Based on the theory of fractional order differential equation, a fractional order integral compensator of slide mode control(SMC) with its design method are presented for control of time delay system. The specify memory characteristic of fractional calculus is used to improve the dynamic performance for SMC. A simulation example is given and its results show the new kind of compensator has the effect on relaxing of the chattering problem.


This paper makes a contrastive analysis of the collocational features of cause and lead to in SWECCL (Spoken and Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners) and BNC by using the collocational study methods of corpus linguistics. In this research, first, the semantic prosody distribution of the near synonyms in two corpora were investigated; second, by defining minimum frequency (≥5) and MI score(≥3), the collocates of the synonyms were computed and listed in the order of frequency, and then a comparison was made between collocational features of cause and lead to in two corpora. The data showed that English-major learners demonstrated similar semantic preferences with the native speakers, but that there were still great differences in their underlying collocational patterns. The English-major learners seemed to have acquired the semantic features of the near synonyms, but far more efforts need to be made to improve the depth and breadth of their lexis. This paper also discussed the implications for language teaching.


Primary small bowel tumours are very uncommon accounting about 1% of all gastrointestinal tumours. Intestinal lipomas are a rare entity of benign tumours with an incidence at autopsy ranging from 0.04% to 4.5%, most being asymptomatic. Complications such as obstruction, haemorrhage, intussusception and perforation might demand invasive management. Among these, intussusception is the most rare complication of intestinal lipomas. Here, we present a case of intussusception in a 52-year-old female with a large intramural lipoma of the ileum.


The environmental impact of production and consumption has been addressed globally since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit; and in 2002 at the Johannesburg World Summit a 10-year framework was developed to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns (Ferrara and Serret, 2008). Agenda 21 from the Rio Earth Summit highlighted the fact that sustainable consumption is an issue that needs to be addressed in terms of waste reduction, resource conversion, and control of pollution. Section II of the framework focuses on waste management: minimising waste and maximising reuse and recycling of environmentally sound waste.

Fashion consumption and sustainability are often opposing ideas. Fashion consumption is a highly resource-intensive, wasteful practice; and sustainability frowns on wasteful consumption. Sustainability in the fashion business is still an emerging agenda, not yet established, and many authors have recognised the importance of investigating how sustainability could be achieved (Young et al 2004, Pears 2006, Fletcher 2008). Reuse or recycling of discarded fashion items reduces the environmental impact significantly compared to the purchase of new fashion products. It has been found that approximately 65kWh of energy is saved for every kilogram of cotton replaced by used clothing, and 90 kWh of energy is saved for every kilogram of polyester replaced (Woolridge et al, 2006). Additionally, closing the materials and product cycles is becoming an increasingly important aspect of any recovery option (Michaud and Llerena, 2006).

In order to understand how the clothing end-of-life management is practically handled in the UK, this study examined the current processes and strategies within the UK to utilizing textile wastes with the aim of reducing the volume of textiles and clothing sent to landfill. Based on the study, this paper presents an overview of three end-of-life waste management strategies: reusing, recycling and refashioning. We discuss the advantages and implications of each strategy and conclude by providing recommendations for the development of waste diversion programs and sustainable business models.


Most patients present with disease that appears to be confined to the breast. However, a significant proportion of women will go on to develop metastatic breast cancer with bone being the most frequent site of distant relapse. The bone microenvironment provides a fertile soil for circulating metastatic cells as resorbing bone releases growth factors that are thought to attract circulating cancer cells to the bone surface and facilitate their growth and proliferation. These infiltrating tumour cells in turn produce bone cell-activating factors, which lead to increased bone resorption and further release of growth factors in a 'vicious cycle'. The third-generation bisphosphonate zoledronic acid is a potent inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. It also has effects on numerous processes in the metastatic cascade, with in vitro and animal studies showing synergistic antitumour effects with a range of cytotoxic and endocrine treatments. The addition of zoledronic acid to adjuvant therapy could therefore be a therapeutic strategy of potential importance. To investigate this, the AZURE trial was designed to determine whether adjuvant zoledronic acid improves the disease-free and bone metastasis-free survival of women with stage II/III breast cancer. Recruitment of 3300 subjects was completed in January 2006. First efficacy data are expected in 2008. There is a potential for synergistic action with chemotherapy to manifest as enhanced toxicity. Reassuringly, initial safety data show that zoledronic acid is well tolerated and can be safely combined with adjuvant chemotherapy without any increase in myelotoxicity or effect on dose intensity.


. – OBJECTIVE: Long non coding RNA (LncRNA) urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) is an oncogene in breast cancer. However, the detailed mechanism has not been fully revealed. This study explored whether UCA1 can directly interact with miR-143, a tumor suppressor in breast cancer and whether the UCA1-miR-143 axis is involved in regulation of cancer cell growth and apoptosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: miRNA microarray was performed to identify the most dysregulated miRNAs between tumor and adjacent normal tissues of breast cancer. QRT-PCR analysis was performed to assess the expression of UCA1 and miR-143. The binding between UCA1 and miR-143 was verified using dual luciferase and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis were performed to study the role of UCA1-miR-143 axis in cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis. RESULTS: UC1 was significantly upregulated, while miR-143 was significantly downregulated in the tumor tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues. There are direct interactions between miR-143 and the miRNA recognition sites of UCA1. UCA1 is present in Ago2-containing RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), through association with miR-143. Through downregulating miR-143, UCA1 can modulate breast cancer cell growth and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: UCA1 can directly interact with miR-143, lower its expression and affect its downstream regulation. Therefore, the UCA1-miR-143 axis constitutes a part of the oncogenic role of UCA1 in breast cancer.


Background: The spine is not only the most frequent site of skeletal metastasis of a known carcinoma but it is also the most frequent site of bone metastasis of unknown primary tumor origin, however, most of the existing reports that analyzed the clinical features of patients who presented with skeletal metastasis of unknown origin have included cases of bone metastasis at any location. Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the clinical features, survival, and specific diagnostic implications in patients presented with spinal metastasis of unknown primary malignant tumor. Method: In this prospective study, 40 patients presented with spinal metastasis of unknown primary tumor origin to Mosul Oncology Hospital were followed up. Result: The primary malignant tumor was identified in (97.5%) of cases, lung cancer was the most frequently identified primary tumor (35%) followed by carcinoma of the breast (30%) and prostatic cancer (12.5%). We found that Computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis were the most useful diagnostic modality to identify the primary malignant tumor and there was a significant difference in the overall survival of patients with different primary tumor sites, shorter survival time was observed for aggressive tumor like lung cancer compared to patients having less aggressive primary tumor like breast and prostatic cancer. Conclusion: Spinal metastasis of unknown primary carries a diagnostic challenge to the clinician, it is possible to detect the primary site in the majority of patients if we follow optimal diagnostic strategies. Detection of primary tumor site could help the clinician to provide the best therapeutic strategies.


ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The management of end-stage hip disease in children and adolescents is a challenging clinical problem. While total hip replacement (THR) offers the benefit of improved mobility, this is offset by the risk of multiple revisions. Hip arthrodesis remains a salvage option to relieve pain and restore function at the cost of hip movement. This study aimed to determine the short- to medium-term outcome of hip arthrodesis in paediatric and adolescent patients in a developing world setting. METHODS: All children and adolescents under the age of 18 years who underwent hip arthrodesis between 2010 and 2014 were included in the study. Measurements included diagnosis, preoperative deformity, fusion position, fusion rate and functional outcomes. Our surgery involved transarticular compression screw fixation and subtrochanteric osteotomy. Postoperative skeletal traction maintained optimal limb position for two weeks, after which spica cast immobilisation was used. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (11 female) had hip fusions at a mean age of 12 years (range 5-18). The mean follow-up period was 5 years (range 1-8). Most cases were due to end-stage TB arthritis (12/19; 63%). Other causes were septic arthritis (3/19; 16%); neglected slipped capital femoral epiphysis (1/19; 5%); post-traumatic avascular necrosis (1/19; 5%); and idiopathic chondrolysis (2/19; 11%). Primary fusion was achieved in 68% (13/19) of cases. Six patients developed complications. Complications included adduction drift (3/19), failed fusion (3/19), screw malpositioning (1/19) and screw breakage (1/19). Eight reoperations were required in six patients. In two of these patients, one additional surgery had to be performed to achieve fusion or correct limb position. The mean fusion position was 31° (range 20 to 50) flexion, 2° (range 10 to -10) abduction, and 1° (range 10 to -10) external rotation. Mean leg length discrepancy was 1.8 cm (range 0 to 4.5) of shortening. All except one patient reported relief of hip pain and satisfaction with the procedure. CONCLUSION: While hip arthrodesis is a technically challenging procedure, high fusion rates and reliable pain relief may be expected in these patients. However, complications should be anticipated, and reoperation may be required to achieve fusion and an optimal limb position Level of evidence: Level 4 Keywords: end-stage hip arthritis, TB hip, hip arthrodesis, hip fusion, subtrochanteric osteotomy


