Despite the cremaster's important role in thermoregulation, few morphological and biochemical studies of this muscle in humans have been reported, probably due to limitation of sampling. To gain further insight into the pathology of varicocele, the authors studied the histochemical changes of the cremaster from patients with varicocele. Cremaster was obtained from patients with male infertility and varicocele, grades 1?3. The samples were studied using routine histochemical stains. Fiber size variability and type I predominance were observed in all varicocele cases regardless of the grade, and also in control specimens. Muscle from patients with grades 2 and 3 varicocele showed small group atrophy. It would appear that the hemostasis associated with local tissue edema and hypoxemia may lead to nerve damage and denervation of the cremaster. If denervation of the cremaster persists despite the correction of varicocele, thermoregulation would remain disrupted.


A 58 year old hypertensive lady presented to her General Practitioner with a 3 month history of exertional dyspnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, orthopnoea, decreased appetite and weight loss of 10 kilograms. Physical examination revealed a non-radiating apical soft systolic murmur and mild bipedal oedema, but was otherwise unremarkable. Electrocardiogram demonstrated normal sinus rhythm only and a chest radiograph was normal. She was initiated on heart failure therapy with little improvement. Her symptoms progressed to dyspnoea on minimal exertion. Trans-thoracic echocardiography demonstrated a large echogenic mobile mass measuring 4.8 centimeters (cm) by 3.6 cm in the left atrium (LA) attached to the inter-atrial septum (Figure 1A). The mass occupied approximately 70% of the LA and protruded towards the mitral valve leaflets causing transient obstruction of the left ventricular (LV) inflow (Figure 1B). No vasculature was seen within the mass. Overall LV function was preserved. Urgent coronary angiography excluded concurrent coronary artery disease prior to transfer to a tertiary cardiothoracic unit. The patient underwent surgery within 24 hours and excision confirmed a large atrial myxoma. She recovered well with a rapid return to her pre-morbid level of activity. This case highlights the importance of urgent echocardiography in a dyspnoeic patient presenting with alarming symptoms. It supports previous studies which have illustrated two-dimensional echocardiography as a fast, accurate and a non-invasive diagnostic procedure for left atrial myxomas [1].


Search tips and research resources for topics related to management in the public sector and public policy. Also includes resources for citing sources.


This article summarizes a reformulation of the main findings and perspectives from a cross-sectional and longitudinal qualitative study of the development of 100 counselors and therapists. The results are presented as a phase model and as a formulation of 14 themes of counselor/therapist development. The following six phases are described: The phases of the lay helper, the beginning student, the advanced student, the novice professional, the experienced professional, and the senior professional. The themes describe central processes of counselor/therapist development. The themes are addressing different issues such as shifts in attentional focus and emotional functioning, the importance of continuous reflection for professional growth, and a life-long personal/profession integration process. Sources of influence for professional functioning and development are described. The results show consistently that interpersonal experiences in the personal life domain (early family life and adult personal life) and the professional life domain (interacting with clients, professional elders, and peers) are significant sources of influence for professional development.


Induction motors are the starting point to design an electrical drive system which is widely used in
many industrial applications. In modern control theory, different mathematical models describe
induction motor according to the employed control methods. Vector control strategy can be
applied to this electrical motor type in symmetrical three phase version or in unsymmetrical two
phase version. The operation of the induction motor can be analyzed similar to a DC motor
through this control method. With the Joint progress of the power electronics and numerical
electronics it is possible today to deal with the axis control with variable speed in low power
applications. With these technological projections, various command approaches have been
developed by the scientific community to master in real time, the flux and the torque of the
electrical machines, the direct torque control (DTC) scheme being one of the most recent steps in
this direction. This scheme provides excellent properties of regulation without rotational speed
feedback. In this control scheme the electromagnetic torque and stator flux magnitude are
estimated with only stator voltages and currents and this estimation does not depend on motor
parameters except for the stator resistance. In this dissertation report conventional DTC scheme has been described. Induction motor
has been simulated in stationary d-q reference frame and its free acceleration characteristics are
drawn. Conventional DTC scheme has been simulated with a 50 HP, 460V, 60Hz induction motor.
Literature review has been done to study the recent improvements in DTC scheme which
somehow is able to overcome the drawbacks of conventional one. The space vector modulation technique (SVPWM) is applied to 2 level inverter control in
the vector control based induction motor drive system, thereby dramatically reducing the torque
ripple. Later in this project space vector PWM technique will be applied to DTC drive system to
reduce the torque ripple. II


Three patients, 2 women aged 26 and 19 years and a 65-year-old man, underwent surgical fracture treatment after a motor vehicle accident with fractures of the lower extremity. They developed respiratory distress from fat embolism syndrome. After maximal support in the ICU 2 of them died and 1 recovered. Fat embolism syndrome is a clinical condition mostly seen after long bone fractures. The main features are respiratory distress, cerebral confusion and a petechial rash. Usually the presentation is quite benign, but severe morbidity and even mortality can occur in some cases. It is caused by a combination of a mechanical and a biochemical pathway. Therapeutic options consist of respiratory and haemodynamic support. Preventive measures are rapid fracture fixating, good analgesia, adequate fluid infusion and tissue oxygenation.


