrical resistance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the improved hexagonal wurtzite structure of film, and AFM and FE-SEM analyses showed regular and spherical grain was formed on the surface. The particle size was increased from ~10 to ~30 nm after leaser irradiation. Generally, it was showed that electrical, structural and morphological properties of films improve considerably by laser irradiation.


In this paper, a quasi-horn antenna array, which is combination of 16 x 4 slot array and its flares, is separately designed for Ku band mobile TV antenna systems and monopulse radiation. The slots are fed by waveguide power divider. For mobile TV antenna, this antenna is designed and fabricated with only TE10 sum port. In order to obtain sum and difference radiation pattern, a magic T is utilized and designed end of the waveguide feeder for monopulse radiation. Slot dimensions and distance between each slot are adjusted and optimized to get high gain and low return loss using 3D EM simulation. Short depth flares are added to aperture of each 4 x 1 slots to enhance gain of the array. According to the simulation results, gain of the array at the only sum port is 27.9 dBi @12 GHz dBi and 2 GHz bandwidth for mobile TV Antenna. For monopulse radiation, gain of the array at the sum port on magic T is 27.8 dBi @12 GHz and 1.5 GHz bandwidth. At the difference port, monopulse radiation pattern have 24.2 dBi maximum gain and -64 dB null. Return losses at the sum and difference port are lower than -6 dB in the operation band. Total dimensions of the 16 x 4 array prototype for mobile TV antenna are 34 cm x 9.5 cm x 5.5 cm and weight is 3.6 kg.


Brown micritic crusts occur at an elevation of 32 m below sea level in a borehole on the central west coast of Barbados, West Indies. The crusts are developed throughout a 2- to 3-m-thick interval of fore-reef skeletal wackestone that formed as part of a reef complex 125,000 B.P. Overlying the crust-bearing section is quartz-bearing skeletal grainstone containing clasts of the crust.

The crusts formed in a subaerial environment during a low stand of sea level after deposition of the 125,000-B.P. reef. The overlying quartz-bearing grainstone is an ancient beach deposit that formed during the initial stages of the rise in sea level that culminated in the known 105,000-B.P. high stand.

We estimate that the elevation of the low-stand sea level between 125,000 and 105,000 B.P. was −71 ± 11 m relative to present sea level. A sea-level fluctuation of this magnitude must be associated with an intense glacial event.


We studied pulmonary and extra-pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis tuberculosis (TB) (EPPT) in HIV negative patients in a tertiary hospital. We retrospectively studied all the in patients diagnosed EPPT over the last three years. Clinical data was obtained from the medical records. Forty four patients were diagnosed with TB. 15.9% (n=7) had extrapleural involvement. Mean age of patients was 44-years-old (18 to 74) and 5 patients were Argentinian 1 was Peruvian and 1 Bolivian. Three patients had pulmonary manifestations too. The most frequent location was in ganglions (3 cases). The clinical symptoms were non-specific. The main symptoms and signs were related to the involved area. The time to reach the diagnosis was 16 days and it was done by biopsy results. The mean days of hospitalization was 44 and the mortality was 57% of the patients.


In the past, two key storage technologies, hard drives and flash chips, each had distinct uses. The bigger-selling hard drive technology was used in machines requiring high storage volumes, such as servers, PCs, laptops, and even digital music players. Flash memory was used in machines that needed less storage capacity, such as digital cameras, cell phones, and embedded controllers. Now, though, this is starting to change. Today's NAND flash memory has more capacity and a lower price tag, making it more suitable for new uses. The popularity of these players has raised NAND flash's profile. In turn, the technology's popularity reflects the extent to which the digital-music industry has pinned its hopes for mass-market appeal on flash-based players.


We study a model of interacting bosons that occupy the first excited $p$-band states of a two-dimensional optical lattice. In contrast to the much studied single band Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian, this more complex model allows for nontrivial superfluid phases associated with condensation at nonzero momentum and staggered order of the orbital angular momentum in addition to the superfluid-Mott insulator transition. More specifically, we observe staggered orbital angular momentum order in the Mott phase at commensurate filling and superfluidity at all densities. We also observe a transition between the staggered angular momentum superfluid phase and a striped superfluid, with an alternation of the phase of the superfluid along one direction. The transition between these two phases was observed in a recent experiment, which is then qualitatively well described by our model.


Bilateral common carotid occlusion (BCO) over a period of 60 s in conscious rats produces a biphasic pressor response, consisting of an early (peak) and late (plateau) phase. In this study we investigated 1) the effects of lesions of the commissural nucleus of the solitary tract (commNTS) on the cardiovascular responses produced by BCO in conscious rats and 2) the autonomic and humoral mechanisms activated to produce the pressor response to BCO in sham- and commNTS-lesioned rats. Both the peak and plateau of the pressor response produced by BCO increased in commNTS-lesioned rats despite the impairment of chemoreflex responses induced by intravenous potassium cyanide. In sham rats sympathetic blockade with intravenous prazosin and metoprolol, but not vasopressin receptor blockade with the Manning compound, reduced both components of BCO. In commNTS-lesioned rats the sympathetic blockade or vasopressin receptor blockade reduced both components of BCO. The results showed 1) the sympathetic nervous system, but not vasopressin, is important for the pressor response to BCO during 60 s in conscious sham rats; 2) in commNTS-lesioned rats, despite chemoreflex impairment, BCO produces an increased pressor response dependent on sympathetic activity associated with vasopressin release; and 3) the increment in the pressor response to BCO in commNTS-lesioned rats seems to depend only on vasopressin secretion.


We formulate a decision model for the risk management of hazardous processes as an optimization problem of a point process. The essential features of the model are: long-term (process lifetime) objective function which is a risk-averse utility function, a dynamic risk model (marked point process model) representing the stochastic process of events observable or unobservable to the decision-maker and a long-term control variable guiding the selection of optimal solutions for short-term problems.

The model is demonstrated by a case study of a hazardous process with reparable safety systems, such as a nuclear power plant. The short-term decision problem of the case study is whether it is sometimes beneficial to temporarily shut the process down in order to cut, off the high risk periods. The long-term decision problem is to optimize a long-term control variable that determines which decision alternative is preferred in a case of increased risk in the process: (1) to shut the process down during the repair time or (2) to continue the operation. Several long-term strategies are analysed and compared. As a solution approach for the optimization problem, we use the stochastic quasi-gradient procedure.


Background: The peroneal muscular atrophy syndrome is the most common inherited disorder of the peripheral nervous system and has extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Cranial nerve involvement is rare, though there are distinct peroneal muscular atrophy syndromes in which vocal cord paralysis is a characteristic feature. Among these dHMN-VII and HMSN-IIC are clinically similar but are differentiated by sensory involvement in HMSN-IIC. The gene for dHMN-VII, designated DHMNVP, has been localised to chromosome 2q14, but the location of the gene for HMSN-IIC is currently unknown. It has been suggested that dHMN-VII and HMSN II-C are allelic disorders. Objective: To assess the contribution of the dHMN-VII predisposition gene to peroneal muscular atrophy syndromes associated with vocal cord weakness. Methods: Linkage analysis of microsatellite markers at chromosome 2q14 was undertaken on two families, one affected by HMSN-IIC and a second manifesting vocal cord paralysis and sensorineural deafness in addition to distal muscular atrophy. Results: Two-point LOD scores at chromosome 2q14 markers encompassing the DHMNVP gene were negative in both families. Conclusions: These results suggest that at least one further gene predisposing to distal muscular weakness in association with vocal cord paralysis is likely to exist, and that dHMN-VII and HMSN-IIC are unlikely to be allelic disorders. Analyses of further HMSN-IIC families are required to confirm this.


A number of direct injection mass spectrometry methods that can sample foods nondestructively and without sample preparation are being developed with applications ranging from the rapid assessment of food safety to the verification of protected designations of origin. In this pilot study, secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SESI-MS) in positive- and negative-ion modes was used to collect volatile fingerprints of artisanal Cheddar cheeses aged for one to three years. SESI-MS fingerprints were found to change in an aging-dependent manner and can be used to descriptively and predictively categorize Cheddars by their aging period, identify volatile components that increase or decrease with aging, and robustly discriminate individual batches of artisanal cheese. From these results, it was concluded that SESI-MS volatile fingerprinting could be used by artisanal food producers to characterize their products during production and aging, providing useful data to help them maximize the value of each batch.


Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia which has multifaceted socio-economic function in the country's development. However, the lake is infested by water hyacinth since 2011 and efforts have been exerted to control the weed. This study is meant to explore the perceptions and practice of ANRS Environment Forest Wildlife Protection and Development Authority development (EFWPDA) communication experts on Participatory environmental communication in eradicating water hyacinth from Lake Tana. The qualitative case study was conducted on the basis of the participatory development communication model which has been assumed to bring about sustainable natural resource management. The data were collected using in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and document analysis. The collected data were organised and analysed in the form of content and thematic analysis. The finding revealed that participatory communication in EFWPDA is equated to a public relation activity of organising campaigns and the local people are urged to participate by providing labour contribution of harvesting and collecting the weed from the lake. The communication approach was found to be a one way top-down approach which does not facilitate a horizontal dialogue among stakeholders.


Background: The main goal of this study was to prove that hysteroscopy is a superior method compared to hysterosalpingography in the evaluation of tubal passage and the uterine cavity in infertile women. Methods: The study was carried out on 30 volunteer women for whom evaluation of the uterine cavity and transit through the tubules was required due to infertility. In the evaluation of the hysteroscopic tubal passage, a 6Fr feeding cannula was advanced from the hysteroscope barrel, and firstly methylene blue and then an air bubble were applied to the fluid-filled uterine cavity through this flexible cannula. Results: When the reference method was taken as hysterosalpingography, the specificity of hysteroscopy was found to be 85.71% (95% CI (confidence interval): 42.13%– 99.64%), sensitivity 94.74% (95% CI: 85.38–98.90%). The positive predictive value of hysteroscopy was calculated as 98.18% (95% CI: 89.78%–99.70%) and the negative predictive value was 66.67% (95% CI: 38.96%–86.24%). Observing the bubble and swirl effect together in the evaluation of the tube opening increases the diagnostic accuracy. And benefit of hysteroscopy in the evaluation of tubal passage was statistically significantly higher than hysterosalpingography. Conclusion: Considering the cellular damages that can be caused by hysterosalpingraphy and the real observation power provided by hysteroscopy, simultaneous evaluation and the comfort of making intervention possible, hysteroscopy will be a more useful and useful application.


The paper addresses the problem of minimizing response times for an e-Learning platform. The activities that are performed within Tesys [1] e-Learning platform require sometimes heavy data traffic between platform itself and users. That is why, within the platform there was implemented a data traffic monitoring mechanism at byte level. The levels of data traffic are monitored and constitute the raw data within the analysis process. The analysis process uses state of the art machine learning algorithms in order to produce knowledge. This expertise is further used within the platform to cache recently used data, using the principle of temporal locality of data.

Experiments showed the factors that influence the response times are: granularity of traffic monitoring, employed learning algorithm and the data structure used for caching. The results are promising in the way that after prototype implementation of analysis process in the form of an Expertise Module, the response time decreased. The main advantage of Expertise Module is that it virtually introduces insignificant delays since all analysis is performed off-line.


As this time of pandemic health risk is undeniable communication and technology is a very important aspect of everyday living, that is why through the use of technology we the researcher developed Contact Tracing Application using Quick Response Code and Thermal Scanner in order to help prevent the spread of the COVID 19 and to help spread health awareness to the people. This system together with the collaboration of our clients' ideas and suggestion aims to improve the contact tracing of All for Christ Church in Tanyag, Taguig City. The purpose of this system is to trace the possible person under investigation or what we call the PUI in this case we are using a contactless thermal scanner to scan the temperature and directly send it the to the database of the system by this it lessens the work of the staff of the church as we aim for a paperless transaction.By registering to the system, it will generate a unique Quick Response code for every registry to serve as their id whenever they go to the church. The system will mean some various benefits that will be done towards certain purpose. The system is created to help fight the spread of the virus, it detects certain symptoms like high temperature and notifies the admin of the system. Many people are not aware of the risk of COVID 19 and just realized it later on that they socialized on the person with possible virus, that is why we developed the system to prevent and to aware a person if they encounter a certain person with COVID19.


We develop a new, efficient code for solving the second-order Einstein-Boltzmann equations, and use it to estimate the intrinsic CMB non-Gaussianity arising from the non-linear evolution of density perturbations. The full calculation involves contributions from recombination and less tractable contributions from terms integrated along the line of sight. We investigate the bias that this intrinsic bispectrum implies for searches of primordial non-Gaussianity. We find that the inclusion or omission of certain line of sight terms can make a large impact. When including all physical effects but lensing and time-delay, we find that the local-type fNL would be biased by fNLintra = 0.5, below the expected sensitivity of the Planck satellite. The speed of our code allows us to confirm the robustness of our results with respect to a number of numerical parameters.


This paper presents a new built-in current sensor (BICS)-based I DDQ testing scheme for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs). The proposed BICS will employ short detection times and low power dissipation to effectively ensure the reliability of the BICS and reduce the impact of the circuit under test (CUT) during testing. In addition, an I DDQ testing scheme based on the proposed BICS for detecting the abnormal quiescent current is presented. A 16-kB CMOS static random access memory (SRAM) is used as the CUT in this paper to discuss the testing considerations, including fault models and the I DDQ testing strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed BICS has a much improved performance compared with that in previous works. In addition, the physical chip design of the proposed BICS-based I DDQ testing scheme for SRAM testing applications is also implemented using the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.18-mum CMOS technology. The test results show that 100% fault coverage can be achieved with only a 1.23% area overhead penalty.


Importance
Data are limited regarding statin therapy for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults 75 years and older.

Objective
To evaluate the role of statin use for mortality and primary prevention of ASCVD in veterans 75 years and older.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Retrospective cohort study that used Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data on adults 75 years and older, free of ASCVD, and with a clinical visit in 2002-2012. Follow-up continued through December 31, 2016. All data were linked to Medicare and Medicaid claims and pharmaceutical data. A new-user design was used, excluding those with any prior statin use. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to evaluate the association of statin use with outcomes. Analyses were conducted using propensity score overlap weighting to balance baseline characteristics.

Exposures
Any new statin prescription.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Secondary outcomes included a composite of ASCVD events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and revascularization with coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention).

Results
Of 326 981 eligible veterans (mean [SD] age, 81.1 [4.1] years; 97% men; 91% white), 57 178 (17.5%) newly initiated statins during the study period. During a mean follow-up of 6.8 (SD, 3.9) years, a total 206 902 deaths occurred including 53 296 cardiovascular deaths, with 78.7 and 98.2 total deaths/1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted incidence rate difference [IRD]/1000 person-years, -19.5 [95% CI, -20.4 to -18.5]). There were 22.6 and 25.7 cardiovascular deaths per 1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted IRD/1000 person-years, -3.1 [95 CI, -3.6 to -2.6]). For the composite ASCVD outcome there were 123 379 events, with 66.3 and 70.4 events/1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted IRD/1000 person-years, -4.1 [95% CI, -5.1 to -3.0]). After propensity score overlap weighting was applied, the hazard ratio was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74-0.76) for all-cause mortality, 0.80 (95% CI, 0.78-0.81) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.91-0.94) for a composite of ASCVD events when comparing statin users with nonusers.

Conclusions and Relevance
Among US veterans 75 years and older and free of ASCVD at baseline, new statin use was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Further research, including from randomized clinical trials, is needed to more definitively determine the role of statin therapy in older adults for primary prevention of ASCVD.


A piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance technique has been applied for in situ monitoring of the whole process of the proteolytic enzyme-catalyzed hydrolyzation of casein and the effect of pesticide dimehypo (formula: C5H11NNa2O6S4) on the proteolytic enzyme activity in the midgut of the spider Pardosa pseudoannulata, based on its real-time reponses to the density-viscosity change of the tested solution due to the hydrolyzation occurring on the casein molecules. The results indicated that the hydrolyzation was significantly increased in the presence of low-dose dimehypo, where significantly inhibited in the presence of high-dose dimehypo, and a correlation was found precisely between the enzyme activity reflected by the final frequency shift after the hydrolyzation and the concentration of dimehypo, with a significant frequency response observed even at a 2.88 x 10-4 volume ratio of dimehypo to distilled water. The present work may have presented a novel method feasible for study on the mechanism of excitability of spiders under low-dose dimehypo pesticide and quick detection of proteolytic enzyme activity.


We develop a structural model for the price formation and liquidity supply of an asset. Our model facilitates decompositions of both the bid–ask spread and the return variance into components related to adverse selection, inventory, and order processing costs. Furthermore, the model shows how the fragmentation of trading volume across trading venues influences inventory pressure and price discovery. We use the model to analyze intraday price formation for gold futures traded at the Shanghai Futures Exchange. We find that order processing costs explain about 50% of the futures bid–ask spread, whereas the remaining 50% is equally due to asymmetric information and to inventory costs. About a third of the variance in futures returns is attributable to microstructure noise. Trading at the spot market has a significant influence on futures price discovery, but only a limited impact on the futures bid–ask spread. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 36:545–563, 2016


Laser fault injection attacks induce transient faults into ICs by locally generating transient currents capable of temporarily flipping the outputs of logic gates. Laser fault injection may be anticipated or studied by using simulation tools at different abstraction levels: physical, electrical or logical. At the electrical level, the general laser-fault injection model is based on the addition of current sources to the various sensitive nodes of CMOS transistors. This type of electrical model does not take into account the large transient current components also induced between VDD and GND as a result of laser illumination. Such current components have no direct effect on the logic gate output nodes. Still, they provoke a significant IR-drop that may, in turn, contribute to the fault injection process. This paper describes our research on the assessment of this contribution. It introduces an upgraded electrical model taking the laser-induced IR-drop into account. It also proposes a methodology that allows the model's use to simulate laser-induced faults at electrical level in large-scale circuits. On the basis of simulations with a case-study circuit, we found that, depending on the parameters of the laser pulse, the number of injected faults may be underestimated by a factor as large as 48 if the laser-induced IR-drop is ignored. This may lead to incorrect estimations of the fault injection threshold, which is especially relevant for the design of countermeasure techniques for secure integrated systems.


Robot is definitely playing important role in human society. Low contact on machine standards is mostly on
 industrial robot while close contacts are in increasing demand in service robot, etc. The development of robotics with advanced
 hardware and artificial intelligence (AI) provide the possibility with human beings while close contacts raise many new issues on
 ethics and risks. For interaction, the related technique of perception, cognition and interaction are briefly introduced. For
 ethics, rules should be given for the robot designers to include ethics for certain application while risks should be evaluated
 during the experiment test. To make efficient decision, safety design with AI technology should be put on agenda for roboticists.
 Except from the risks, ethics raise many challenges while most of them can be solved by developing technologies while some of the
 problems exist in human's society which also raise the questions for the human beings. More broader vision should be taken from
 different social departments together to avoid the possible embarrassed issues. It's time to welcome the world of robotics and
 related techniques will make life more efficient while human-robot coexistence society will come one day and law should be imposed
 on both.


not be given, and stray widely from the central theme of my paper which was the issue of the need for artificial hydration when a person is rendered incapable of swallowing by sedation. I am not talking about 'a certain amount of physiological dehydration' in the dying process, but of gross, iatrogenic dehydration. As I pointed out if sedation is continued without hydration, death from dehydration will be inevitable, whatever the underlying pathology, within about seven days. Of course death from natural


Our growing understanding of the role of the endothelin (ET) system in renal physiology and pathophysiology is from emerging studies of renal disease in animal models and humans. ET receptor antagonists reduce blood pressure and proteinuria in chronic kidney disease and cause regression of renal injury in animals. However, the therapeutic potential of ET receptor antagonism has not been fully explored and clinical studies have been largely limited to patients with diabetic nephropathy. There remains a need for more work in nondiabetic chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease (patients requiring maintenance dialysis and those with a functioning kidney transplant), ischemia reperfusion injury, and sickle cell disease. The current review summarizes the most recent advances in both preclinical and clinical studies of ET receptor antagonists in the field of kidney disease.


The loss rate of linear momentum from a binary system composed of compact objects (radially falling towards each other under mutual gravitational influence) has been investigated using the multipolar post-Minkowskian approach. The 2.5PN accurate analytical formula for the linear momentum flux is provided, in terms of the separation of the two objects, in harmonic coordinates, both for a finite and infinite initial separation. The 2.5PN formulas for the linear momentum flux are finally used to estimate the recoil velocity accumulated during a premerger phase of the binary evolution.


BACKGROUND
Because of concerns about arthrotoxicity, fluoroquinolones are restricted for use in children. This study describes the safety and efficacy of gatifloxacin when used for treatment of children with recurrent acute otitis media (ROM) or acute otitis media (AOM) treatment failure (AOMTF).

METHODS
We performed an analysis of 867 children included in 4 clinical trials who had ROM and/or AOMTF and were treated with gatifloxacin (10 mg/kg once daily for 10 days).

RESULTS
Gatifloxacin had adverse event rates that were similar overall to those of a comparator antibiotic (amoxicillin-clavulanate), except for increased diarrhea in children <2 years old receiving amoxicillin-clavulanate. There was no evidence of arthrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, alteration of glucose homeostasis, or central nervous system toxicity acutely or during 1 year follow-up in any child. Regarding efficacy, in 2 noncomparative trials, the gatifloxacin cure rate of AOM was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83%-95%) at the test of cure (TOC) visit, 3-10 days after completion of therapy. In 2 comparative trials of gatifloxacin versus amoxicillin-clavulanate, the efficacy of gatifloxacin was 88% (95% CI, 82%-94%). Gatifloxacin led to better clinical outcomes than amoxicillin-clavulanate for AOMTF (91% vs. 81%; P=.029), for AOMTF and age <2 years old (89% vs. 69%; P=.009), and for severe AOM in children <2 years old (90% vs. 75%; P=.012). Among children with AOMTF previously treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate or ceftriaxone injections, gatifloxacin cure rates were high (88% and 75%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Gatifloxacin appears to be safe for children, with no evidence of producing arthrotoxicity in 867 children exposed to the antibiotic when used as treatment for ROM and AOMTF.


The activity of mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in the liver of rats with hypothyrosis (two weeks after total thyroidectomy) is 36% of the normal level; in rats with hyperthyrosis (three weeks after subcutaneous implantation 2 mg of l-thyroxin on a kaolin base) it is 7.4 times as high. Bovine somatotropin (0.5 mg per 100 g of body mass) injected subcutaneously for 10 days has no effect on the enzyme activity in intact rats and in rats with hypothyrosis. In animals with hyperthyrosis somatotropin produces a 37% decrease in the enhance activity of the enzyme. Somatotropin fully normalizes a 25% increased amount of protein in the liver mitochondrial fractions of rats with hyperthyrosis.