We present a record of glacial to Holocene 230Thxs normalized sediment mass fluxes for a site located on the eastern flank of the Carlsberg Ridge, Arabian Sea to evaluate carbonate burial, preservation and surface ocean changes spanning the last 38 ka. Sediment fluxes (0.81–3.70 g cm−2 ka−1) indicate dominant carbonate rain (0.44–1.83 g cm−2 ka−1), followed by 232Th‐based lithogenic flux (0.36–1.42 g cm−2 ka−1), with higher fluxes during the Holocene and the late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and extremely low fluxes during MIS 2. Despite large variations in sediment mass fluxes, the average flux of 230Thxs scavenged over the last 38 ka remained nearly constant. In contrast, the large variations in the initial 230Thxs activity display the effect of variable dilution by the carbonate flux. Analysis of 232Th‐based lithogenic flux documents a dominant fluvial source and links its variability to changing SW monsoon precipitation in the Indus source region. Comparison of the last 38 ka carbonate flux record with the present‐day carbonate flux intercepted at the closest mooring at 3915 m depth demonstrates burial efficiency of 80 to 99% to the seabed during the Holocene and late MIS 3 and 53% for the MIS 2. Calculated carbonate preservation efficiency relative to the trapped upper ocean carbonate flux provides evidence for a productivity control of the preserved carbonate flux, which indicates high preservation during the Holocene (63±10%), and MIS 3 (77±24%) and low during MIS 2 (41±15%). Our results suggest that the eastern flank of Carlsberg Ridge experienced enhanced carbonate production during the Holocene and MIS 3 compared to MIS 2. We suggest that changing oceanographic conditions in near‐surface waters have changed the carbonate supply to the sea floor accounting for the glacial to Holocene pattern with increased supply due to the intensified SW monsoon and reduced input associated with the weakened SW monsoon.


There is much to learn concerning the local nobilities in Sweden. This paper attempts to answer whether or not the mayors of Kalmar are to be acknowledged as members of the local elite during the 18th century. In order to receive a deeper understanding regarding this matter, one must also investigate what significations are located within the elite terminology. All this and more will be answered with support from the latest research by Gudrun Andersson among others. By studying inventories of estate and biographical archive materials one is acquainted with fourteen early modern men who carried out their political and social careers in the city of Kalmar. Because the term elite is dependent on the different circumstances in its surrounding environment, it has been divided into four categories in this paper; political, economic, social and cultural factors. The conclusion is made that the mayors all belonged within the political elite. All of them also show some characteristics which are consistent with an economic elite, however the situation is complex and is therefore more firmly discussed in this paper. Concerning social and cultural elites, the mayors fulfill much of the requirements and the conclusion is therefore made that they most certainly are a part of the local elite in Kalmar city.


In the field of parametric partial differential equations, shape optimization represents a challenging problem due to the required computational resources. In this contribution, a data-driven framework involving multiple reduction techniques is proposed to reduce such computational burden. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and active subspace genetic algorithm (ASGA) are applied for a dimensional reduction of the original (high fidelity) model and for an efficient genetic optimization based on active subspace property. The parameterization of the shape is applied directly to the computational mesh, propagating the generic deformation map applied to the surface (of the object to optimize) to the mesh nodes using a radial basis function (RBF) interpolation. Thus, topology and quality of the original mesh are preserved, enabling application of POD-based reduced order modeling techniques, and avoiding the necessity of additional meshing steps. Model order reduction is performed coupling POD and Gaussian process regression (GPR) in a data-driven fashion. The framework is validated on a benchmark ship.


Direct numerical simulations of homogeneous turbulent shear flow subject to spanwise rotation have been carried out. A passive scalar field with an imposed mean gradient was also included in the simulations. The flow reached a state close to the equilibrium structure with a slowly varying turbulence anisotropy and nondimensional shear number SK/e. Different rotation numbers have been used in the simulations and the rotation either accelerated the growth of kinetic energy or slowed it down. The growth was approximately exponential in a few cases at intermediate shear times. At longer shear times the kinetic energy was growing linearly in most of the cases. The rotation affected considerably the anisotropy of the flow and the velocity correlations. The scalar-velocity fluctuation correlations and the direction of the turbulent scalar flux vector were according to the simulations also strongly influenced by rotation, even as the mechanical to scalar time scale ratio.


High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements were performed on single crystals of Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+δ with different oxygen stoichiometries. The data establish that the gap anisotropy (ratio of the gap along Γ-M to the gap along Γ-X) can be reversibly changed from ∼20:1 (optimal or underdoped) to ∼2:1 (overdoped). Differences in sample doping explain the conflicting reports on gap anisotropy in the literature. Possible effects of this change in gap anisotropy on the symmetry of the order parameter are discussed. There remains some ambiguity as to the relation between the order parameter and doping.


Political campaigns employ segmenting and targeting strategies to reach voters, which result in a differential distribution of campaign resources across the whole nation. This study investigates how the resulting differences in information availability influence an individual's political learning and behaviors in relation to geographical locality. Data for this study come from three separate studies conducted during the 2004 U.S. presidential election. The results from a series of multilevel modeling analyses show that newspaper use had a greater impact on political knowledge and participation in localities with more political advertising or more candidate appearances than in localities where these were less frequent. The impact of offline political discussion did not follow the same pattern. The findings relating to Internet use were mixed. This study demonstrates the importance of geographical contexts in understanding communication effects. Also, the Internet functions to both extend and diminish unequal information availability in the offline world.


At a switching point, the inconsistency can exist between subsystems switched before and after the point, resulting in the solutions of singular switched system with time delay there may be discontinuity. We consider the discontinuity of the solutions for a class of switched linear singular systems with time delay and the convergence of discontinuous solutions. Using Lyapunov-Krasovskii function and the LMI method, we establish some criteria to guarantee all solutions of the systems converge to zero. The criteria are expressed as LMI form and depended time delay. An example is given to illustrate the application of the presented results.


Knowledge is the primary resource for consultancy companies and most knowledge is in the possession of a company's employees. The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate how knowledge and resources can be transferred between employees working in different countries within an organization. The aim is to explore this transfer of knowledge and collaboration within an international consultancy firm, Niras, by looking at a case regarding the transfer of knowledge within the area of construction of health care facilities and hospitals between Denmark and Sweden. Furthermore, possible challenges and barriers that might exist to implementing this will be explored. The study has an exploratory approach and the methods used for data collection is primarily semi-structured interviews. The literature presents strategies for transferring knowledge; codification and personalization. Furthermore, there are different processes and methods used for the transfer of knowledge. Organizations can use different ICT-tools, for example emails, skype and intranets. Knowledge can also be transferred through meetings, networks and on-the-job training as well as by transfer of employees. The main challenges found for intraorganizational transfer of knowledge across the borders were connected to the knowledge transfer strategy including financial aspects, organizational and national cultures as well as language. The results from the interviews showed that the consultancy company mainly used a personalization strategy, where face-to-face methods were regarded as the best way to transfer knowledge. In addition to this, different ICT tools were used such as skype and intranet. Furthermore, experienced potential barriers to transferring knowledge and collaboration across the borders were: language barriers, differences in organizational culture and financial barriers. The analysis shows that data from the interviews correlates to what was found in the literature. The use of a personalization strategy as the main strategy fits well with a consultancy company and one of the main methods for transferring knowledge across the borders is to transfer employees. Furthermore, the use of networks can also facilitate the transfer of knowledge as well as using ICT tools. The barriers found in literature correlated to the ones discovered from the interviews, however the language and culture barriers are not considered as major barriers in the Scandinavian context due to similarity in between the countries. The conclusions of this study is that by using different forms of knowledge transfer processes that enables interaction among employees, knowledge transfer across the borders can be facilitated. It is concluded that there are barriers which must be taken into consideration and that the case company should develop a more clear strategy for their knowledge transfer.


This timely Handbook offers a unique opportunity to consider the performance and national context of microcredit initiatives within the European Union.


Elevated vacuum is a prosthetic suspension method used to reduce slippage between the prosthetic socket and the residual limb. Evaluation of the effectiveness of these systems is limited due to a lack of correlation to actual socket air pressure, particularly during unconstrained movements. This may explain some of the variability in functional outcomes reported in the literature. We developed a light-weight portable socket measurement system to quantify internal socket air pressure, temperature, and acceleration. We implemented the system onto the sockets of three transtibial prosthesis users with mechanical elevated vacuum pumps. Participants completed five functional tasks with and without the vacuum pumps actively connected, including the 2-Minute Walk test, 5-Times Sit-to-Stand test, 4-Square Step test, L-Test, and Figure-8 test. Results demonstrated that the use of elevated vacuum pumps produced different gait profiles and pressure ranges for each user, with significant differences between pump conditions. Two of the participants demonstrated substantially lower air pressure (higher vacuum) over time while the pump was active compared to inactive. The minimum air pressure measured at the completion of the 2-Minute Walk test was −34.6 ± 7.7 kPa, which is not as low as pressures reported in literature during benchtop experiments. One participant did not show substantial changes in pressure over time for either pump condition. Functional task performance was not significantly different between pump conditions. Correlation with accelerometer readings allowed air pressure data to be aligned with the gait cycle; peak positive pressures occurred just following initial contact of the foot in early stance, and the most negative pressures (vacuum) were observed throughout swing. This study has demonstrated the use of a portable data logging tool that may serve the clinical and research communities to quantify the operation of elevated vacuum systems, and better understand the variability of mechanical pump operation and overall system performance.