Italian football represents a paradox. It produces teams which, at the elite level, are the most successful in European club competitions, and second only to Brazil in national competitions. The quality of its players, in terms of sporting excellence, make it one of the most admired football cultures in the world. The romance and tradition of Italian football captures the imagination of a global sporting public. On the other hand, the industry is chronically unprofitable and unstable, and characterized by a long history of financial scandal. The 2007/2008 season saw it continue to endure an ongoing crisis of confidence in the wake of financial and sporting scandals, an upsurge of spectator violence in dilapidated stadia and crowds well below their peak in the 1990s. This article presents a comprehensive case study of the recent history of Italian football focusing on its administration, governance and regulation. The objective of the case study is to provide a detailed context, in one of the big five European football markets (the others being England, France, Germany and Spain), against which to analyse and inform fresh thinking on how more effective systems of corporate governance in European football might be developed. Much of what is written about the governance of football tends to focus on the English industry. A premise of this article is that it is necessary to move beyond an anglo‐centric orientation and analyse the systems and experience in other European football markets and cultures. This is because football in individual countries forms part of a pyramid structure ultimately governed by the European football governing body, UEFA. What happens in individual country markets has the potential to affect what happens in other markets either by way of example, through influencing UEFA policy, or through precedent‐setting rulings in the courts, such as the Bosman ruling of 1995 which allowed players free movement at the end of their contracts without a transfer fee having to be paid as had hitherto been the case. The case study is interdisciplinary in its focus – economic, social and political dimensions are all important in trying to understand what constitutes the Italian model of football, a European model of football or indeed the European model of football. Critically the article asks the following questions: (1) Is it possible for Italian football to prosper in an environment in which there appears to have been significant shortcomings in governance? (2) If not, what should be the key planks of an agenda for reform? (3) Is there potential for 'contagion' of negative Italian experience in the rest of the European football market?


This paper examines the evidence on developing country MNEs and outward FDI activity. We do not find evidence of an across-the-board growth in outward FDI from developing countries, either in magnitude, or geographically. Such growth is a narrow phenomenon, limited to a small group of home countries with relatively well-developed knowledge infrastructure, as well as innovation and business systems. These 'new' MNEs have been spurred by greater competition through liberalisation, and have sought to survive by upgrading of their firm-specific assets and one means to do so has been by internationalisation. Broadly speaking, much of the rapid expansion of DC MNE activity from countries such as India is not sustainable. We also discuss the effect of outward FDI on the knowledge base of the home countries of DC MNEs, as well as the role of DC MNEs in promoting South-South capital and knowledge flows. We argue that DC MNEs are not a superior option to conventional MNEs, as there are few differences in their modus operandi. Besides, MNE-assisted development still depends upon the capacity of the host country to efficiently utilise the spillovers and linkages potentially made available. Many of the DC host countries have endemic political instability, poor transport links and infrastructure, little skilled manpower and are distant from the most important markets. If developing countries are to attract more sophisticated projects they must provide stability, human capital, infrastructure and reliability.


In nervous system development, the growth cones of advancing axons are thought to navigate to their targets by recognizing cell-surface and extracellular matrix molecules that act as specific guidance cues. To identify and map cues that guide the growth of a particular axonal system, the thalamocortical afferents, an assay was devised to examine short-term interactions of dissociated embryonic thalamic cells with living, approximately 150 microns slices of developing mouse forebrain. Thalamic cells rapidly (< 3 hours) and efficiently attached to and extended neurites on pre- and postnatal slices, but a broad zone throughout the neocortex was generally non-permissive for both thalamic cell attachment and the ingrowth of neurites. This zone coincided with the cortical plate at early stages (embryonic day 15), but later became restricted, in rostral-to-caudal fashion, to cortical laminae 2/3. Thus, at each stage, thalamic cells in vitro avoided just that area that thalamic axons confront, but generally do not enter, in vivo. In addition, neurites that extended on some layers were found to be significantly oriented in directions that coincide with the pathways that thalamic axons follow in vivo. These results imply that local adhesive cues and signals that affect process outgrowth are distributed among developing cortical laminae in a manner that could underlie much of the temporal and spatial patterning of thalamocortical innervation.


ABSTRACT This study aims to explore pregnant women's attitudes to COVID-19 vaccination and determinants of vaccine acceptance. We conducted a cross-sectional study among pregnant women attending PHC clinics and hospitals in the West-bank of Palestine. We used an interviewer-administered questionnaire based on Health Belief Model. The study's primary outcome was COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. We used the Chi-square test to compare those who accepted the vaccine versus those who refused it and conducted binary logistic regression to explore independent determinants of vaccination acceptance. Among the 728 pregnant women who took part in the study, 20.7 percent showed positive attitudes (acceptance) toward COVID-19 vaccination. Employment (aOR 4.0; 95 percentCI: 2.2–7.3), a history of COVID-19 (aOR 1.9; 95 percentCI: 1.2–3.1), and having a relative who died from COVID-19 (aOR 2.3; 95 percentCI: 1.2–4.7) increased the likelihood of vaccine acceptance, as did vaccine perceived effectiveness (aOR 1.9; 95 percentCI: 1.2–3.2) and perceived protection from severe disease (aOR 2.0; 95 percentCI: 1.2–3.5). On the other hand, perceived limited access (aOR 0.540; 95 percentCI: 0.31–0.87) and perceived harm to the baby (aOR 0.346; 95 percentCI 0.22–0.54) remained the main barriers toward vaccine acceptance. In conclusion, pregnant women's acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine is unsatisfactory. Concerns about its effect on unborn babies were major barriers to vaccination.