The use of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as an intracanal medication triggers a biomineralization process within mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) apical plugs during the apexification process in teeth with incomplete rhizogenesis. However, no consensus is available in the literature regarding a restorative protocol for this type of treatment. Thus, the objective of this study was to use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the processes of biomineralization and adhesion in a restorative protocol for teeth with simulated incomplete rhizogenesis. Methodology: Root sections with a thickness of 2mm and cavities with a diameter of 2mm were used. The sections were randomly prepared and filled with the following materials: Group 1 (n=12), ProRoot MTA; and Group 2 (n=12): MTA Exp. Subsequently, the samples were immersed in PBS for 35 days. Every 5 days, the PBS was replaced, and the precipitates were collected, dried, and weighed. Two samples from each group were analyzed by SEM. Moreover, 24 single-rooted teeth were standardized, incomplete rhizogenesis was simulated, and 5-mm-long apical plugs were created with Pro Root MTA. As an intracanal medication, PBS was used for different periods of time: Group 1:48 h; Group 2:7 days; and Group 3:15 days. Then, fiberglass posts were cemented with the REBILDA® Post System. The samples were prepared and analyzed by SEM. Results: ProRoot MTA and MTA Exp effectively promoted the formation of carbonated apatite precipitates and biomineralization with dentin. ProRoot MTA yielded more carbonated apatite precipitates compared to MTA Exp (p=0.0536). The use of PBS as an intracanal medication for 7 and 15 days promoted intratubular mineralization (MIT), and treatment for 15 days was more effective (p < 0.05). The REBILDA® Post System effectively promoted the microimbrication of the adhesive system and the formation of resinous ODOVTOS-Int. J. Dent. Sc. | No.2 -2: 97-111 ODOVTOS-International Journal of Dental Sciences Retana & Reyes: Ex Vivo Evaluation of a Restoration Protocol for Teeth with Simulated Incomplete Rhizogenesis ODOVTOS-Int. J. Dent. Sc. | No.22-2: 97-111, 2020 I SSN: 2215-3411. 98 ODOVTOS-Int. J. Dent. Sc. | No.22-2: 97-111, 2020 I SSN: 2215-3411. 99 tags with lateral adhesive branches. Conclusion: Apexification with MTA associated with the use of PBS as an intracanal medication for 15 days, in addition to the use of the REBILDA® Post System, seems to be a feasible restorative protocol.


6 Bruschke, A V G, Proudfit, W L, and Sones, F M, Circulation, 1973, 47,1147. 7 Amsterdam, E A, Wolfson, S, and Gorlin, R, American Journal of Cardiology, 1969, 23, 104. 8 Gordon, T, and Kannel, W B,Journal of the American Medical Association, 1971, 215, 1617. 9 Margolis, J R, et al, American Journal of Cardiology, 1973, 32, 1. 10 Kannel, W B, et al, Annals of Internal Medicine, 1970, 72, 813. 1 Most, A S, Kemp, H G, and Gorlin, R, Annals of Internal Medicine, 1969, 71, 1043. 12 Blackburn, H, American Journal of Cardiology, 1968, 21, 871. 13 Joint Working Party, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 1975, 10, 5. 14 Task Force 1: Identification of Ischemic Heart Disease, American journal of Cardiology, 1975, 36, 597. 15 Morris, J N, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1973, 66, 225. 16 Lewis, B, et al, British Medical_Journal, 1974, 3, 489. 17 Garrison, G E, and Gullen, W H, Aerospace Medicine, 1972, 43, 86. 18 Froeicher, V F, Jn, et al, Circulation, 1973, 48, 597. 19 Ysander, L, Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica, suppl 409. 20 Peterson, B J, and Petty, C S, J3ournal of Forensic Sciences, 1962, 7, 274.


Essay for the graduate seminar in South Pacific history and the Pacific Research Seminar, taught by Brij Lal, Fall 1985 and Spring 1986, respectively, UH-Manoa, Department of History


An electrochemical sensing device with a plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane electrode based on a porphyrin derivative of p-amino tetraphenyl porphyrin (p-NH2TPP) for mercury ion (Hg2+) has been fabricated. The p-NH2TPP based PVC membrane electrode exhibited a nice linear potential performance for responding to Hg2+ in the range of 1.0×10-8 ~ 1.0×10-3 mol/L with a slope of 27.54 mV/-pC (25°C) in citrate buffer solution (pH=2.5). The detection limit was evaluated to be 7.5×10-9 mol/L. No obvious interferences were observed from Na+, K+, Ba2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cr3+. The electrode possessed good stability and reproducibility. Comparing with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), the electrode can be well applied to the determination of trace amount of Hg2+ in environmental waste water samples with a recovery rate of 94.83 ~ 104.78%. The sensing mechanism of the porphyrin derivative carrier for recognition of Hg2+has also been expounded by the formation of nice complexation effect between the lone pair electrons provided by four nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin molecule and unoccupied orbitals provided by the mercury ion.


In this paper we describe a field trial designed to investigate the potential of remote, situated messaging within the home. Five households used our "HomeNote" device for approximately a month. The results show a diversity of types of communication which highlight the role of messaging both to a household and to a place. It also shows the ways in which these kinds of messages enable subtle ways of requesting action, expressing affection, and marking identity in a household -- communication types which have received little attention in the research literature. These in turn point to new concepts for technology which we describe.


Abstract. The complex pattern of action for cell viability makes the heat shock protein (HSP) loci to potential candidate genes for stress susceptibility. In the bovine hsp70.1 gene a functional AP2 box variant affecting a significant decrease of cellular stress response, was described. To monitor the distribution of this promoter variant in phenotypically different populations a diagnostic PCR-RFLP assay was developed. As an indicator for individual stress susceptibility the phenotypic trait "productive life" was measured based on the assumption that animals having longer "productive life" might be superior in coping with stress during lifetime. Association of the observed promoter variant with the estimated breeding value "productive life time" was studied in a Holstein sire population and a granddaughter design. Our observations suggest that this polymorphism affects productive life in cattle. Animals with a normal AP2 box are characterised by an increased stress tolerance concluded from their prolonged productive life. These results are supported by the observed different distribution of the hsp70.1 promoter variant in cows of different lactation numbers and degree of selection. Frequency of the mutant hsp70.1-AP2 box allele is significantly lower in cows selected as dams of sires and in cows with an increased lactation number. Additionally, cows with a mutant hsp70.1-AP2 box variant exhibited an increased hazard for culling.


There is a well-established common law doctrine for ascertaining information disclosure in informed consent claims within the treatment context that governs the doctor–patient relationship. But there is no such doctrine in clinical research governing the researcher–participant relationship in India. India, however, is not exceptional in this regard. Common law countries like the United States and Canada at most have sparse, non-systematised, criteria for such cases; arguably, a doctrine for research is at its nascent stage. But the adequacy of the existing criteria for settling informed consent claims in research has hardly ever been discussed. Furthermore, a specific discussion on the applicability of this 'nascent doctrine' to India is non-existent. This article discusses both. The article examines case law from India and other common law jurisdictions that hint at developments in this area. It suggests that Indian courts need to move abreast with other jurisdictions to better protect India's patients and research participants.


Resonant current controllers applied to active power filters have shown a good performance in terms of reference tracking. A resonant controller behaves like an integrator for specific frequencies being capable of completely eliminating the steady-state error to sinusoidal inputs. Hence, the possibility of eliminating the coordinate transformation of standard PI controllers and of lowering the computational effort related to the control algorithm implementation. To fully take advantage of the characteristics of this controller, a suitable modulation technique must be used. Indeed, in such applications as active power filters is very important to consider modulation techniques capable of reproducing the controller output not only at the grid frequency but also at higher harmonic orders. In this paper the performance of different modulation techniques applied to the resonant current control of an active power filter has been evaluated. The presented results show how the space vector modulation allows the best reference tracking


The UK and the US have experienced both rising skill premia and rising employment of skilled workers since the 1980s. These trends are typically interpreted as concurrent shifts of relative skill supplies and demands, and the demand shifts are attributed to skill-biased technological change or changes in international trade patterns. If more skilled workers demand more skill-intensive goods, then an exogenous increase in relative skill supplies will also induce a shift in relative demand. This channel reduces the need to rely on technology and trade to explain the patterns in the data. I illustrate this mechanism with a simple twosector general equilibrium model. The empirical part demonstrates that in the UK more educated and richer workers demand more skill-intensive goods. Calibration of the model suggests that this induced demand shift can explain 3% of the total relative demand shift in the UK between 1981 and 1997. The baseline model only explains between-industry shifts in skill upgrading and wage inequality, while empirically, most of these changes took place within industries. An extension of the model with different qualities of goods and labor can also explain some of the within-industry changes.


Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) is the largest umbrella organisation in Iraq encompassing more than 40 of these paramilitary forces with many of them having deep ties with Iran. Recent killing of the PMU leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis along with his ally, the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike concurred a huge loss for Iran and the PMU who had long enjoyed cooperation and influence within Iraq. The PMU, in the absence of its trusted leadership; is predicted to fall apart from within causing instability in Iraq which has been brought about by reckless war-mongering between the US and Iran. This research explores the strategic culture, structure and the role of PMU in bringing about stability in Iraq in the backdrop of continuous deteriorating Iran-US relations. This research argues that in order to make the PMU effective in cultivating peace in Iraq; it would be wise for important stakeholders like Iran and the US to understand its strategic culture and formulate their respective Iraq policies accordingly.