Background. Depression, anxiety and fatigue are among the most common symptoms presented in primary care. Whether such symptoms indicate discrete psychological syndromes or whether they result from a common vulnerability is not clear. This study examined longitudinally the patterns of co-morbidity between prolonged fatigue and other forms of psychological distress in patients attending general practitioners. Methods. Adults attending primary care completed questionnaires designed to detect cases of prolonged fatigue and psychological distress at presentation and 12 months later. Results. Of 652 patients, the prevalence rates of 'prolonged fatigue' alone, 'psychological distress' alone, 'prolonged fatigue+psychological distress' and 'no disorder' were 7%, 19%, 15% and 59% respectively at initial assessment. Of those patients with any prolonged fatigue syndrome initially, 58% still reported fatigue 12 months later (representing 13% of the total sample). Most importantly, the risk of developing prolonged fatigue was not increased in patients who initially had psychological distress (OR = 0·95; 95% CI 0·2–3·6), neither was the risk of developing psychological distress increased in patients who initially had prolonged fatigue (OR = 1·4; 95% CI 0·6–3·4). Conclusions. This study indicates that prolonged fatigue is a persistent diagnosis over time. The longitudinal patterns of co-morbidity with psychological distress do not support an aetiological model that proposes a common vulnerability factor for these disorders. Psychiatric classification systems may be better served by treating prolonged fatigue and psychological distress as independent disorders.


With worldwide acquisition activity approaching an all-time record of $5 trillion, acquisitions are more than ever at the forefront of scholarly attention and debate. This is all the more so because piles of research have shown that the majority of acquisitions fail to live up to expectations. In theory, it is well established that successful acquisitive growth requires both the identification of target firms with sufficient synergistic potential (strategic fit) and effective integration of these targets into the acquiring firm to realize this potential (organizational fit). In practice, however, this is easier said than done. In order to ensure adequate strategic and organizational fit for their acquisitions, firms need to build capabilities by learning from their own experience as well as that of others. Unfortunately, this learning process is fraught with pitfalls. In strategic settings, including that of acquisitions, experience often appears to be a suboptimal teacher. To date, the literature has merely scratched the surface of the learning-related obstacles that firms face and, most importantly, how they can avoid them. Building on behavioral and cognitive theories, and based on statistical analysis of two distinct large samples, this dissertation presents four interrelated studies that aim to advance our understanding of how acquisition capabilities can be successfully developed.


Leonardo will publish a series of special sections over the next 3 years devoted to exploring these questions. Submissions can be from artistic scientists who find their art avocation valuable; from scientist-artist collaborators who can demonstrate a scientific or artistic innovation; from scientifically literate artists who draw problems, materials, techniques or processes from the sciences; or from historians of art or science looking at past examples of such interactions.


We present an approach for pixel-level future prediction given an input image of a scene. We observe that a scene is comprised of distinct entities that undergo motion and present an approach that operationalizes this insight. We implicitly predict future states of independent entities while reasoning about their interactions, and compose future video frames using these predicted states. We overcome the inherent multi-modality of the task using a global trajectory-level latent random variable, and show that this allows us to sample diverse and plausible futures. We empirically validate our approach against alternate representations and ways of incorporating multi-modality. We examine two datasets, one comprising of stacked objects that may fall, and the other containing videos of humans performing activities in a gym, and show that our approach allows realistic stochastic video prediction across these diverse settings. See project website (https://judyye.github.io/CVP/) for video predictions.


The presence of ions and/or apolar species in water provides a rich and varied environment in which many natural processes occur. This review provides results of recent structural studies of aqueous solutions derived from state–of–the–art neutron and X–ray scattering methods. The enhanced resolution provided by methods such as neutron diffraction and isotopic substitution, and anomalous X–ray diffraction, have given scientists new insights into the contrasting hydration structures of a variety of ions and small molecules, and crucially into how these structures might affect the general properties of solutions. The discussion points out common features of ionic hydration within particular series, such as the alkalis, halides and transition metals, and also indicates where significant differences in hydration structure appear.


We analyze the interaction between electoral accountability and separation-of-powers by comparing three regimes: 'Unilateral Authority' (the President has exclusive decision-making power); 'Mandatory Checks' (the President cannot change policy without congressional assent); and 'Opt-in Checks' (the President may seek congressional authorization or act unilaterally). We find: (1) voters use asymmetric electoral rewards and punishments to offset the risk of politician bias, but voters rely less on this blunt instrument if there are internal checks; (2) adding a veto player need not alter the ex ante likelihood of policy change; and (3) voter welfare is highest under Opt-In Checks and lowest under Unilateral Authority.


After executing driving simulator studies, researchers are inundated with data containing primary vehicle state variables such as velocity, Cartesian position, and sensor inputs. These data must be reduced into meaningful quantities that often rely on relative measures against static or dynamic elements of the virtual environment. For example, following distance and time-to-collision depend not only on primary state variables, but also on mathematical relationships between the primary variables and other information. Characterizing driving, assessing human performance, and validating simulator performance require even higher-level data. Because the process for reducing and interpreting driving simulator data is not standardized, it is imperative to be able to visualize the data, both to verify its correctness and to help researchers understand it. Software tools in use and under development at The University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator integrate online data collection and off-line data reduction and verification by providing interactive facilities for multi-modal visualization and manipulation of data using a hybrid of off-the-shelf and custom software. The linkage between binary data and digital video allows researchers not only to visualize the data, but also to quickly and automatically overview video and online written notes in correlated time.


[1] Ions apparently emanating from the same source, the ionospheric polar cap, can either end up as energized to keV energies in the high-altitude cusp/mantle, or appear as cold ions in the magnetotail lobes. We use Cluster observations of ions and wave electric fields to study the spatial variation of ion heating in the cusp/mantle and polar cap. The average flow direction in a simplified cylindrical coordinate system is used to show approximate average ion flight trajectories, and discuss the temperatures, fluxes and wave activity along some typical trajectories. It is found that it is suitable to distinguish between cusp, central and nightside polar cap ion outflow trajectories, though O+ heating is mainly a function of altitude. Furthermore we use typical cold ion parallel velocities and the observed average perpendicular drift to obtain average cold ion flight trajectories. The data show that the cusp is the main source of oxygen ion outflow, whereas a polar cap source would be consistent with our average outflow paths for cold ions observed in the lobes. A majority of the cusp O+ flux is sufficiently accelerated to escape into interplanetary space. A scenario with significant oxygen ion heating in regions with strong magnetosheath origin ion fluxes, cold proton plasma dominating at altitudes below about 8 RE in the polar cap, and most of the cusp oxygen outflow overcoming gravity and flowing out in the cusp and mantle is consistent with our observations.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the ocular complications of paintball injuries in children.

METHODS
The clinical course of four children with traumatic ocular paintball injuries was evaluated. All patients underwent a complete ocular examination. Their age, injuries sustained, surgical procedure(s) performed, presence of protective eyewear at the time of injury, and final visual outcome was assessed. The presence of directly related anterior and posterior segment abnormalities were also evaluated.

RESULTS
Four boys sustained traumatic paintball injuries. Average patient age was 11.25 years (range: 10-12 years). None of the children were wearing ocular or facial protection at the time of the initial injury. All patients had hyphema and traumatic cataract, and some form of retinal pathology (vitreous hemorrhage, epiretinal membrane, retinal hemorrhage, and choroidal rupture). One child had a partial-thickness corneal laceration that did not require surgical intervention. All other patients underwent ophthalmic surgery. Final visual acuity was 20/30 or better in two patients, and 20/100 or worse in the others. The cause of decreased visual acuity in these children was directly related to macular pathology.

CONCLUSION
Ocular injuries resulting from paintball impact are often severe and usually occur when the participants are not wearing eye protection or this protection becomes dislodged. Treatment of these injuries is sometimes limited to an attempt to salvage what remains of useful vision. Unfortunately, most of these sports-related injuries could have been prevented if patients wore adequate eye protection when involved in this sport.


Introduction: The growth of the productive activity at world level has generated great concern for including in the engineering activity new alternatives that favour the sustainability of diverse sectors. Analyze the various alternatives for power generation that can implement industries and their advantages. Methodology: Qualitative/explicative study, which, supported by a literature review, gathers information from the last five years, to give shape to a document that is easy to consult. Findings: The study derives a range of alternatives that can contribute to business plans and all stakeholders in the energy issue. Conclusions: There are several options that each organization currently has to explore in energy issues; each industry can be guided by the alternative that according to its social purpose can offer the best benefits.
Keywords: Electricity, Energy, Optimization, Sustainability


Diamond debonding in composite segments used in cutting of natural stones was investigated in this study. The finite element method was used for numerical solutions, and the problem was modelled as two dimensional. The problem was investigated under linear elastic fracture conditions. Stress intensity factors and strain energy release rates were obtained. Numerical solutions were performed for different diamond sizes and diamond heights. According to the obtained results, the most effective factor for growth of the interface crack was considered to be the tangential force acting on the diamond.


INTRODUCTION
The clinical presentation of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is variable in severity, cause and potential investigations. The British Society of Gastroenterology recently published LGIB guidelines, recommending CT angiography (CT-A) for haemodynamically unstable patients, defined by shock index (SI) greater than 1. The aim of this study was to assess the use and role of CT-A in diagnosing LGIB, by assessing the pickup rate of active LGIB defined by contrast extravasation or 'blush' and to determine any association between positive CT-A with various patient and clinical characteristics.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis was carried out of 4 years of LGIB admissions. Demographics, inpatient observations and use of blood products were acquired. Vital signs nearest the time of CT-A plus abnormal vital signs preceding imaging were used to calculate SI, Age SI, National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and Standardised Early Warning Score (SEWS). A consultant gastrointestinal radiologist further reviewed all consultant-reported scans.