Tumor registry data indicate a two- to fourfold increased incidence of breast cancer following mantle irradiation, but cumulative risk is unknown. Radiation exposure to the breasts underlying the mantle block ranges from 4 to 40 Gy and is dependent on relative positions of the breasts and mantle block. Unshielded outer breast quadrants near axillary nodal regions receive 36 to 40 Gy, while central breast quadrants under the lung blocks receive approximately 4 Gy as determined by dose volume histogram analysis. Relative dose risk analysis for breast cancer following mantle irradiation was performed and indicated an overall excess risk of 1.5 for the upper outer quadrant (total dose 40 Gy), 1.3 for the upper and lower inner, and central quadrants (total dose 15 to 20 Gy), and 1.2 for the lower outer quadrant (total dose 4 Gy). Linear and cell-kill carcinogenesis models demonstrated similar relative risk assessments in the low-dose regions, defined as or = 15 Gy) varied considerably according to the model evaluated. The linear model predicted a three to ten times greater risk above baseline breast cancer incidence for the high-dose regions. In contrast, the cell-kill model predicted no excess cases of breast cancer, assuming cell death at these higher dose levels. The greatest relative predicted risk is observed in women < 20 years of age at the time of irradiation; however, women older than 20 years continue to have a 50% higher than baseline risk for subsequent breast cancer development. All women treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma should undergo dose volume histogram evaluation. Prospective clinical and mammographic evaluations should be performed in all female patients following mantle irradiation to better define the risk for secondary breast carcinogenesis.


Introduction. Liver volume calculation is critical in assessing the compatibility and resectability of the graft in living donor liver transplants (LDLT). An accurate estimation of liver volume is a predictor for successful LDLT. The gold standard of liver volume estimation is CT Volumetry. Despite several limitations in the availability of software, facility, and time consumed, there is still disagreement of biometric formula to predict liver volume in Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional design study was carried out in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, enrolling those who underwent liver transplantation from 1 January 2010 – 3 October 2019. Bodyweight, body height, body mass index, body surface area, and CT volumetry were the variables of interest in the study and were subjected to analysis. Result. Body weight, body height, and body surface area are found from multivariate analysis in this research. Multivariate logistic regression of body weight with caudal liver volume giving out liver volume estimated equation of estimate liver volume of 479.23 + 13.95 (bodyweight). The equation in this study proposes a biometric formula to estimate liver volume using bodyweight based on Indonesian anthropometry. Conclusion: Bodyweight is proposed for equation formation based on a characteristic patient feature in Indonesia. Accuracy testing of the liver estimation equation discovered in this study proposed an entirely satisfactory result in the Indonesian population.


This study investigates the driving factors that influence farmers' decisions to adopt modern agricultural inputs (MAI) and how this affects farm household welfare in rural Rwanda. To account for heterogeneity in the MAI adoption decision and unobservable farm and household attributes, we estimate an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model. The findings reveal that size of land endowment, access to farm credit and awareness of farm advisory services are the main driving forces behind MAI adoption. The analysis further shows that MAI adoption increases household farm income, farm yield and equivalised consumption per capita. This implies that adopting MAI is the most consistent and potentially best pathway to reduce poverty among rural farmers. The study hence suggests that policymakers should align the effective dissemination of MAI information and farm advisory services, strengthen farm credit systems and improve market access – most crucially at affordable prices – among small-farmers throughout Rwanda.


The weight initialization and the activation function of deep neural networks have a crucial impact on the performance of the training procedure. An inappropriate selection can lead to the loss of information of the input during forward propagation and the exponential vanishing/exploding of gradients during back-propagation. Understanding the theoretical properties of untrained random networks is key to identifying which deep networks may be trained successfully as recently demonstrated by Schoenholz et al. (2017) who showed that for deep feedforward neural networks only a specific choice of hyperparameters known as the `edge of chaos' can lead to good performance. We complete this analysis by providing quantitative results showing that, for a class of ReLU-like activation functions, the information propagates indeed deeper for an initialization at the edge of chaos. By further extending this analysis, we identify a class of activation functions that improve the information propagation over ReLU-like functions. This class includes the Swish activation, $\phi_{swish}(x) = x \cdot \text{sigmoid}(x)$, used in Hendrycks & Gimpel (2016), Elfwing et al. (2017) and Ramachandran et al. (2017). This provides a theoretical grounding for the excellent empirical performance of $\phi_{swish}$ observed in these contributions. We complement those previous results by illustrating the benefit of using a random initialization on the edge of chaos in this context.


The canonization of the US woman suffrage movement and its most famous figures reveals a paradox. While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is arguably the movement's most recognizable symbol, historians Ellen DuBois and Richard Candida Smith have recently pointed out that "little of her writing has been easily available" and that she is "known today for only a handful of pieces" (Introduction 1). Even as Stanton is the focus of numerous biographies, documentaries, and scholarly studies, scholars simultaneously overlook her large body of work. One reason for this contradiction, as DuBois and Smith note, is that Stanton never wrote one major book that would allow future historians and critics to synthesize her contributions (1-2). Instead, much of her work ranges across speeches, pamphlets, and newspapers, and while anthologies reprint many of these pieces, these collections simply cannot represent the sheer volume and sweep of her oeuvre, which runs to thousands of pages. (1) As a result, our acquaintance with Stanton's writing is rather shallow even as her identification as a symbol of US woman suffrage remains ubiquitous. One of the most canonical figures of the movement is, strangely enough, also relatively unknown. The critical focus on racism within white suffragism mirrors this paradox. The historiography of US suffrage of the past twenty-five years documents the many forms of bigotry embedded within the movement and espoused by its central figures. Stanton in particular has been fully and frequently established as a looming figure of racism in US feminism's past. (2) In a recent collection of essays on her work, historian Ann D. Gordon points out that the "luster" of the infamous cofounder of the nineteenth-century women's rights movement has been "dimming" in recent years because of the "close scrutiny" now given to the racialized rhetoric in her speeches and writing ("Stanton" iii). Study after study documents Stanton's use of racial slurs, the racial constructions her thought relied on, and the bigotry behind her blind spots. As Gordon notes, her "failures are now well established" (124). Well established, but not well understood. Works rarely explore or explicate white suffragist racism--they only confirm it. As with our acquaintance with Stanton herself, this racism is now notorious even as it remains obscure. Scholars persistently produce this racism as the reason for the so-called split within the suffrage movement over whether to support or oppose the Fifteenth Amendment and the enfranchisement of black men before women, but in doing so they make that racism into an explanation for an event, a way to understand the fissures and failures of the movement. This critical desire represents an important intervention in feminist historiography, but one of its effects is to convert white suffragist racism into a shorthand way to understand how the suffrage movement split in two in 1869. I'm suggesting that the critical tendency to always already understand this historical moment as an originary site of white feminist racism paradoxically results in the obfuscation of how that racism functioned. White suffragist writing is thus in the peculiar position of being canonized and overexposed and at the same time under-considered. (3) Gordon points to this problem when she suggests that documenting Stanton's bigotry and elitism is an important task, but "[n]onetheless, the exploration of what [these things] signify needs better tools and maps than are currently in use" ("Stanton" 124). This essay seeks to contribute to this exploration through a tracing of white suffragist writing in the short-lived periodical the Revolution. The critical paradox of Stanton's work and white suffragist racism are, I argue, bound up with the pervasive critical bypassing of this important text. Published from 1868 to 1870 in New York under the editorial leadership of Stanton and Anthony, the newspaper is the source of some of the most frequently cited and denounced writings within suffrage historiography, yet scholars have generated very little work on the journal as a text. …