Several studies in the hospitality field have analyzed academic journals to assess trends and suggest future directions of research. Despite its economic significance and rapid growth rate, convention tourism has received relatively little research attention. Furthermore, very little analysis has been conducted on the content of articles that examined this important industry sector. The purpose of this study is to determine the progress in convention tourism research to date by utilizing a content analysis on published articles in 14 academic journals, with the aim of identifying focus areas and providing future research directions.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, life-limiting autosomal recessive disease in Caucasians, and is caused by defects in production of the CFTR ion channel. Until recently, there were no available treatments targeting the disease-causing defects in CFTR but newly developed CFTR modulators are changing the course of disease in CF. The newest modulator, tezacaftor, is a CFTR corrector that was recently approved by the FDA to be used in combination with the first approved CFTR potentiator, ivacaftor. Areas covered: A detailed review of the clinical trials and published literature, focusing on safety and efficacy, leading to the approval of tezacaftor in CF. Expert commentary: Recent trials have demonstrated that the combination of tezacaftor–ivacaftor is a slightly superior combination to its predecessor, lumacaftor–ivacaftor, with respect to an increase in FEV1, adverse event profile, and drug–drug interactions. It is also approved for a large number of non-F508del, residual function mutations that are predicted to respond based on in vitro testing. The horizon for continued improvements in CFTR-targeted treatments is promising, with three-drug combinations currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, and other drugs with novel mechanisms of action being studied. Within the next 5 years, the vast majority of patients with CF are expected to have a modulator approved for their genotype.


Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) is a disease of unknown etiology, although hereditary, endocrine, and autoimmune factors are known to be involved. Although the anal and genital regions are predominantly affected, 2.5% of patients only present with extragenital lesions--particularly of the trunk, neck, and upper limbs. The wrists, palmoplantar regions, nipples, and face are less commonly involved. The possible relationship between LSA and both lichen planus and localized scleroderma (morphea) has not been clearly established, although in a number of cases, several of these conditions have been found simultaneously. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with LSA lesions affecting only the wrists and left ankle. The unusual character of this presentation is pointed out, along with its clinical similarity to lichen planus.


Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is an acute shit allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. Here we present a case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome that has developed due to the use of combined medications. The 18-year-old female patient was hospitalized with the complaints of fever, chills and widespread eruptions all over her body. In her history she had generalized epileptic seizures that have been treated with valproate for the last five years; however, as the seizures could not be controlled , Lamotrigine was added to her treatment about a month ago. She was also on Paroxetine for her hallucinations. She had generalized desquamation on the face, exfoliating brown squames and plaques on the forehead and the cheeks, erythema and blurring around both eyes, redness, xerosis and desqua and white-coloured membranes of the lips, brown-pigmented and itchy papules and plaques and some vesicles on her back and hips that were also seen all around her body.. With these findings, the patient was evaluated as having drug eruptions (SJS) and transferred to the intensive care unit. With steroid treatment , the lesions regressed quickly. When Lamotrigine was added to her treatment regimen, she had been using valproate for 5 years; she had not developed skin lesions, that is why valproate was not considered as an ethiological factor. Valproate is known to increase the viability of Lamotrigine by decreasing its glucuronidation.Use of Paroxetine is regarded as a risk factor for SJS also.. When combining medications, an attempt should be made not to combine such medications if possible.


Many ligand-gated ion channels that are activated upon binding to neurotransmitter molecules become inactivated, or desensitized, shortly after the transmembrane pore of the channel opens. This phenomenon is particularly important in fast chemical synapses of the nervous system where the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic (AMPA) and kainate-type glutamate receptors desensitize in milliseconds. However, it has not been clear how desensitization occurs when agonists are still tightly associated with the receptor. Su et al. provide some structural insight into the coupling of activation and desensitization of the GluR2-type AMPA receptor. The receptor consists of four transmembrane subunits, and glutamate-binding pockets are formed at dimer interfaces. Isolated glutamate-binding regions of the AMPA receptor showed less of a tendency to dimerize than did a form harboring a mutation known to block desensitization. A mutation that accelerates desensitization reduced dimer affinity. The authors explain this inverse correlation by proposing that a conformation change in the ligand-binding pocket may induce a conformational change within the transmembrane domains that forces the ion channel to open. However, the tension generated stimulates a subsequent conformational change in the ligand-binding region to relieve this tension. This uncouples the ligand-binding region from the channel region and permits the ligand-associated desensitized state. Hence, the interface between dimer subunits appears to control receptor activation and desensitization. Although structural and functionally similar to AMPA receptor, it has not been clear whether neuronal kainate receptors exhibit conductance properties that reflect increasing amounts of individual subunit activation, as seen with AMPA receptors. Through site-directed mutagenesis and use of a high-affinity agonist, Swanson et al. demonstrate that kainate receptors comprising GluR5 and KA-2 subunits do behave like AMPA receptors in that there are indeed subunit-associated conductances. The authors identify high- and low-affinity agonist-binding sites on the GluR5 and KA-2 subunits, respectively, Occupation of two pharmacologically separable ligand-binding sites may underlie the complex channel sensitivities and activation and desensitization kinetics displayed by these heteromeric glutamate channels. Y. Sun, R. Olsom, M. Horning, N. Armstrong, M. Mayer, E. Gouaux, Mechanism of glutamate receptor desensitization. Nature 417, 245-253 (2002). [Online Journal] G.T. Swanson, T. Green, R. Sakai, A. Contractor, W. Che, H. Kamiya, S.F. Heinemann, Differential activation of individual subunits in heteromeric kainate receptors. Neuron 34, 589-598 (2002). [Online Journal]


By 'working with the willing', the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has successfully facilitated industrial symbiosis throughout the United Kingdom and, in the process, delivered significant economic and environmental benefits for both Programme members and the country as a whole. One of the keys to NISP's success is that, unlike failed attempts to plan and construct eco‐industrial systems from scratch, the Programme works largely with existing companies who have already settled in, developed, and successfully operate within a given locale. This article argues that existing and mature industrial systems provide the best prospects for identifying opportunities for, and ultimately facilitating, industrial symbiosis. Due to levels of diversification and operational fundamental niches that, in the fullness of time, develop within all industrial systems, industrially mature areas are deemed to be industrial symbiosis 'conducive environments'. Building on the conservation biology concept of a habitat suitability index, the article presents a methodology for comparing a potential site for eco‐industrial development to a known baseline industrial 'habitat' already identified as being highly conducive to industrial symbiosis. The suitability index methodology is further developed and applied to a multi‐criteria evaluation geographic information system to produce a 'habitat' suitability map that allows practitioners to quickly identify potential industrial symbiosis hotspots (the methodology is illustrated for England). The article concludes by providing options for the development of symbiosis suitability indices and how they can be used to support the facilitation of industrial symbiosis and regional resource efficiency.


For the past 30 years, business leaders have been exhorted to move faster and adopt a "ready, fire, aim" approach to the growth of their business. As the level of change and turbulence increases in all markets, all organizations must adapt—quickly!—or risk decline and decay. But what are the real behaviors, processes, and techniques that are critical to lead your organization at pace without creating confusion, frustration, and unnecessary risk?