RESULTS
In total, 930 patients were admitted with LGIB. Median age was 71 years and 51% were male; 179 (19.2%) patients received red blood cell transfusion and 93 patients (10%) underwent CT-A, who were older and were likely to be hypotensive and receive red cell transfusions. Following exclusions, 92 CT-As were included in the analysis. Nine (9.8%) were positive. Univariate analysis showed no association between positive CT-A and any scoring system. A multivariate analysis, including age and gender, showed association between both NEWS2 and SEWS scores with positive CT-A.

CONCLUSION
In our analysis of the typical LGIB population, CT-A has shown relatively low pick up rate of active bleeding. CT-A clearly has a role in the investigation of LGIB, but selection remains challenging.


By allowing the reader to draw comparisons between women's movements in Canada and the United States, Challenging Times shows that certain political and theoretical issues transcend international borders, ebbing and flowing between the two countries symbiotically. Topics discussed include the origins of "second-stage feminism," the strength of the women's movement within academic structures, and the challenges posed by racial, ethnic, and class diversity; violence against women; the promise and limits of legal reform; reproductive technology; and economic discrimination. Readers who are interested in the recent history of the North American women's movement will find answers to many of their questions about the victories, defeats, and fundamental challenges facing modern feminism. Those who have been active in the current wave of feminism, either as central participants or serious critics, will find Challenging Times equally fascinating because it endeavours to provide answers to pressing questions about the nature of feminism, the inter-relationships and tensions between different sectors of the movement, and the prospects for future growth. Many of the contributors to this volume have lived through and personally shaped the unfolding of the rich history of North American feminism. In addition to Backhouse and Flaherty, the contributors are Catharine A. MacKinnon, Greta Hofmann Nemiroff, Monique Begin, Mariana Valverde, Naomi Black, Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Micheline de Seve, Micheline Dumont, Margrit Eichler, Sara M. Evans, Marianne A. Ferber, Lorraine Greaves, Marjorie Heins, M. Patricia Fernandez Kelly, Patricia A. Monture-Okanee, Arun Mukherjee, Jean F. O'Barr, Christine Overall, Glenda Simms, and Jill Vickers.


Summary: The authors aimed to present an introduction of patient-specific model in rhinoplasty by introducing a 3D printed surgical guide designed and adapted in an individualized manner for guiding dorsal hump reduction. To introduce the tool, we have designed a six step workflow. First, we obtain a digital 3D model of patient anatomy using computed tomography (CT) images. Second, we conduct a surgical preoperative planning of the rhinoplasty on the mentioned model. Third step consists of designing the guide, while taking into account nasal anthropometries and resection objectives. Fourth step is printing the guide and sterilizing it. Fifth step is performing the surgery. The last step is analyzing the main outcomes of the surgery. Our surgical guide allowed us to perform only 1 step osteotomy instead of the usual multistep osteotomy and remove exactly the amount of dorsum that we decided to remove during the preoperative planning. The duration of intervention was considerably shorter than conventional osteotomy. Using the guide was technically easier than the conventional method and reduced the learning curve from years to minutes (once the guide is printed). Moreover, the patient understanding of the procedure was significantly better after showing the 3D model of the surgery. The surgical guide allows a surgeon to transfer with extreme simplicity the presurgical planning to the surgical field. We have to point out that the design of the study does not allow us to quantify predictability, so future studies are needed to demonstrate an accuracy benefit over the former techniques.


The utilization of alternative energy is being strongly promoted in order to prevent the progression of climate change due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, in our previous study, the carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrate engine generator (CHEG), which converts unutilized energy to electrical energy, has been proposed as a way to produce alternative energy. CHEG uses the heat cycle of a CO2 hydrate which is generated by a small temperature difference using heat from such unutilized energy sources as low-temperature exhaust heat from home heating appliances, difference in temperature between day and night, geothermal heat, etc. In previous works, the theoretical validity of the CHEG as an alternative energy for homes has been analyzed. However, the control method of power output for changing heat source temperature and power load has not been investigated. Therefore, the dynamic model of the CHEG is constructed to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the control method of power output.


This paper investigates the effects of macroeconomic fundamentals on emerging market sovereign credit spreads. We find that the volatility of terms of trade in particular has a statistically and economically significant effect on spreads. This is robust to instrumenting terms of trade with a country-specific commodity price index. Our measures of country fundamentals have substantial explanatory power, even controlling for global factors and credit ratings. We also estimate default probabilities in a hazard model and find that model implied spreads capture a significant part of the variation in observed spreads out-of-sample. The fit is better for lower credit quality borrowers.


In this paper we have designed and implemented speech recognition models in phone recognition level to model phones coarticulation effects. We have inspired these models from two human cognitive systems: neocortex and hippocampus. In the model inspired from the neocortex the first step is a primary and coarse classification of inputs, then model adapts itself to contexts extracted from these primary recognitions and we classify inputs again according to their extracted context. In the model inspired form the hippocampus, previous contexts of inputs are used for better recognition, and in this way we use effects of previous phones of each input for better classification. Then we have designed and implemented a model with a structure of combination of two preceding models. Our models implementation showed 3.77% increase in accuracy of Persian phone recognition compared to a simple model that does not consider coarticulation effects.


Mineral bioavailability is related to the activity of the free ion or small-ligand metal ion complexes present in gastrointestinal (GI) tract digesta. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between total ion and free-ion/small-ligand complexes (referred to simply as "free") concentrations. Free and total cation concentration in pig digesta from various GI locations were determined. Free ions were operationally defined as those that passed through a 1,000 molecular weight cutoff filter. To test the effect of dietary supplementation on free ion concentrations, pigs were fed either basal diets of corn bran, corn grits, and soybean meal (10, 67, and 20 weight percent, respectively) or basal diets containing added Ca, Zn, Fe, and Cu. In addition, the Ca and K content of corn bran fragments retrieved from digesta was determined by energy dispersive x-ray analysis to examine whether this dietary fiber preferentially absorbed minerals, thus reducing mineral bioavailability. Free cation concentrations, expressed as a percentage of the total, averaged over all locations for both diets were: Na, 86%; K, 96%; Ca, 11%; Mg, 40%; Zn, 5%; Fe, 4%; and Cu, 11%. For Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu, the free:total cation concentration ratios differed (P < .05) between upper and lower GI tract. Mineral supplementation did not alter free:total ratios of any ion in the GI tract. For supplemented diets, mineral concentrations generally were higher throughout the GI tract, as were concentrations of free Ca. Free concentrations of Zn and Cu in the jejunum and ileum were higher (P < .01) with supplemented diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Contrastive self-supervised learning methods famously produce high quality transferable representations by learning invariances to different data augmentations. Invariances established during pre-training can be interpreted as strong inductive biases. However these may or may not be helpful, depending on if they match the invariance requirements of downstream tasks or not. This has led to several attempts to learn task-specific invariances during pre-training, however, these methods are highly compute intensive and tedious to train. We introduce the notion of amortised invariance learning for contrastive self supervision. In the pre-training stage, we parameterize the feature extractor by differentiable invariance hyper-parameters that control the invariances encoded by the representation. Then, for any downstream task, both linear readout and task-specific invariance requirements can be efficiently and effectively learned by gradient-descent. We evaluate the notion of amortised invariances for contrastive learning over two different modalities: vision and audio, on two widely-used contrastive learning methods in vision: SimCLR and MoCo-v2 with popular architectures like ResNets and Vision Transformers, and SimCLR with ResNet-18 for audio. We show that our amortised features provide a reliable way to learn diverse downstream tasks with different invariance requirements, while using a single feature and avoiding task-specific pre-training. This provides an exciting perspective that opens up new horizons in the field of general purpose representation learning.


Background. Disparities were marked in previous pandemics, usually with higher attack rates reported for those in lower socioeconomic positions and for ethnic minorities. Methods. We examined characteristics of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Hong Kong, assessed associations between incidence and population-level characteristics at the level of small geographic areas, and evaluated relations between socioeconomics and work-from-home (WFH) arrangements. Results. The largest source of COVID-19 importations switched from students studying overseas in the second wave to foreign domestic helpers in the third. The local cases were mostly individuals not in formal employment (retirees and homemakers) and production workers who were unable to WFH. For every 10% increase in the proportion of population employed as executives or professionals in a given geographic region, there was an 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1–97%) reduction in the incidence of COVID-19 during the third wave. In contrast, in the first 2 waves, the same was associated with 3.69 times (95% CI, 1.02–13.33) higher incidence. Executives and professionals were more likely to implement WFH and experienced frequent changes in WFH practice compared with production workers. Conclusions. Consistent findings on the reversed socioeconomic patterning of COVID-19 burden between infection waves in Hong Kong in both individual- and population-level analyses indicated that risks of infections may be related to occupations involving high exposure frequency and WFH flexibility. Contextual determinants should be taken into account in policy planning aiming at mitigating such disparities.