Studies on inflammatory disorders elucidated the pivotal role of the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis with respect to the pathophysiology and diseases progression. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis is associated with severe cardiac inflammation, which may progress to heart failure. We therefore investigated the influence of CX3CR1 ablation in the model of acute myocarditis, which was induced by inoculation with 5x105 plaque forming units of CVB3 (Nancy strain) in either CX3CR1-/- or C57BL6/j (WT) mice. Seven days after infection, myocardial inflammation, remodeling, and titin expression and phosphorylation were examined by immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR and Pro-Q diamond stain. Cardiac function was assessed by tip catheter. Compared to WT CVB3 mice, CX3CR1-/- CVB3 mice exhibited enhanced left ventricular expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which was associated with an increase of immune cell infiltration/presence. This shift towards a pro-inflammatory immune response further resulted in increased cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which was reflected by an impaired cardiac function in CX3CR1-/- CVB3 compared to WT CVB3 mice. These findings demonstrate a cardioprotective role of CX3CR1 in CVB3-infected mice and indicate the relevance of the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 system in CVB3-induced myocarditis.


Meno's paradox—which asks 'how will you know it is the thing you didn't know?'—appears in Plato's dialogue of the same name. This article suggests that a similar question arises in some supportive relationships. Attention to this question clarifies one condition necessary to justify making a best interests decisions against someone's will: the decided-for person must be unable to recognise that they have failed to recognise a need. From this condition, two duties are derived: a duty to ensure that someone cannot recognise that they have failed to recognise a need before making a decision against their will; and a duty to provide consensual support to those who have had decisions made against their will, in order to help them to avoid such second-order failures of recognition in the future. The article assesses the Mental Capacity Act 2005 against each of these duties. For each duty, it finds that the Act allows compliance, but does not robustly require it.


Background : The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and extubation failure in patients having undergone intracranial surgery. Methods : In this retrospective study done in Firozgar Hospital during 2008-2010, we followed up 254 patients through a clinical questionnaire and observation of the clinical course of participants in pre- and post-operative periods. Results : Overall, 40 (15.74%) patients had postoperative pulmonary complications. The most common PPC was pneumonia, which was seen in 24 patients (60% of complications). The average duration of ventilation in patients with PPC was significantly higher (16.8.±10 vs. 5.09±4.5 days; P=0.001) than patients without the complication. The mean Glasgow coma scale (GCS) after surgery in patients with PPC was significantly lower (11.±4 vs. 13.2±3; P=0.001) than the rest of the patients. Moreover, the mean age of patients with PPC was significantly higher (64.02±14 vs. 41.6.±17 years; P=0.001). Average duration of stay in ICU in patients with PPC was also higher (24.±27 vs. 8.7±0.5; P=0.001). Conclusion : GCS before surgery and failed extubation independently of other variables were significantly associated with pulmonary complications independent of other variables.


All of the Korean high speed train windows have been imported from abroad up to now. In this paper, the air pressure endurance test device for high speed train windows was studied and developed. This test device can create air pressure variation similar to train running real condition and carry out pressure endurance test according to international standard. Henceforward, this test device will be useful for domestic production of high speed train windows.


Background—Although randomized clinical trials have compared clopidogrel with higher potency ADP receptor inhibitors (ADPris) among patients with myocardial infarction, little is known about the frequency and factors associated with switching between ADPris in clinical practice. Methods and Results—We studied 47 040 patients with myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, who received either clopidogrel or prasugrel within 24 hours of admission at 361 US hospitals from July 2009 to June 2011 using the merged Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry–Get With the Guidelines and CathPCI Registry database. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling was used to determine factors independently associated with in-hospital ADPri switching. Among 40 531 patients treated initially in-hospital with clopidogrel, 2125 (5.2%) were discharged on prasugrel; this frequency steadily increased from 0% to 7% during the study period. Among 6509 patients treated initially in-hospital with prasugrel, 751 (11.5%) were discharged on clopidogrel. The frequency of this switch increased from 6% to 18% during the first 2 quarters of the study period and decreased to 9% by the end. Switching clopidogrel to prasugrel was associated with high-risk angiographic characteristics (thrombotic, long, and bifurcating lesions), reinfarction in-hospital, and private health insurance coverage. Older age, previous cerebrovascular event, in-hospital coronary artery bypass grafting, in-hospital bleeding, and warfarin use at discharge were associated with switching prasugrel to clopidogrel. Conclusions—Clopidogrel and prasugrel are not uncommonly switched in-hospital in patients with myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. In contemporary US practice, in addition to risk for bleeding and recurrent ischemic events, medical drug coverage is a major determinant of ADPri selection.