Justice Frederick H. Blume, attorney and long-time Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, single-handedly translated Justinian's Code and Novels in the early twentieth century. His is the only English translation of the Code to have been made from the Latin version accepted as most authoritative. Using Blume's papers, this article describes, among other things: how Blume created the extensive Roman law library needed for his translation; his approach to translation; and his collaboration with Clyde Pharr on Pharr's "Corpus Juris Romani" series. The article also describes the author's editing and digitization of Justice Blume's translation.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of noncytolytic 1-butanol extraction of cell membrane components upon the metastatic potential of i.v. injected neoplastic cells. Butanol extraction consistently increased the number of pulmonary, but not extrapulmonary, lesions observed following challenge of ( a ) C3H/HeJ mice with the chemically induced fibrosarcoma MCA-F or ( b ) C57BL/6J mice with the spontaneous melanoma B16. Variants of these cell lines which display either a low (MCA-F parental and B16-F1) or a high (MCA-F 9.4 and B16-F10) proclivity to induce pulmonary metastases were all affected by pretreatment with butanol. Organ distribution studies using 5-[125I]iododeoxyuridine-labeled B16-F10 cells demonstrated that significantly more butanol-extracted cells were initially arrested in the lungs but that the number of extracted and control cells in the pulmonary bed equalized over the first 3 hr. During the next 7 days, butanol-extracted cells were preferentially retained in the lungs, resulting in a 3- to 4-fold increase in the number of macroscopic pulmonary foci observed 3 weeks later. The enhanced initial arrest of extracted cells was not mediated by increased tumor cell homoaggregation or by tumor cell:lymphocyte heteroaggregation, nor did butanol extraction select cells with an intrinsically greater metastatic potential. However, the preferential survival of extracted cells may result from an increased resistance to natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity, since ( a ) pretreatment of hosts with a copolymer of polyinosinic and polycytidylic acids prior to challenge with extracted cells profoundly decreased the number of lung colonies, and ( b ) butanol extraction of YAC-1 lymphoma target cells decreased the ability of C57BL/6J splenocytes to effect natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity in an in vitro 51Cr release assay. Finally, reassociation of the extracted moieties with the membranes of butanol-extracted cells resulted in the reconstitution of the original metastatic phenotype. These results suggest that cell surface structures which mediate the successful establishment of pulmonary metastases are reversibly released by brief incubation of cells in aqueous solutions of 1-butanol.


The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, its receptor-binding domain (RBD), and its primary receptor ACE2 are extensively glycosylated. The impact of this post-translational modification on viral entry is yet unestablished. We expressed different glycoforms of the Spike-protein and ACE2 in CRISPR-Cas9 glycoengineered cells, and developed corresponding SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. We observed that N- and O-glycans had only minor contribution to Spike-ACE2 binding. However, these carbohydrates played a major role in regulating viral entry. Blocking N-glycan biosynthesis at the oligomannose stage using both genetic approaches and the small molecule kifunensine dramatically reduced viral entry into ACE2 expressing HEK293T cells. Blocking O-glycan elaboration also partially blocked viral entry. Mechanistic studies suggest multiple roles for glycans during viral entry. Among them, inhibition of N-glycan biosynthesis enhanced Spike-protein proteolysis. This could reduce RBD presentation on virus, lowering binding to host ACE2 and decreasing viral entry. Overall, chemical inhibitors of glycosylation may be evaluated for COVID-19.


Titanium oxide coatings(TiO2/Ti) were formed on the titanium surface by micro-arc oxidation(MAO) in Na3PO4 solution.And using the TiO2/Ti as anod electrode, the titanium as counter electrode in the system of three-dimensional electrode.Coated γ- Al2O3 (TiO2/γ-Al2O3) that prepared by sol-gel dipcoating method ,and scrap iron mixture as particle electrode, combining with the UV lamp and regulated power supply make up the three-dimensional electrode photoelectrocatalysis system. The photoelectrocatalysis system use 0.02M Na2SO4 aqueous solution as supporting electrolyte.The photoelectrocatalytic ability of titanium oxide coatings were evaluated by photoelectrocatalytic degradation of methylene blue aqueous solution.The experiment demonstrate that compare to photoelectrocatalytic degradation of single TiO2/Ti film and only adsorbtion, the photoelectrocatalysis of three-dimensional electrode with coated particle electrode have the synergistic effect with them, which can improve the degradation of methylene blue aqueous solution. When the methylthionine chloride concentration of 5mg/L, cell voltage of 7V. The three-dimensional electrode photoelectrocatalysis degradation of methylene blue compare to traditional two-dimensional plate electrodes which without particle electrode increase 43.35% after 3 hours photoelectrocatalysis.


Thesis (M.S.)--American University of Beirut, Dept. of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 2009.;"Advisor : Dr. Imad Toufeili, Professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences Dept.--Member of Committee: Dr. Raja Tannous, Professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences Dept.Member


We recently characterized a novel heme biogenesis pathway required for heme cicovalent binding to cytochrome b6 in Chlamydomonas named system IV or CCB (cofactor assembly, complex C (b6f), subunit B (PetB)). To find out whether this CCB pathway also operates in higher plants and extend the knowl- edge of the c-type cytochrome biogenesis, we studied Arabidop- sis insertion mutants in the orthologs of the CCB genes. The ccb1, ccb2, and ccb4 mutants show a phenotype characterized by a deficiency in the accumulation of the subunits of the cyto- chrome b6f complex and lack covalent heme binding to cyto- chrome b6. These mutants were functionally complemented with the corresponding wild type cDNAs. Using fluorescent protein reporters, we demonstrated that the CCB1, CCB2, CCB3, and CCB4 proteins are targeted to the chloroplast compartment of Arabidopsis. We have extended our study to the YGGT family, to which CCB3 belongs, by studying inser- tion mutants of two additional members of this family for which no mutants were previously characterized, and we showed that they are not functionally involved in the CCB system. Thus, we demonstrate the ubiquity of the CCB pro- teins in chloroplast heme cibinding.


Abstract We report here the crystal and molecular structure of a new chromane-derivative, namely isopropyl( 2R*,3S*,4S*)-4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylamino)-2-hydroxy-2-ethylchromane-3-carboxylate (I), C21H22N2O4S, which crystallizes as racemate in the space group C2/c. Its structure has been solved using X-ray diffraction data obtained at low temperature (100(2) K). In this compound, the chromane moiety consists of a benzene ring fused with a six-membered heterocyclic ring which adopts a distorted half-chair conformation. The molecules are linked by a combination of O-H∙∙∙N and N-H∙∙∙O hydrogen bonds, resulting in a twodimensional network which helps stabilizing the crystal structure of the compound (I). Dihedral angle between the chromane and benzothiazol rings is 80.6(1)0.


Direct iridium-catalyzed multi-borylation provides a valuable tool for the symmetric functionalization of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, inter alia, regular fivefold derivatization of corannulene. In this paper, highly efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,3,5,7,9-(Bpin)5-corannulene is reported, resulting in a significant decrease in reaction time compared to the routine bench-top preparation. In addition, conversion to more reactive boron species, such as the corresponding pentatrifluoroborate and pentaboronic acid, was realized under mild conditions in excellent yields. 1,3,5,7,9-corannulene pentaboronic acid gave further access to a series of boronic esters of corannulene via simple alcohol exchange. This convenient methodology to 1,3,5,7,9-corannulene pentaboronic acid portends its ability to serve as a key building block for formation of icosahedral supramolecules, alone or together with suitable bridging ligands.


Digital technologies are profoundly transforming the production and consumption of culture and entertainment products. The emerging digital re-mix culture is an open source approach where content products in the arts and entertainment industries are increasingly rearranged, manipulated, and extended in the process of creating new works. This article offers a unified description of the tools and techniques that led to the development of the open source culture and that enable the processes which promote re-use of previously recorded materials. It then lays out the incentives and forces that either promote or inhibit the development, distribution, and consumption of modified cultural content by individual consumers and by derivative artists. Using multiple perspectives from economics, design sciences, and arts and culture, new theory is built to suggest how ―rip, mix and burn‖ strategies based on re-use and recombination of content components can create significant economic value, stimulate artistic innovation, and spur creativity and growth in the culture and entertainment industry. The potential for wealth transfer and who loses and who gains in the open source digital re-mix culture are explored. The creative and economic forces enabled by digital re-use technologies are shown to play a significant role in the observed move towards more open source and social production modes in the culture industries. Five-mini case studies provide supporting perspectives for the proposed interdisciplinary theory of open source digital re-mix culture.