A Mn(II)-based zinc-sensitive MRI contrast agent, MnPyC3A-BPEN, was prepared, characterized, and applied in imaging experiments to detect glucose-stimulated zinc secretion (GSZS) from the mouse pancreas and prostate in vivo. Thermodynamic and kinetic stability tests showed that MnPyC3A-BPEN has superior kinetic inertness compared to GdDTPA, is less susceptible to transmetalation in the presence of excess Zn2+ ions, and less susceptible to transchelation by albumin. In comparison with other gadolinium-based zinc sensors bearing a single zinc binding moiety, MnPyC3A-BPEN appears to be a reliable alternative for imaging β-cell function in the pancreas and glucose-stimulated zinc secretion from the prostate.


This work describes recent work on the development of a wireless based remote monitoring system for renewable energy plants in Malawi. The main goal was to develop a cost effective data acquisition system that continuously presents remote energy yields and performance measures. A test bed comprising of a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant has been set up at Malavi Primary School and a central management system at Malawi Polytechnic. The project output gives direct access to generated electric power at the rural site through the use of wireless sensor boards and text message (SMS) transmission over cellular network. The SMS recipient at the central site houses an intelligent management system based on FrontlineSMS for hosting SMSs and publishing remote measurement trends over the Internet. Preliminary experimental results reveal that the performance of renewable energy systems in remote rural sites can be evaluated efficiently at low cost.


Severe diseases such
as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the previous SARS and MERS
outbreaks, are the result of coronavirus infections and have demonstrated the
urgent need for antiviral drugs to combat these deadly viruses. Due to its essential role in viral
replication and function, 3CLpro has been identified as a promising
target for the development of antiviral drugs.
Previously reported SARS-CoV 3CLpro non-covalent inhibitors
were used as a starting point for the development of covalent inhibitors of
SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. We report herein our efforts in design and
synthesis which led to submicromolar covalent inhibitors when the enzymatic activity of the viral protease
was used as a screening platform.


Instant multimedia communication has moved into mainstream application scenarios and is used in various settings. Dimensioning future networks into which these solutions are integrated requires knowledge of the underlying traffic characteristics of these systems. Here we present findings for the Microsoft Office Communication Server deployed at a midsize educational institution in the upper Midwest. We find that different individual banndwidth utilizing classes of communication clients or endpoints can be identified that shape the overall server traffic significantly and range from self-similar to random bandwidth utilization patterns over time. Using our initial findings presented here allows for future network capacity planning and bandwidth utilization modeling before deployment of this and similar solutions.


: Nonlinear characteristics of SRD are analyzed. A model of SRD for simulation is proposed based on dynamic capacitor and pn diode, which can be used in ADS software. A method of produc-ing UWB monocycle short pulse based on SRD and Schottky diode is proposed and analyzed theoretically. The UWB signal generation produces monocycle pulse with the width of 400 ps and the p-p amplitude of 15 V. The simulated result meets the tested result, which proves the veracity of the new model of SRD.


Transition radiation from the zone of injection of a modulated electron beam spiralling into a magnetoplasma has been identified as whistler waves propagating quasiparallel to the external magnetic field. The characteristics of the radiation are similar to the emission by localized sources, such as loop antennas and electric dipoles: resonance-cone structures at low plasma densities and energy flow along the external magnetic field at higher densities, with a diverging radiation pattern and with whistler phase velocities inversely proportional to the plasma frequency. These studies should contribute to a wider understanding of the physical processes connected with the injection of charges in a magnetoplasma – either from a gun on board a spacecraft or in a plasma chamber – and thus allow the determination of appropriate radiator characteristics in order to control, to some extent, plasma perturbations and wave emission in the region of the injector.


In recent years there have been several theoretical and experimental investigations concerned with the detailed structure of the acceptor states in Mg-doped GaN. Thus, the shallow effective-mass-like acceptor has been attributed to simple substitutional Mg at Ga sites in unstrained regions of the material, while earlier suggestions that the Mg is associated with H appear to have been discounted by more recent studies. Deeper acceptor states have also been attributed to simple substitutional Mg, but in strained regions. The present paper makes use of the extensive data available from electron spin resonance and optically detected magnetic resonance to confirm these assignments and to highlight further the crucial role played by strain in influencing the detailed nature of the acceptor states. In particular, the neutral deep acceptor states are found to be formed by localization of the holes in p-like orbits on N atoms that lie in the basal plane, rather than along the c axis, relative to the Mg dopant.


The analysis of organizational requirements is a critical success factor for the process modeling and design phase of the BPMN lifecycle and for the development of information systems of organizations. However, the identification of information for the business process modeling phase is associated with certain problems such as the lack of understanding of the business by requirement engineers, and secondly, communication between business professionals and systems analysts. To prevent these problems, this article describes an approach that uses an adaptation of Osterwalder's canvas business model to identify and organize the different activities carried out by different customers segments of a business process, together with key partners and resources that facilitate the development of BPMN models. The article presents a case study of a business process.


To make wave power more competitive on the market Uppsala University leads projects that examine how to accomplish better efficiency in the production. One of these projects is described in this report and examines whether it is possible to make the production of dovetails more efficient by using an industry robot of type ABB IRB6000 S3 M91. This project is using an already presented working method, from a previous project, which involves that the robot picks up the dovetail and moves against fixed cutting machines where the dovetail will be drilled, threaded and milled. Drilling and threading are the sub operations that will be examined in this project where experiments are made with the presented working method and with equipment from Uppsala University.Experiments show whether it is possible to drill the holes in the dovetail within specifications by using the specific robot and the presented working method. The threading operation is examined theoretically if it is possible to accomplish by using the same working method. A tool for the robot is constructed so that the robot can pick up the dovetail and hold it though all the cutting operations. The functions of the tool are evaluated. In this project a working station for drilling and threading is also presented with external fixtures that are adjusted to fit the designs of the used dovetails.Using the specific robot and the presented working method in the experiment, a result within the specifications could be obtained in the processing rate. In the terms of time the result was not within desired limits, although the time of the process with the experiment setup could be reduced. It is reasonable to use the same working method for the threading operation. The prototype of the tool for the robot was able to pick up the dovetail and take the different working positions; however the tool should be tested in operation with external fixtures for further evaluation.


Nurses are skilled, dedicated and compassionate professionals. They are irreplaceable members of the American health-care team. Collaboration among health care professionals has enhanced the quality of care our patients receive.


A graph grammar can be used to describe or direct the changing connection topology of a collection of, for example, self-organizing robots. Productions in a grammar describe the legal local interactions in which the robots may engage and the resulting global structures and processes that form can be analyzed by looking at the set of reachable graphs generated by the grammar. In this paper we discuss the relationship between a grammar and its characteristic automata set, which describes the trajectories of the grammar from the "point of view" of the components of the initial graph. The automata set of a grammar is essentially a Petri-Net description of these pathways and is related to the grammar as a metabolic network is related to a set of chemical reactions. It is useful for the analysis of the behavior of the grammar


One of the most significant human-made methane emission sources is the MSW (municipal solid waste), deposited on sanitary landfills and open dumps. Within this work, an alternative MSW treatment concept is presented, which could provide a relatively clean waste/biomass-to-energy transformation. The proposed procedure comprises of a combustion and a gasification (or pyrolysis) step, which are consecutively taking place in a two-stage hybrid porous reactor system. The core of the system is two packed bed reactors, in which solid fuel (waste or biomass) is mixed with inert ceramic particles of similar size. This paper overviews the initial experimental investigation of the combustion step of a hybrid mixture, composed of wood pellets (fuel) and alumina balls (inert ceramic particles) in a 250 mm-high batch reactor. The temperature profile along the reactor, the concentration of CO and the flame front propagation velocity were measured as a function of the ceramic particle size (11 and 20 mm), the inert-to-fuel mass ratio (0:1, 2:1, 3:1) and the airflow rate (30, 42, 60 l/min). Experiments indicate that an increase of the mass ratio of inert-to-fuel material and a decrease of the inert ceramic particles size lead to a decrease of the maximum temperature of the packed hybrid bed. Measured CO concentrations showed strong dependence on the inert ceramic particle size, i.e. the particle size reduction from 20 to 11 mm resulted in a significant reduction of CO-emission peaks. The maximum flame front propagation velocity of 0.2 mm/sec was detected for the airflow of 42 l/min, the particle size of 20 mm and the mass ratio of 3:1.


The fidelity measurement question in distributed interactive simulation (DIS) needs to be answered. Its resolution is crucial to defining and resolving the interoperability issue of "how to compare and contrast simulations of varying fidelities on a quantifiable basis". Once such a measure of fidelity is modeled, it would allow high fidelity simulators to play fairly with low fidelity simulations. The Fidelity Subgroup of the DIS Standards Development Project has developed a Draft Fidelity Description Requirement (FDR) document, in a hierarchical taxonomy format. This framework provides an object oriented modular referent to model. The input and output descriptors are defined verbally, linguistically. Recent research would suggest this linguistic base can easily be transformed into quantifiable measures, indices. The paper provides a methodology for providing quantifiable fidelity indices through the application of fuzzy logic.