Two countervailing trends mark the intellectual tenor of our age the spread of naturalistic worldviews and religious orthodoxies. Advances in biogenetics, brain research, and robotics are clearing the way for the penetration of an objective scientific self-understanding of persons into everyday life. For philosophy, this trend is associated with the challenge of scientific naturalism. At the same time, we are witnessing an unexpected revitalization of religious traditions and the politicization of religious communities across the world. From a philosophical perspective, this revival of religious energies poses the challenge of a fundamentalist critique of the principles underlying the modern Wests postmetaphysical understanding of itself. The tension between naturalism and religion is the central theme of this major new book by Jrgen Habermas. On the one hand he argues for an appropriate naturalistic understanding of cultural evolution that does justice to the normative character of the human mind. On the other hand, he calls for an appropriate interpretation of the secularizing effects of a process of social and cultural rationalization increasingly denounced by the champions of religious orthodoxies as a historical development peculiar to the West. These reflections on the enduring importance of religion and the limits of secularism under conditions of postmetaphysical reason set the scene for an extended treatment the political significance of religious tolerance and for a fresh contribution to current debates on cosmopolitanism and a constitution for international society.


We describe a mechanized method for centrifugal analyzer determination of sorbitol dehydrogenase in serum, based on conversion of D-fructose to sorbitol with simultaneous oxidation of NADH, in triethanolamine buffer at pH 7.4 and 30 #{176}C. The standard curve for this assay is linear to 200 U of activity per liter of serum. The mean within-run precision (CV) of the assay is 0.8%. Results correlate well with those by a spectrophotometric method. In sera from 20 apparently healthy adult humans, sorbitol dehydrogenase activity averaged 1.7 (SD, ±0.8; range, 1-3) U/L The mean activity (U/L) for a group of 30 rats was 4.4 (SD, ±0.2; range, 3-6); for 20 dogs, 5.8 (SD, ±0.7; range 3-9); and for 30 mice, 26.8 (SD, ±2.1; range, 22-34). To determine the utility of measuring this enzyme in the serum of rats for assessment of hepatotoxicity in drug-safety studies, we compared sorbitol dehydrogenase activity with that of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase in the sera of rats treated with thioacetamide or in which the common bile duct had been ligated.


Today's higher degree research student has the opportunity to be better connected than ever before. The increasing accessibility of digital technology has changed the way students locate and share information, manage data, establish networks and collaborate. However, has the prevalence of digital technology, web-based tools and advanced software created a complex research environment that is more exhausting than exhaustive?

The challenge for higher degree research students is to manage the vast range of digital resources to maximum advantage. The student of today seeks to integrate formal and informal learning, personalising and adapting spaces to their own needs (Keppell, 2013). The overwhelming array of options can render the digital world exhausting for the many students ill-equipped to handle it. While many students have a good knowledge of how they learn and are able to use the resources available to optimise their research and learning, not all have the skills to do this effectively (Dabbagh and Kitsantas 2011).

Today's higher degree research student has the potential to use new technologies to:
• Alleviate the isolation of PhD studies by using social media to connect with students and colleagues (facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, Yammer);
• Facilitate synchronous and asynchronous collaboration through the use of shared virtual spaces (GoogleDocs, Dropbox, Wikis) and digital collaboration tools (Skype, Blackboard Collaborate, Google Hangouts, JoinMe, O3);
• Build a student's professional identity (LinkedIn, ResearchGate, WordPress, YouTube);
• Act as a repository for resources to be stored and shared (Diigo, Delicious, Scoop.it, EndNote Web);
• Access online resources (Wikipedia, Scopus, Google Scholar);
• Manage research data (SPSS, NVivo, AMOS, MPlus, Strata, R); and
• Create a seamless learning space across changing learning contexts using cloud-based applications, accessible from a range of tethered and mobile devices.

The production of knowledge and the process of research are being radically transformed affecting the way in which many doctoral candidates undertake their research (Marsh, 2006). In the last three years, the prevalence of ultrabooks, notebooks, smartphones, tablets, electronic readers and iPods mean that students are able to access information anywhere and anytime. As noted by Engel, Palloff & Pratt (2011), higher education stands on the edge of a great precipice of change – change brought about by mobile technology.

Statistics from the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (2012) reveal that, last year, 29% of doctoral students were over 39 years of age. This means that many PhD students did not grow up with the technologies they are utilising. They are not 'digital natives' (Prensky, 2011) but recognise the affordances of the technologies and enthusiastically embrace the opportunities they provide.

This digital poster will showcase the tools available to higher degree research students, and demonstrate how the act of researching is now more about 'connecting and discerning' than ever before. Throughout 2013, the authors will be conducting surveys and interviews with research higher degree students to determine what technologies they are using and how they are using them.


The extent to which socioeconomic (dis)advantage is transmitted between generations is receiving increasing attention from academics and policymakers. However, few studies have investigated whether there is a spatial dimension to this intergenerational transmission of (dis)advantage. Drawing upon the concept of a neighbourhood biography, this study contends that there are links between the places individuals live in with their parents and their subsequent neighbourhood experiences as independent adults. Using individual level register data tracking the whole Swedish population from 1990 to 2008, and bespoke neighbourhoods, this study is the first to use innovative sequencing techniques to construct individual neighbourhood histories. Through visualisation methods and ordered logit models, we demonstrate that the socioeconomic composition of the neighbourhood children lived in before they left the parental home is strongly related to the status of the neighbourhood they live in 5, 12 and 18 years later. Children living with their parents in high poverty concentration neighbourhoods are very likely to end up in similar neighbourhoods much later in life. The parental neighbourhood is also important in predicting the cumulative exposure to poverty concentration neighbourhoods over a long period of early adulthood. Ethnic minorities were found to have the longest cumulative exposure to poverty concentration neighbourhoods. These findings imply that for some groups, disadvantage is both inherited and highly persistent.