As the boundary between science/technology and society has gradually become permeable, and as science and technology have become subject to societal interrogation, more and more interdisciplinary collaboration has emerged as a way to not only encourage innovation but also engage the public. Under the guise of interdisciplinarity, however, heterogeneous modes of collaboration exist, in which the roles of the public are differently conceptualized. Using Andrew Barry and Georgina Born's 2013 framework for analyzing interdisciplinarity, including that of science and art, this article examines two instances of the interdisciplinary collaboration between robotics and theater in Japan and Taiwan. In particular, it analyzes how the perceived agency of robot actors is constructed onstage in these two cases. On the technological level, anthropomorphic, humanoid robots are used to construct the agency of robot actors in both cases. On the theatrical level, a comparison shows divergences in the role that theater plays and the potential role of the public. In contrast to the Taiwan case, for the Japan case a more active role of the public is conceptualized involving their use of social knowledge in judging the constructed agency of robot actors and their contribution to knowledge of human-robot interaction. Theater is used in both cases to demonstrate technology for the public. However, a comparison of the two cases demonstrates that, beyond that purpose, in which the public assumes a passive role, the interdisciplinary collaboration between two seemingly distant disciplines—robotics and theater, in this case—has the potential to foster knowledge production in which the public can assume an active role.


Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (WFS) is a rare but usually fatal disease characterized by adrenal insufficiency associated to bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. It can be associated both to non-infection and a variety of infectious diseases, among which sepsis from Neisseria meningitidis accounts for more than 80% of cases. We report the case of an otherwise healthy 2-year-old child who had a WFS as a consequence of Neisseria meningitidis infection and in which we witnessed a complete recovery of adrenal function a few months after the event. The case highlights not only the difficulty of diagnosing this syndrome but also, at the same time, the extreme importance of high suspicion, early treatment, a multidisciplinary approach and, most of all, the importance of verifying the restoration of adrenal function in order to achieve a better quality of life. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2021;10(1):28-33 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp429


Camptothecin (CPT) and some of its derivatives are currently used in several clinical studies with patients bearing leukaemias, lymphomas, and malignancies of various solid tissues. Therefore, it is important to establish parameters and conditions that will allow the drugs to exhibit maximal anticancer effectiveness with minimal toxic effects. We tested several water-insoluble CPT derivatives for their ability to inhibit growth of human melanoma tumours xenografted in nude mice. We found that anti-tumour effectiveness and drug-induced toxicity depended on (a) the CPT derivative; (b) the drug dose administered; (c) the mode of administration; and (d) the scheduling of drug administration. For all practical purposes, oral administration of the CPT derivative, 9-nitrocamptothecin, has produced the best overall results.


This paper presents a case study of dynamic performance analysis and bottleneck identification of a large application software stack on a Linux-based embedded platform. We use some standard techniques for performance analysis, but we also try out some techniques that are not so common for performance characterization and visualization. The methodology used for measurement collection is generic and hardwareindependent (software-centric), and it is relevant for any effort that develops embedded applications on a Linux platform. Using this methodology, we have analyzed the performance of the JUICE (Joint User Interface and Control Engine) software stack developed within Philips, running on a Linux-based embedded platform. We have identified relevant metrics, detailed the tools and methods by which they can be collected (given the existing opensource tool chain) and discussed the salient aspects of performance analysis and visualization of the collected measurements. We conclude that the open-source tool chain provides good support for such measurement collection and can aid further performance analysis efforts. We also discuss the various gaps and issues in the existing tooling that we have come across in this effort.


An extraordinary attention is dedicated to the evaluation of fatigue damage and technical life of different technical systems all over the world because breakdowns caused by a fatigue failure have often a nature of catastrophe. Material fatigue of parts of technical means in critical infrastructure (particularly oversized systems and technological devices) belongs to the most frequent causes of boundary states rise and relating operation breakdowns. Paper contains general formulation of reliability and safety of technical systems judging, brief characteristic of basic areas to be taken in account as input into calculated prediction of technical systems fatigue damage and analysis of risk items by its practical application on a transport means in real working conditions.


The occurrence and extent of intense harmful algal blooms (HABs) have increased in inland waters during recent decades. Standard monitor networks, based on infrequent sampling from a few fixed observation stations, are not providing enough information on the extent and intensity of the blooms. Remote sensing has great potential to provide the spatial and temporal coverage needed. Several sensors have been designed to study water properties (AVHRR, SeaBAM, and SeaWIFS), but most lack adequate spatial resolution for monitoring algal blooms in small and medium-sized lakes. Over the last decade, satellite data with 250-m spatial resolution have become available with MODIS. In the present study, three models inspired by published approaches (Kahru, Gitelson, and Floating Algae Index (FAI)) and a new approach named APPEL (APProach by ELimination) were adapted to the specific conditions of southern Quebec and used to estimate chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) using MODIS data. Calibration and validation were provided from in situ Chl-a measured in four lakes over 9 years (2000-2008) and concurrent MODIS imagery. MODIS bands 3 to 7, originally at 500-m spatial resolution, were downscaled to 250 m. The APPEL, FAI, and Kahru models yielded satisfactory results and enabled estimation of Chl-a for heavy blooming conditions (Chl-a > 50 mg∙m −3 ), with coefficients of determination reaching 0.95, 0.94, and 0.93, respectively. The model inspired from Gitelson did not provide good estimations compared to the others (R 2 = 0.77).


Abstract Objective: To estimate, from a third-party payer's perspective, the effects of switching from escitalopram to citalopram, after the generic entry of citalopram, on hospitalization and healthcare costs among adult MDD patients who were on escitalopram therapy. Methods: Adult MDD patients treated with escitalopram were identified from Ingenix Impact claims database. MDD- and mental health (MH)-related hospitalization rates and healthcare costs were compared between 'switchers' (patients who switched to citalopram after its generic entry) and 'non-switchers'. MDD- and MH-related outcomes were defined as having a primary or a secondary diagnosis of ICD-9-CM = 296.2x, 296.3x and ICD-9-CM = 290–319, respectively. A propensity score matching method that estimated the likelihood of switching using baseline characteristics was used. Outcomes were examined for both 3-month and 6-month post-index periods. Results: The sample included 3,427 matched pairs with balanced baseline characteristics. Switchers were more likely to incur an MDD-related (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52) and MH-related hospitalization (OR = 1.34) during the 6-month post-index period (both p < 0.05). Compared to switchers, non-switchers had significantly lower MDD- and MH-related hospitalization costs ($248.3 and $219.8 lower, respectively) and medical costs ($277.4 and $246.4 lower, respectively) (all p < 0.05). Although non-switchers had significantly higher MDD- and MH-related prescription drug costs, overall they had significantly lower total MDD- and MH-related healthcare costs ($109.9 and $93.6 lower, respectively; both p < 0.001). The 3-month results were consistent with these 6-month findings. Limitations: The study limitations included limited generalizability of study findings, inability to differentiate switching from escitalopram to citalopram due to medical reasons versus non-medical reasons, and exclusion of indirect costs from cost calculations. Conclusions: Compared to patients maintaining on escitalopram, switchers from escitalopram to citalopram experienced higher risk of MDD- and MH-related hospitalization and incurred higher total MDD- and MH-related healthcare costs. The economic consequences of therapeutic substitution should take into account total healthcare costs, not just drug acquisition costs.


Synthesizing photo-realistic images under different illumination conditions remains an important but challenging problem in both computer vision and graphics communities. Over the past few years, many researchers in both communities have tried inventing new methods to capture the complex light interactions existing in nature. However, most of them either rely on expensive custom-built equipment, or only focus on a class of objects, such as faces, to make the problem tractable with their approaches. Our research focuses on an example-based relighting framework for general objects. In this thesis, a review of the representative existing works on image relighting is provided. To avoid explicit 3D model acquisition as required in geometry-based methods and tedious laboratory setups as required for existing image-based methods, an example-based framework is proposed and analyzed. In this framework, we use a database of reference objects captured under different illumination conditions. Given one or several input image(s) of a new object captured under illumination conditions present in the reference database, new images can be synthesized for the input object under novel illumination conditions. We start from a single image approach with spherical surface and Lambertian model assumptions. The analysis is extended to nonspherical surface and more general BRDF models. Finally, a multiple image approach is introduced. Given limited sample images of the input object, the example-based relighting method can synthesize realistic images under different lighting conditions. It is a general and purely data-driven method which does not require an analytical model of the surface geometry or reflectance. The framework is demonstrated on standard real image databases and our own collected data, with comparisons showing that it outperforms image-based model fitting methods. This thesis concludes with a discussion of future work for example-based relighting. These include applying the framework to more complex images using sophisticated similarity estimation methods. Besides exploring physically correct solutions, we may also consider research methods for achieving perceptually appropriate relighting.