Electrical resistance change method has been applied to monitor a delamination crack of a thin CFRP laminate. For a thick CFRP laminate, multiple delamination cracks are made with many matrix cracks, and the electric current in the thick CFRP laminate may not flow in the thickness direction due to the strong orthotropic electrical conductivity. The present study employs an electric impedance change method for the identification of damage location and dimension of the damaged area; applicability of the method is investigated experimentally using thick beam-type specimens fabricated from cross-ply laminates of 36 plies. After making the damage, electrical impedance was decreased. A residual stress relief model was proposed to explain the decrease. From the measured electrical impedance changes, the relationships between the electrical impedance changes and damages are obtained by means of response surfaces. The response surfaces estimated the damage location and dimension of the damaged area exactly even for the thick CFRP laminates. The electrical impedance change method can be used as an appropriate sensor for measurement of residual stress relief due to damages of thick CFRP laminates.


Abstract To justify substantial carbon emission reductions, recent literature on cost-benefit analysis of climate change suggests discounting environmental quality at a lower discount rate than the standard consumption discount rate. Recent literature also shows that a theoretical foundation for such a lower environmental discount rate requires rising willingness-to-pay for environmental quality (WTP). A widely believed better alternative is however to adjust instead future environmental benefits for rising WTP and to discount those benefits at the consumption discount rate. According to this latter approach, rising WTP is usually assumed not to change the consumption discount rate itself. Assuming environmental resource scarcity, the present paper shows that an unchanged consumption discount rate is however, by and large, only an appropriate assumption in the knife-edge case in which environmental quality and goods consumption are neither substitutes nor complements in the Edgeworth-Pareto sense (substitutes, respectively, complements in the Edgeworth-Pareto sense implies the marginal utility of goods consumption to be decreasing, respectively, increasing in environmental quality).


The paper presents review on innovative design to develop a system based on AVR micro controller that is used for monitoring the voltage, current and temperature of a distribution transformer in a substation and to protect the system from the rise in mentioned parameters. Providing the protection to the distribution transformer can be accomplished by shutting down the entire unit with the aid of the Radio frequency Communication. Moreover the system displays the same on a PC at the main station which is at a remote place. Furthermore it is capable of recognizing the break downs caused due to overload, high temperature and over voltage. The design generally consists of two units, one in the substation unit, called as transmitter and display unit, and another in the Main station called as controlling unit. The transmitter and the display units in the substation is where the voltage, current and temperature are monitored continuously by AVR microcontroller and is displayed through the display unit. An RF transmitter is used for transmitting the signals that are obtained. The controlling unit in the main station by means of a PC and a RF receiver receives the RF signals that are transmitted by the Transmitter unit and reacts in accordance to the received signal. In general, the proposed design is developed for the user to easily recognize the distribution transformer that is suffered by any open or short circuit and rise in temperatures. The ultimate objective is to monitor the electrical parameters continuously and hence to guard the burning of distribution transformer or power transformer due to the constraints such as overload, over temperature and input high voltage. If any of these values increases beyond the limit then the entire unit is shut


As part of United States Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) weapon-strike operations, Predator/Reaper crewmembers participate in the targeting and destruction of enemy combatants and witness the aftermath via live video feed. Although the demand for weapon-strike operations has increased dramatically, the emotional impact of engaging in remote warfare remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on the emotional reactions of remote warriors and examine potential occupational (e.g., number of years as an RPA crewmember, prior military experience, prior combat deployments, and total number of weapon-strike missions), demographic (i.e., age, marital status, gender, and dependents living at home), and mission-specific (i.e., target familiarity, mission outcome, and high-definition vs. standard-definition video feed) correlates of negative reactions. Seventy-four RPA crewmembers participated in semi-structured interviews. Relative risk (RR) analyses indicated only witnessing civilian casualties and witnessing nonhuman collateral damage were associated with elevated risk for negative reactions (RR = 1.91, p < .05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–3.26, and RR = 1.94, p < .05, 95% CI: 1.14–3.29). Limitations of the study, directions for future research, and potential implications of these findings for selection, training, and post-mission support are discussed.


BACKGROUND
The term managed care encompasses a variety of organizational arrangements between physicians and health plans. At one extreme, physicians are plan employees; at the other, physicians have contracts with multiple plans. How these arrangements affect physicians' satisfaction with managed care is not well known.

OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of organizational structure on physician satisfaction.

DESIGN
Telephone survey of 751 practicing internists. The response rate for the 15-minute survey was 64%. SAMPLING STRATEGY: The random sample was taken from the membership of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine. Federal employees, retirees, physicians, and students who spent less than half of their time in patient care were excluded.

RESULTS
689 Physicians indicated that they were affiliated with a managed care plan: 9% were salaried employees, 6% had an exclusive contract with one plan, and 85% had a variety of nonexclusive arrangements with multiple plans. Among plan employees, 32% reported they were very satisfied with the managed care organization in which they worked. The corresponding figure was 19% among physicians with an exclusive contract and 5% among those with multiple contracts. A similar pattern of responses was seen when physicians were asked about their perception of the commitment of managed care to quality. Although 64% of plan employees responded that there was a great deal of commitment, the corresponding figure was 35% among physicians with an exclusive contract and only 7% among those with multiple contracts.

CONCLUSIONS
Physicians who are salaried employees of a staff- or group-model HMO report the highest satisfaction with managed care.


Seven species of freshwater ostracodes were identified from the sediments of 43 lakes on eight islands across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. No ostracodes were encountered in the sediments of almost half of the lakes, and most were found at sites that had higher alkalinity. Several taxa endemic to Arctic regions are found across the Arctic Archipelago, including Candona rectangulata Alm, Limnocythere liporeticulata Delorme, and T onnacypris glacialis Sars. The distributions of Cytherissa lacustris Sars, Cyclocypris globosa Sars, Limnocythere sappaensis Staplin, and Limnocythere ( Limnocytherina ) camera Delorme are more limited; this fact is attributed to differences in ion composition and concentrations.


AIM AND OBJECTIVE
The objective of therapy was to replace the missing teeth with a restoration that closely adhered to the natural teeth and soft tissue contour to provide an esthetic outcome.

CASE DESCRIPTION
A 19-year-old male reported a failed fixed partial denture (FPD) in the maxillary left central incisor. The abutment extended to the maxillary right central incisor and the maxillary left lateral incisor. Radiographic examination revealed that the neighboring maxillary right central incisor abutment was nonrestorable. The treatment plan was the extraction of the maxillary right central incisor with socket preservation, modification of the pontic sites for placement of an ovate pontic for the replacement of the missing maxillary upper central incisors with an FPD with the maxillary lateral incisors serving as the abutment teeth. The pontic sites were corrected with a U-shaped flap extended 5 mm palatal from the mid-crestal line. The incision was avoided at the interdental papilla area. The facial flap was elevated. The facial soft tissue was vertically tunneled. The flap was flipped into the facial tunnel and stabilized with horizontal nylon matrix sutures. The surgical site was stabilized with a provisional FPD with an ovate pontic. The final restoration was a full zirconia facial veneered FPD.

RESULTS
Surgical site showed significant healing with a natural emergence profile, and interdental papillae filling the gingival embrasure, showing no evidence of recession. At the 1-year follow-up, the gingival thickness improved and the pontic emergence profile was natural. A very stable result for soft tissue volume and interdental papillae were seen.

CONCLUSION
According to the result obtained with rotational flap, it can be used for small anterior defects with promising results, without the need for bone graft procedures or additional tissue graft.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
With proper case selection, the use of a rotational flap with a tunnel technique and an ovate pontic in the anterior esthetic region is an alternative treatment option that can successfully restore masticatory and esthetic function.


Aim: The aim is to understand any possible cytotoxic activity of Mortierella alpina extract against carcinoma cell lines and possible interaction with normal cell lines. Materials and Methods: The extract of M. alpina at varying concentrations was incubated with the normal Vero cell lines and also the carcinoma cell lines HeLa and A549, after which 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay was carried out to determine the viable cell. Results and Discussion: The cytotoxic activities of M. alpina extract were quite strong against both HeLa and A549 carcinoma cell lines with inhibitory concentration 50 values of 106 and 116 μg/mL, respectively. However, the cytotoxic concentration 50 value of the fungal extract against the normal Vero cell line was 2674 μg/mL, which shows the very low toxic activity of the fungal extract against the normal cell lines. Further, the therapeutic index of M. alpina against HeLa and A549 cell lines was found to be 25.22 and 23.02, respectively. Conclusion: The present investigation indicates the probable use of M. alpina extracts in the treatment of carcinoma.