Changes in protein content and acid phosphatase activity were followed during germination (imbition through seedlings development) in extracts from cotyledons of squash ( Cucurbita ficifolia ). It has been shown that the activity of acid phosphatase was initially low and than increased to a maximum after 6 days of imbition. Acid phosphates were isolated from cotyledons of seeds and from 6-, 10- and 22-days old seedlings by extraction the proteins with 0.1 M acetate buffer pH 5.1, precipitation with ethanol and by affinity chromatography on con A-Sepharose. Two glycoprotein enzymes AcPase Ba and AcPase Bb which differ in their affinity to immobilized con A were obtained. Both acid phosphatates retained the enzyme activity after binding to free con A. Rocket affinity electrophoresis of AcPase Ba and AcPase Bb, isolated from cotyledons of seeds and seedlings, revealed differences in their ability to bind to con A during seeds germination and seedling develop-ment indicating changes in their sugar component. Con A was found to activate both enzymes. The enzymes cross-reacted with monospecific antibodies raised against grass seed acid phosphatate Ba indicating an antigenic relationship between squash and grass acid phosphatases.


Artificial light at night (ALAN) has been recently recognized as a globally widespread anthropogenic disturbance, characterized by different intensities and spectra, as well as spatial and temporal variability. Among marine organisms, those living on coastal areas are particularly exposed to artificial light. Some recent studies anticipated a potential for influences of ALAN on microphytobenthos (MPB) on rocky shores, either direct or indirectly mediated by trophic relationships. Here we emphasize the need for further investigations in different habitats, as well as on synergistic interferences with other stressors already impinging on coastal areas. The study of effects of ALAN poses new challenges in MPB research, including those related to the use of instruments for measuring both the light environment and the functioning of microbial photoautotrophs at night, and to the development of common monitoring approaches and manipulative experiments.


Virtual reality is currently growing rapidly; a variety of industrial products have emerged that are integrated with the virtual world in various sectors. Since 2018, the virtual laboratory of the Batam State Polytechnic has developed learning products that support virtual reality technology. These learning products are in the form of games and learning simulations. It is expected that through the learning products produced, the learning activities will be more targeted and the effectiveness of lectures will increase. Virtual touring is one of the benefits of virtual reality technology. In the tourism sector, many virtual touring media have been developed that are useful in the introduction and promotion of local tourism place. Adopting the advantages and benefits of virtual tours in the tourism sector, the education sector has also developed many virtual tour media that are useful in introducing related educational institutions or institutions. These benefits will be developed by Batam State Polytechnic to introduce one of the Lecture Buildings, the Teaching Factory. This virtual tour media will be addressed to Batam State Polytechnic guests who come to visit to introduce virtual laboratory facilities and students who need information on the location and condition of the Batam State Polytechnic Teaching Factory Building.


1. The spectral sensitivity of the photoreceptors of a white-eye mutant of the housefly Musca domestica has been measured to 250 nm. in the mid-ultraviolet. Maximum sensitivity is at 340-350 nm., as in the wild-type eye, and decreases at shorter wavelengths with a distinct shoulder at 280 nm. 2. Microspectrophotometric measurements of individual corneal facets show little absorption at wavelengths longer than 300 nm. but a sharp band (peak density about 0.4) at 277 nm. Adjustment of the spectral sensitivity curve for the filtering effect of the cornea makes the 280 nm. shoulder more prominent, suggesting the presence of energy transfer from the protein component of the visual pigment to the chromophore. 3. The short-wavelength limit of the housefly9s visible spectrum is determined by the availability of ultraviolet light and is about 300 nm. in nature. The long-wavelength limit is set by the falling absorption of the visual pigment in the red.


A challenge to modeling and monitoring the health of the ocean environment is that it is largely under sensed and difficult to sense remotely. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can improve observability, for example of algal bloom regions, ocean acidification, and ocean circulation. This AUV paradigm, however, requires robust operation that is cost effective and responsive to the environment. To achieve low cost we generate operational sequences automatically from science goals, and achieve robustness by reasoning about the discrete and continuous effects of actions. We introduce Kongming2, a generative planner for hybrid systems with temporally extended goals (TEGs) and temporally flexible actions. It takes as input high level goals and outputs trajectories and actions of the hybrid system, for example an AUV. Kongming2 makes two major extensions to Kongming1: planning for TEGs, and planning with temporally flexible actions. We demonstrated a proof of concept of the planner in the Atlantic ocean on Odyssey IV, an AUV designed and built by the MIT AUV Lab at Sea Grant.


occurring in nephritics mimics " nephrosis," a distinct entity and a rare disease, whose study has thrown much light on the mechanisms of renal oedema. In this syndrome there is massive proteinuria, widespread oedema, a varying hypoproteinaemia, and good renal function without renal azotaemia. It is precisely in these cases that a liberal protein diet is given in an attempt to maintain tissue and blood protein levels and to compensate for the urinary loss. Azotaemia, which might be regarded as contraindicating a liberal protein ration, is not found often, and when present is usually caused by severe oliguria with pre-renal deviation of water. Such azotaemia is corrected by diuresis. A high protein intake will often promote sucuh a diuresis, particularly in the nephrotic individual who ha, been maintained previously on an insufficient protein r.tionale. Furthermore, salt and water restriction with the ajiministration of urea should secure a diuresis sufficient to c/orrect these minimal azotaemias. F One of the most important factors in nephrotic-type oedema is hypoproteinaemia. If a nephrotic patient can maintain his blood protein at the expense of the tissue cells he will lessen the tendency to oedema, but there will be wasting proportional to the degree of tissue destruction. In decompensated nephritis with uraemia such a process occurs, then oedema is absent, buf polyuria and dehydration are present, and there is an accumulation of those toxic products of abnormal protein katabolism which accompanies and perhaps causes the toxaemia that we call "uraemia."-I am, etc.,