A framework for synthesizing communication-efficient distributed-memory parallel programs for block recursive algorithms such as the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and Strassen's matrix multiplication is presented. This framework is based on an algebraic representation of the algorithms, which involves the tensor (Kronecker) product and other matrix operations. This representation is useful in analyzing the communication implications of computation partitioning and data distributions. The programs are synthesized under two different target program models. These two models are based on different ways of managing the distribution of data for optimizing communication. The first model uses point-to-point interprocessor communication primitives, whereas the second model uses data redistribution primitives involving collective all-to-many communication. These two program models are shown to be suitable for different ranges of problem size. The methodology is illustrated by synthesizing communication-efficient programs for the FFT. This framework has been incorporated into the EXTENT system for automatic generation of parallel/vector programs for block recursive algorithms.


The BMJ's appeal this year will support the Independent Food Aid Network, a charity that has helped independent food banks and other community meal providers throughout the covid-19 pandemic, writes Jane Feinmann


A community sample of 192 parents reported on their children's restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) at mean ages 15 months (N = 138), 26 months (N = 191), and 77 months (N = 125) using the Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2). Consistent with previous factor analytic research, 2 factors were found at each age: 1 comprising repetitive sensory and motor behaviors (RSM), and the other comprising insistence on sameness behaviors including rigidity, routines, and restricted interests (IS). Regression analyses indicated that RSM and IS subtypes develop independently. RSM at 77 months was predicted only by RSM behaviors at 26 months and not by IS behaviors at either 15 or 26 months nor by RSM behaviors at 15 months. IS at 77 months was predicted by IS behaviors at both 15 and 26 months, but not by RSM behaviors at either 15 or 26 months. Our findings provide evidence that there is stability of 2 independent subtypes of RRBs, RSM and IS, across early childhood and that these subtypes develop independently of each other.


Education system is divided in to two classes: formal and informal. Formal education establishes the basis of theory and practical learning whereas informal education is largely self-learning, learning from real world projects. Generally science and technology streams require formal method of education. The social and related aspects can be taught through the other methods. Education is a media through which the foundation of the knowledge and skill is built. The statistics reveals the increase in the trend of the literate population. This may be accounted due to the level of urbanization and migration to the cities in search for the "white-collar jobs". As a result, a shift in the employment structure is observed from a primary sector to a secondary and tertiary sector. Thomas Friedman in his book 'The World is Flat' quotes the impact of globalization on adaptation of science and technology, the world has become large to tiny. One of the technologies to mention here is geospatial technology. With the advancement in the satellite remote sensing, geographical information system, global positioning system, the database management system has become important subject areas. The countries are accounting hugh budget on the space technology, which includes education, training and research. Today many developing countries do not have base maps, they are lacking in the systemic data and record keeping, which are essential for governance, decision making and other development purpose. There is no trained manpower available. There is no standard hardware and software identified. An imbalance is observed when the government is promoting the use of geospatial technology, there is no trained manpower nor the availability of the experts to review the accurateness of the spatial data developed. There are very few universities which impart the degree level education, there are very few trained faculty members who give standard education, there exists a lack of standard syllabus. On the other hand, the industry requires high skilled manpower, high experienced manpower. This is a low equilibrium situation. Since the need is enhancing day by day, the shortage of the skilled manpower is increasing, the need of the geomatics education emerges. This paper researches on the need assessment of the education in geospatial specialization. It emphasises on the challenges and issues prevail in geospatial education and in the specialized fields of remote sensing and GIS. This paper analyse the need assessment through all the three actors: government, geospatial industry and education institutions.


The paper presents evidence around derived from a systematic review of the literature on the blended learning approach for students with special educational needs. A comprehensive search through multiple known databases identified a dataset of 142 papers from which 22 papers met the criteria for in-depth analysis. The analysis revealed that approach, environment, learner, tools, support and evaluation are categories of extracted in blended learning approach for students with special educational needs. The elements of each category are introduced and explained in the article. However besides presenting the evidence found in literature, our analysis highlights that researching the effect of blended learning approach on SEN students remains an under-explored area of study. Few high-quality studies were found to evaluate the role of blended learning in special education, and those that were found provide only rudimentary evidence that integrating advanced technology with traditional approaches have potential to enrich learning environment among SEN students. Further well-designed research into the use of blended learning approach in special education is therefore needed.


Through a focus on farming practices this paper considers farmer–science knowledges and explores three interrelated issues. First is the hitherto neglected issue of temporal dynamicity—the paper gives attention to how past history and time are constructed, organised, and drawn upon both in the way farmers develop and understand their own practices as well as in how they understand and negotiate those practices that they are now being asked to undertake in contemporary agrienvironment schemes. Second, the paper considers the way in which farmers draw on context-specific experiential understandings in completing their practices, and how these understandings conflict with, and are negotiated alongside, those understandings embedded within conservation schemes and their 'prescriptions'. Third, the paper develops recent suggestions relating to the potential role of farmers within agrienvironment schemes by illustrating how, when approached through the appropriate methodology, farmers' localised understandings may be usefully incorporated within the discussion of hay-meadow management for conservation.


Given the inverse relationship between the proportion of females employed in an occupation and earnings, why enter a female-dominated occupation? It has been argued that an individual's total compensation from work is a combination of wage compensation plus non-pecuniary compensation associated with job characteristics, and when choosing an occupation, one selects the utility-maximizing combination of wages and job characteristics. Our findings support the theory that employee and job characteristics are rewarded differently in non-female dominated (NFD) and female dominated (FD) occupations, and that people choose occupations that reward their attributes more or penalize them less. Comparison of the variables significantly related to salary among FD occupations, NFD occupations and the full sample reveals that 9 of 13 variables significantly related to salary among NFD occupations are also significantly related to salary, with the same sign, among the full sample. However, none of these 13 variables is related to salary among FD occupations. This suggests that an individual's labor force attributes are rewarded differently in FD occupations compared to NFD occupations and therefore any individual with a particular set of attributes can expect to be rewarded differently in a NFD occupation than in a FD occupation.


In this work, the use of a differential aeration technique (split-cell) to assist understanding of contributions to the corrosion of an aerospace aluminium alloy is demonstrated. The setup comprised two similar specimens immersed in differentially aerated test solutions and coupled by a zero resistance ammeter. The individual electrochemical responses of the coupled specimens during linear polarization were interpreted in relation to the aeration condition, alloy composition and surface preparation. Further, the same setup was employed to investigate corrosion inhibition by observing the current and potential transients after inhibitor addition to the aerated or deareated compartment. It was found that the split-cell technique provides detailed understanding of the corrosion process in multiphase alloys and provides important information on inhibitor performance.


Results: Median age of the patients was 43 years (range 23–76 yrs); at final pathology according to pTNM classification 4 pts were at stage pT1A1, 20 pts pT1B1 (4 pN1), 2 pts pT1B2, one patient was pT2A pN1 and 4 pts pT2B, no residual tumor was found in 3 patients. TVUS accuracy for tumor detection was 82,4% even in ten cases of small tumour (less than 1 cm), compared to 80% of MRI. 3 pts were not correctly identified, but received prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 1 pts was a pT1A1. Comparing tumour maximum diameter at TVUS and final pathology the exact concordance (millimeters + 20%) was 58,8% in tumours sized more than 20 mm. Parametrial involvement was correctly detected by TVUS with an accuracy of the 95,7%. Tumor intensity of vascularization well correlated to vascular space involvement (73,7%), depth of infiltration (> 13, 5 mm) and positive lymph node (75%). Conclusions: These results confirm the accuracy of TVUS in presurgical evaluation of small cervical cancers and a possible aid of TVUS in identification of patients at risk who can require an adjuvant treatment. Evaluation of post-cone residual disease is very helpful in conservative treatment programs.