The period between the end of the Dichtersprache and the decisive development of Meissnisch in Luther's day has been somewhat neglected by historians of the German language. It would be interesting to know more about the development of Kanzleisprachen and the relationship between them and the speech of more influential cultural and political circles. This thesis aims to shed some light on this problem by comparing two chronicles written in Basel in the mid-15th century, and assessing the influence of the literary language on them. Although they have no connection with the language of the Meissen Chancery from which the nhd. Schriftsprache developed, they may suggest general considerations applicable to the relationship of literary and popular language. The chronicles chosen for this study are historical records of the almost continual warfare in which Basel was engaged in the years following the Battle of St. Jacob in 1444. Hans Bruglinger, the author of the first, was a native of Basel, and a prominent figure both in the Bakers' Guild and in the Basel City Council. Erhart von Appenwiler, whose chronicle covers a longer period, came from Colmar in Alsace, but spent the greater part of his life in Basel, where he was chaplain in the Cathedral. Both chronicles were written privately, i.e. outside the chanceries, and they offer a fair guide to popular usage at the time. In the study, phonology, morphology and syntax have been treated in turn, and the literary norm with which comparison has been made is the mhd. Dichtersprache. It is pointed out in the Introduction that, if allowance is made for regional, dialectal elements which intrude, and for changes which took place in literary usage in the intervening period, the language in use in the Basel chanceries, or indeed in other chanceries in Upper Germany, closely resembles the Dichtersprache. Literary influence is most clearly to be seen in vowels and consonants. While dialect forms predominate throughout both chronicles, few occur for which corresponding literary forms are not occasionally to be found. Both chroniclers write Alem. o for mhd. a as rule, but forms with a, giving evidence of literary influence, do occur occasionally, e;g. nach, rat, gnaden, graff etc. alongside more usual noch, rot, gnoden, groff etc. Literary influence may be seen in occasional instances of mhd. i after w in words such as wissen, gewinnen, but here again the Alem. form u (u) is more frequent, e.g. wuisen, gewunnen etc. in the case of mhd. Ziehen, Bruglinger writes the dialect form zuchen as a rule, and the literary form appears only once in his chronicle. The change is characteristic of Alsatian in words such as helig, resig (for mhd. heilig, reisig), and these dialect forms predominate in Appenwiler's chronicle. Epithesis of t is frequent after n in both chronicles, in accordance with the Alemannic dialect. Occasional forms without t, such as zwischen, alsamen etc. point to literary influence. One of the most consistent features of Appenwiler's chronicle is the omission of final -t after f (ff), in accordance with his native Alsatian dialect, e.g. stiff, botschaff etc. Yet even here literary influence is apparent in occasional forms showing final -t. Dialect influence is pronounced in both chronicles in the case of medial n, which is frequently dropped before dentals and gutturals in Alemannic, e.g. farsperg (for Farnsberg), beliken (for Bellingen) etc. Yet in several instances n is written in accordance with literary usage. Similar evidence of literary influence is found in the case of accidence.


The fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) consists of intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly, short palpebral fissures, maxillary hypoplasia, various limb and joint anomalies, cardiac defect, and variable degrees of mental deficiency. 1,2 Vertebral and rib abnormalities have only been reported in two previous cases. 3 We now describe two more children with the Klippel-Feil malformation complex in the fetal alcohol syndrome. Report of Cases .—Case1.—A 4-year-old boy was referred to the University of Oregon Crippled Children's Division, Eugene, for evaluation of multiple dysmorphic features and short stature. His mother, aged 30 years, had an excessive ethanol intake daily during the first six months of pregnancy but decreased her alcohol consumption during the third trimester. Two previously nonalcoholic pregnancies had resulted in normal offspring. The patient was born at term, but weighed only 1.82 kg. An inguinal hernia was repaired at age 14 months. At age 4 years 5 months,


Email is a key communication medium in business environments, where it is often used to assign and delegate tasks. Existing research has established that task-oriented communication is built upon the exchange of request and commitment speech acts— collectively, obligation acts—between interlocutors, but email software has so far ignored this insight; it has not adapted to support task management, despite its popularity as a medium for such workflows. The lack of task awareness in email software has been repeatedly highlighted as a key factor in the 'information overload' that burdens many email users. In particular, the difficulty of distilling tasks from the ever-increasing email flow leads to obligations that remain unfulfilled. This thesis explores how to address this problem by making email more actionable. We begin by analysing data from a series of annotation experiments through which we gathered independent human judgements about requests and commitments across a collection of more than 2000 real-world email messages. These annotated messages provide insight into how obligation acts are realised and interpreted. We identify and analyse a range of complex phenomena involved in these speech acts, and provide definitions for identifying them in email. Building on this analysis, we then present effective computational techniques for detecting obligation acts at three levels of granularity within email messages: the message, paragraph and sentence levels. Message-level identification determines whether or not an email message contains obligation acts, and aims to assist users to triage their messages by focusing on those containing actionable content. Paragraph-level identification builds on this to classify each paragraph in the same manner; this enables, for example, the production of extractive summaries of messages. Finally, sentence-level identification classifies each sentence in an email message, and allows requests and commitments to be extracted to external task lists. We use our annotated email data to train supervised machine learning algorithms for each of these classification tasks. These classifiers also exploit a novel classification system that segments the text of email messages into different functional zones, identifying material such as signatures, advertising, and quoted reply content. This enables our obligation classifiers to focus on only relevant email text when identifying requests and commitments. In sum, this thesis provides both theoretical and practical foundations for managing obligation acts in real email data. Our empirically-grounded analysis and the software tools developed on the basis of this analysis demonstrate how it is possible to make email actionable today, as well as providing a platform for future task-related email research.


In order to be economically viable and competitive, the current trends in designing very light jet aircraft have shown that it is essential to improve the aircraft performance and operational flexibility goal, nevertheless have an efficient cost. The application of unconventional configuration has attracted the designer to achieve that goal. This paper discusses the prospective design of unconventional arrangement which will be applied for very light jet aircraft. The existing of a very light jet configurations is reviewed. New concepts of unconventional configuration for this type of aircraft are discussed. The three-surface configuration is then proposed for the design project. The configuration offers stability and unobstructed cabin. With the appropriate design, the additional weight and interference drag due to the extra surface can be reduced. The new design of aircraft configuration and cabin are discussed. High Speed Natural Laminar Flow airfoil is applied to obtain High Lift/Drag Wing design. The weight and aircraft performances are then estimated. The predicted aircraft performance has satisfied the design requirements and objectives. The design process covered by this paper is only concentrate on initial design. The data from this paper can be continuing in future for the next step of design.


Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a microvascular complication that leads to kidney dysfunction and ESRD, but theunderlying mechanismsremainunclear.PodocyteWnt-pathwayactivation hasbeen demonstratedtobe a trigger mechanism for various proteinuric diseases. Notably, four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) is highly expressed in urogenital systems and has been implicated in Wnt/ b -catenin signaling. Here, we used in vitro podocytecultureexperimentsand astreptozotocin-inducedDKDmodelinFHL2gene-knockoutmice to determine the possible role of FHL2 in DKD and to clarify its association with the Wnt pathway. In human and mouse kidney tissues, FHL2 protein was abundantly expressed in podocytes but not in renal tubular cells. Treatment with high glucose or diabetes-related cytokines, including angiotensin II and TGF- b 1, activated FHL2 protein and Wnt/ b -catenin signaling in cultured podocytes. This activation also upregulated FHL2 expression and promoted FHL2 translocation from cytosol to nucleus. Genetic deletion of the FHL2 gene mitigatedthepodocytededifferentiationcausedbyactivatedWnt/ b -cateninsignalingunderWnt-On,butnot under Wnt-Off, conditions. Diabetic FHL2 +/+ mice developed markedly increased albuminuria and thickening of the glomerular basement membrane compared with nondiabetic FHL2 +/+ mice. However, FHL2 knockout signi fi cantly attenuated these DKD-induced changes. Furthermore, kidney samples from patients with diabetes had a higher degree of FHL2 podocyte nuclear translocation, which was positively associated with albuminuria and progressive renal function deterioration. Therefore, we conclude that FHL2 has both structural and functional protein-protein interactions with b -catenin inthe podocytenucleus and that FHL2 protein inhibition can mitigate Wnt/ b -catenin – induced podocytopathy.


Errors are part of human nature and are usually present in our actions. Medical errors occur quite often and can be serious. Medication errors are among the most frequent, especially in newborn infants because of the multiple steps that occur during the process of prescribing and administering drugs and because most drugs are not licensed for being used in newborn infants (off-label). The aim of this report is to describe a medication error in prescribing paracetamol for closing a patent ductus arteriosus in a preterm infant and to analyze its causes. A preterm female infant born at 27 weeks of gestational age with a birth weight of 750 g received paracetamol at 9 days old at a dose 20 times greater than required. The initial plasma level was 480 µg/mL. N-acetylcysteine was administered and her clinical outcome was satisfactory. Parents were notified of the event, which was recorded in the medical record and in the electronic error reporting system of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. We consider this report as an example that we are exposed to making mistakes and should maximize precautions to improve patient safety in neonatal units.


Small depth quantum circuits have proved to be unexpectedly powerful in comparison to their classical counterparts. We survey some of the recent work on this and present some open problems.


Purpose : The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of Sri Lankan female consumers towards the objectification of women in advertising and what are their ideas about brands that practice objectification. Design/methodology/approach : The study follows an inductive approach and applies a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Findings: Findings have shown that Sri Lankan female consumers perceive the objectification of women in advertising as "a practice of portraying women in advertisements in a way that their social and personal value as women is undermined". Even though there is a negative brand image, people still tend to purchase the product if it provides substantial value for their money. Originality: Previous findings on the use of female sexual objectification in advertising have been mixed and inconsistent. A social shift in society, with the presence of sexually objectifying advertisements, has created a need to understand consumer attitudes towards brands that make use of these advertisements in the current landscape in Sri Lanka. Implications : The study informs policymakers on how to implement appropriate policies and strategies to deal with panic buying situations. Retailers can use this expertise to effectively address the various demand conditions without disrupting their internal business practices.