Root-yield-1.06 is a major QTL affecting root system architecture (RSA) and other agronomic traits in maize. The effect of this QTL has been evaluated with the development of near isogenic lines (NILs) differing at the QTL position. The objective of this study was to fine map qroot-yield-1.06 by marker-assisted searching for chromosome recombinants in the QTL interval and concurrent root phenotyping in both controlled and field conditions, through successive generations. Complementary approaches such as QTL meta-analysis and RNA-seq were deployed in order to help prioritizing candidate genes within the QTL target region. Using a selected group of genotypes, field based root analysis by 'shovelomics' enabled to accurately collect RSA information of adult maize plants. Shovelomics combined with software-assisted root imaging analysis proved to be an informative and relatively highly automated phenotyping protocol. A QTL interval mapping was conducted using a segregating population at the seedling stage grown in controlled environment. Results enabled to narrow down the QTL interval and to identify new polymorphic markers for MAS in field experiments. A collection of homozygous recombinant NILs was developed by screening segregating populations with markers flanking qroot-yield-1.06. A first set of lines from this collection was phenotyped based on the adapted shovelomics protocol. QTL analysis based on these data highlighted an interval of 1.3 Mb as completely linked with the target QTL but, a larger safer interval of 4.1 Mb was selected for further investigations. QTL meta-analysis allows to synthetize information on root QTLs and two mQTLs were identified in the qroot-yield-1.06 interval. Trascriptomics analysis based on RNA-seq data of the two contrasting QTL-NILs, confirmed alternative haplotypes at chromosome bin 1.06. qroot-yield-1.06 has now been delimited to a 4.1-Mb interval, and thanks to the availability of additional untested homozygous recombinant NILs, the potentially achievable mapping resolution at qroot-yield-1.06 is c. 50 kb.


Two growth trials utilizing 444 weaned pigs were conducted to determine the efficacy of substituting spray-dried porcine plasma protein (PP) for dried skim milk (DSM) and/or dried whey (DW) in starter pig diets. Trial 1 was a field study in which 240 pigs were fed either a control diet containing 20% DSM and 20% DW during phase I (0 to 14 d postweaning) and 15% DW and 5% select menhaden fishmeal in phase II (14 to 28 d postweaning) of the 28 d trial. Plasma protein was substituted on a lysine basis for DSM in the phase I diet and for DW in the phase IT diet. Diets were isolactose in both phases. Pigs fed the diets containing PP grew faster and consumed more feed from d 0 to 7 than pigs fed the control. However, pigs fed the control diet compensated during wk 2 to achieve equal performance during phase 1. No treatment differences were detected during phase II or in overall performance. In Trial 2, 204 pigs were allotted to one of the following treatments: 1) control diet containing 20% DSM and 20& DW, 2) as 1 with casein replacing soybean meal (lysine basis; all milk protein), 3) as 1 with PP and lactose replacing 20% DSM (lysine and lactose basis), 4) as 3 with starch replacing lactose (wt/wt), 5) as 1 with PP and lactose replacing DSM and DW (lysine and lactose basis), 6) as 5 with starch replacing lactose, 7) corn-soybean meal plus 20% DW Pigs fed diets containing PP grew faster and consumed more feed than pigs fed the control, casein, or 20% DW diets from 0 to 14 d postweaning. Similarly, overall gains were significantly greater for pigs fed PP than pigs fed the control, casein, and DW diets. Also, pigs fed PP consumed greater quantities of feed over the entire trial than those pigs fed the control or casein diets. Serum was collected on d 13 and analyzed for blood urea nitrogen. Blood urea N was higher for pigs fed PP, indicating that the amino acids in PP are more available to the pig, but not all are utilized for protein synthesis. Skinfold thickness was measured on d 7 following intradermal injections of protein extracts of PP soybean meal and DSM; these data indicate that PP and DSM cause extremely small changes in skinfold thickness compared to soybean proteins. Based on the results of these experiments, PP has an equal, if not better, feeding value than milk protein.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 15, 1990


To discover particular features of pure supercritical fluids, important for the supercritical fluid extraction and cleaning technologies, the preprocessed and generalized experimental data from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) online database have been analyzed. The soft transition between gas-like and liquid-like structures in pure supercritical fluids has been considered in comparison with the abrupt vapor-liquid phase transition. A rough, diffused and boiling boundary between these structures in conditions of extra high gravity is opposed to a flat vapor-liquid boundary at a moderate gravity. The model for molecular diffusivity in carbon dioxide at temperatures near the critical temperature discovers its proportionality to the monomer fraction density. The cluster fraction based model for small molecular weight solids' solubility in supercritical fluids has been suggested and successfully compared with the well-known experimental results for the solubility of silica in water.The model shows that at growing pressure the dissolution process has already startedin a real gas and discovers the cluster fractions' role in the solubility process.