Abstract Background Insecticide‐treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are used to prevent malaria transmission. Both interventions use insecticides to kill mosquitoes that bite and rest indoors. Adding IRS to ITNs may improve malaria control simply because two interventions can be better than one. Furthermore, IRS may improve malaria control where ITNs are failing due to insecticide resistance. Pyrethroid insecticides are the predominant class of insecticide used for ITNs, as they are more safe than other insecticide classes when in prolonged contact with human skin. While many mosquito populations have developed some resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, a wider range of insecticides can be used for IRS. This review is an update of the previous Cochrane 2019 edition. Objectives To summarize the effect on malaria of additionally implementing IRS, using non‐pyrethroid‐like or pyrethroid‐like insecticides, in communities currently using ITNs. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register; CENTRAL; MEDLINE; and five other databases for records from 1 January 2000 to 8 November 2021, on the basis that ITN programmes did not begin to be implemented as policy before the year 2000. Selection criteria We included cluster‐randomized controlled trials (cRCTs), interrupted time series (ITS), or controlled before‐after studies (CBAs) comparing IRS plus ITNs with ITNs alone. We included studies with at least 50% ITN ownership (defined as the proportion of households owning one or more ITN) in both study arms. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed studies for eligibility, analyzed risk of bias, and extracted data. We used risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We stratified by type of insecticide, 'pyrethroid‐like' and 'non‐pyrethroid‐like'; the latter could improve malaria control better than adding IRS insecticides that have the same way of working as the insecticide on ITNs ('pyrethroid‐like'). We used subgroup analysis of ITN usage in the studies to explore heterogeneity. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach. Main results Eight cRCTs (10 comparisons), one CBA, and one ITS study, all conducted since 2008 in sub‐Saharan Africa, met our inclusion criteria. The primary vectors in all sites were mosquitoes belonging to the Anopheles gambiae s.l. complex species; five studies in Benin, Mozambique, Ghana, Sudan, and Tanzania also reported the vector Anopheles funestus. Five cRCTs and both quasi‐experimental design studies used insecticides with targets different to pyrethroids (two used bendiocarb, three used pirimiphos‐methyl, and one used propoxur. Each of these studies were conducted in areas where the vectors were described as resistant or highly resistant to pyrethroids. Two cRCTs used dichloro‐diphenyl‐trichlorethane (DDT), an insecticide with the same target as pyrethroids. The remaining cRCT used both types of insecticide (pyrethroid deltamethrin in the first year, switching to bendiocarb for the second year). Indoor residual spraying using 'non‐pyrethroid‐like' insecticides Six studies were included (four cRCTs, one CBA, and one ITS). Our main analysis for prevalence excluded a study at high risk of bias due to repeated sampling of the same population. This risk did not apply to other outcomes. Overall, the addition of IRS reduced malaria parasite prevalence (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.88; 4 cRCTs, 16,394 participants; high‐certainty evidence). IRS may also reduce malaria incidence on average (rate ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.23; 4 cRCTs, 323,631 child‐years; low‐certainty evidence) but the effect was absent in two studies. Subgroup analyses did not explain the qualitative heterogeneity between studies. One cRCT reported no effect on malaria incidence or parasite prevalence in the first year, when a pyrethroid‐like insecticide was used for IRS, but showed an effect on both outcomes in the second year, when a non‐pyrethroid‐like IRS was used. The addition of IRS may also reduce anaemia prevalence (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.31; 3 cRCTs, 4288 participants; low‐certainty evidence). Four cRCTs reported the impact of IRS on entomological inoculation rate (EIR), with variable results; overall, we do not know if IRS had any effect on the EIR in communities using ITNs (very low‐certainty evidence). Studies also reported the adult mosquito density and the sporozoite rate, but we could not summarize or pool these entomological outcomes due to differences in the reported data. Three studies measured the prevalence of pyrethroid resistance before and after IRS being introduced: there was no difference detected, but these data are limited. Indoor residual spraying using 'pyrethroid‐like' insecticides Adding IRS using a pyrethroid‐like insecticide did not appear to markedly alter malaria incidence (rate ratio 1.07, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.43; 2 cRCTs, 15,717 child‐years; moderate‐certainty evidence), parasite prevalence (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.44; 3 cRCTs, 10,820 participants; moderate‐certainty evidence), or anaemia prevalence (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.40; 1 cRCT, 4186 participants; low‐certainty evidence). Data on EIR were limited so no conclusion was made (very low‐certainty evidence). Authors' conclusions in communities using ITNs, the addition of IRS with 'non‐pyrethroid‐like' insecticides was associated with reduced malaria prevalence. Malaria incidence may also be reduced on average, but there was unexplained qualitative heterogeneity, and the effect may therefore not be observed in all settings. When using 'pyrethroid‐like' insecticides, there was no detectable additional benefit of IRS in communities using ITNs.


While substantial effort has been devoted to understand fraudulent activity in traditional online advertising (search and banner), more recent forms such as video ads have received little attention. The understanding and identification of fraudulent activity (i.e., fake views) in video ads for advertisers, is complicated as they rely exclusively on the detection mechanisms deployed by video hosting portals. In this context, the development of independent tools able to monitor and audit the fidelity of these systems are missing today and needed by both industry and regulators. In this paper we present a first set of tools to serve this purpose. Using our tools, we evaluate the performance of the audit systems of five major online video portals. Our results reveal that YouTube's detection system significantly outperforms all the others. Despite this, a systematic evaluation indicates that it may still be susceptible to simple attacks. Furthermore, we find that YouTube penalizes its videos' public and monetized view counters differently, the former being more aggressive. This means that views identified as fake and discounted from the public view counter are still monetized. We speculate that even though YouTube's policy puts in lots of effort to compensate users after an attack is discovered, this practice places the burden of the risk on the advertisers, who pay to get their ads displayed.


The objective of the present research is to propose a debate about the violations perpetrated over credit money due to the rupture of Bretton Woods's agreements and the emergence of a shadow financial system. These changes distorted credit money as one of the fundamental pillars for stability and development of international economic system, causing the current crisis. Our research is mainly based on the post-keynesian theoretical approach about credit money developed by Parguez (2010), Gnos and Rochon (2004), Secareccia and Parguez (2000), etc. The other theoretical grounds are the analysis made by Tobias and Hyun Song over the shadow financial system and the valuable contributions of Parguez (2010), Guttman (2010), Giron and Chapoy (2009) about financial crisis in Europe, United States and Latin America.
To accomplish our purpose we have analyzed the following topics:
1) Credit money and the metamorphosis of the parallel financial system
2) The insertion of financial circuits to the speculative financial circuit
3) Credit money and its role in the recovery
In order to explain the current structural crisis this research does not neglect its origins and development. The set of modifications over credit money and financial system were designed that dismantling all those policies that destroyed the basic conditions for financial stability and applying severe institutional reforms is the way out, since it is the only manner to lessen the rate of unemployment and look for full employment (excluding all type of involuntary underemployment).


Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and the fifth biggest cause of cancer-related deaths. Breast cancer subtype has a huge influence on tumour behaviour and prognosis. The basal-like subtype, which is typically – but not always – triple negative for receptor expression status limiting treatment options, represents one of the main subtypes with relatively poor prognosis. Breast cancer is a disease that comprises not only transformed luminal epithelial cells but also modified stroma, as a consequence of interactions between the cancer cells and the stroma. One of the most numerous cellular components of cancer stroma are fibroblasts. MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, single-stranded RNA molecules that modify protein expression through regulation of mRNA translation and/or mRNA stability. I have explored the expression and roles of miRNAs in the stromal fibroblast compartment of triple negative breast cancer, in particular of miR-21. I have used a variety of clinical samples and cell culture models to assess the potential clinical relevance of these levels and their potential functional effects.

I have found that miR-21 expression is significantly increased in stromal fibroblasts of triple negative breast cancer as compared to matched normal breast fibroblasts. However, miR-21 levels in the cancer associated fibroblasts did not significantly correlate with clinical outcomes. In tissue culture models, miR-21 was significantly up-regulated in breast fibroblasts by contact co-culture with epithelial cancer cells, suggesting that this interaction may be the cause of this increase in tumours. Using immortalised breast fibroblasts, I showed alteration of miR-21 levels did not significantly influence fibroblast migration or invasion. Nor did levels of miR-21 in these fibroblasts impact on the behaviour of breast epithelial cancer cells in a variety of co-culture settings. However, over-expression of miR-21 in primary breast cancer associated fibroblasts was associated with a small, but significant, increase in the migration of fibroblasts, and a small but significant decrease in the invasion of co- cultured tumour cells.

Overall, I conclude that miR-21 does not have a striking and consistent cancer- related role in the fibroblast compartment of triple negative breast cancers, however further work is required to assess potential roles in primary settings.


This study aims to determine the supply pattern of staple food , the  availability of staple food, and energy  avaibility from staple foods on the irrigated and rainfed rice farmers household in Karanganyar Regency. Samples totaling 150 rice farming households consisting of 90 irrigated rice farmers households and 60 rainfed rice farmers households  in four districts ( Karanganyar, Gondangrejo, Jaten, and Jatipuro District ) in the Karanganyar  Regency. Data used include the primary and secondary data. Data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the supply pattern  of staple food on rice farmer households in Karanganyar is from  production itself  and production itself plus of purchase. Average of staple food avaibility on irrigated rice farmer household  was 64.75 Kg per month and 65.05 kg per month on rainfed rice farmers  household. Average availability of energy from staple food on irrigated rice farmers household  was  2516.69 kcal / person / day and on the rainfed rice farmer households    was3584.53kcal/person/day. Keywords: Availability, staple food, energy, Karanganyar Regency