Procedural content generation is the act of creating video game content automatically, through algorithmic means. In online procedural generation, content is generated as the game is running on the consumer's computer. Online procedural generation of terrains has become an important feature in many recent video games. The technique enhances the replayability and vastness of virtual worlds by offering a unique and endless terrain for each play session. Procedural terrain generation is commonly achieved through noise synthesis. Adding, multiplying and filtering layers of noise at different frequencies and amplitudes, can lead to complex and realistic terrain models. This process of filtering and combining noise and other functions to create a final terrain function is usually done by issuing calls to a noise generating library in a programming or scripting language, such as C++ or Lua. The process requires a programmer to write code, compile the code, run the program, observe the results, and then start over editing the code. This is a tedious, non-intuitive and time-consuming design process. Consequently, game designers are often forced to accept sub-optimal results because of time constraints or lack of control over the generation process. Our framework, Noise Modeler, consists of a GUI application and a library for modeling terrains for endless-world creation. In this project, noise and other functions are composited through a visual flow-graph editor similar to the ones used by procedural shader editors and offline terrain generators. This novel framework enables non-programmers to edit models for procedural heightmap terrains while observing the effect of changes immediately in a real-time preview. Designed terrains can be serialized to human-readable text files, consuming only a few kilobytes. By using our library, a game engine can load these text files in order to generate terrain data on-demand on the GPU. To our knowledge the Noise Modeler framework is therefore unique in its cause. It may be limited in features, and rough around the edges in terms of usability, but it clearly outperforms existing noise libraries, and has terrain specific features and heightmap previews not present in procedural shader editors.


Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major complications of diabetes. Hyperglycemia, inflammation and oxidative stress as well as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are reported as the risk factors for DN. Sevelamer has shown promising results in reducing inflammation and even HbA1c levels in DN. Objectives: We aim to evaluate the therapeutic effects of sevelamer on blood sugar, HbA1c level, lipid profile, and high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Patients and Methods: In this clinical trial, 18 patients (13 female with mean age of 61.22±9.32 years) with stages 2-4 of diabetic nephropathy were recruited. Patients were administered with 800 mg of sevelamer twice a day for three months. Blood sugar, HbA1C, hs-CRP, lipid profile and other laboratory findings were measured before and 1, 2 and three months after initiation of the treatment. Results: There was significant decline in HbA1c (p=0.001), postprandial blood sugar (p=0.02) and phosphorus (p<0.001) at the end of the study period. Sevelamer had no effect on fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, Na, K and hs-CRP. Conclusion: Our results indicated that along with its phosphorus reducing effects, sevelamer plays an important role in decreasing postprandial blood sugar and HbA1c level. Sevelamer had no effects on lipid profile and hs-CRP.


Continually rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and possible climatic change may cause significant changes in plant communities. This study was undertaken to investigate gas exchange in two important grass species of the short-grass steppe, Pascopyrum smithii (western wheat-grass), C3, and Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama), C4, grown at different CO2 concentrations and temperatures. Intact soil cores containing each species were extracted from grasslands in north-eastern Colorado, USA, placed in growth chambers, and grown at combinations of two CO2 concentrations (350 and 700 μmol mol−1) and two temperature regimes (field average and elevated by 4°C). Leaf gas exchange was measured during the second, third and fourth growth seasons. All plants exhibited higher leaf CO2 assimilation rates (A) with increasing measurement CO2 concentration, with greater responses being observed in the cool-season C3 species P. smithii. Changes in the shape of intercellular CO2 response curves of A for both species indicated photosynthetic acclimation to the different growth environments. The photosynthetic capacity of P. smithii leaves tended to be reduced in plants grown at high CO2 concentrations, although A for plants grown and measured at 700μmol mol−1 CO2 was 41% greater than that in plants grown and measured at 350 μmol mol−1 CO2. Low leaf N concentration may have contributed to photosynthetic acclimation to CO2. A severe reduction in photosynthetic capacity was exhibited in P. smithii plants grown long-term at elevated temperatures. As a result, the potential response of photosynthesis to CO2 enrichment was reduced in P. smithii plants grown long-term at the higher temperature.


Homelessness is a national epidemic and individuals experiencing homelessness have decreased access to healthcare services. At the same time, physical therapy (PT) educational programs are required to teach students about cultural competence, pro-bono service, and advocacy for underserved populations. Having PT students provide pro-bono services to this population in a supervised environment is a mutually beneficial scenario for the patients, students, and the PT program.

AIMS
The study objective was to evaluate whether participating in a student-run free clinic (SRFC) at a homeless shelter could change PT students' attitudes towards individuals experiencing homelessness.

METHODS
Forty DPT students completed the Health Professionals' Attitude Toward the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI) with 19 volunteering (experimental group) to participate in the SRFC. The HPATHI was administered again immediately following participation in the SRFC to assess if their attitudes had changed.

RESULTS
Baseline scores differed between the control and experimental group (p=0.03). However, post-scores of the experimental group did not differ compared to pre-scores. The subsequent analysis estimated differences on 4 of 19 questions, specifically within the personal advocacy and social advocacy subscales.

CONCLUSIONS
Overall, PT students' attitudes did not change significantly after one session of volunteering at an SRFC in a homeless shelter. However, small changes were seen in personal and social advocacy subscales of the HPATHI.


This study aimed to evaluate the dentinal tubule penetration and filling quality of a bioceramic sealer (iRoot SP). Forty-two roots of extracted adult lower incisors were selected. After instrumentation with Protaper Universal to F3, 40 roots were chosen and randomly divided into 4 groups, as follows: iRoot SP single cone group, iRoot SP warm vertical group, AH Plus single cone group, and AH Plus warm vertical group. Before root canal filling, sealers were mixed with Rhodamine B dye for visualization under confocal laser scanning microscope. All samples were sectioned at 2, 4, and 6 mm to apex. Then, the percentages of void areas, gap regions, and segments of sealer that penetrated into dentinal tubules in each section were calculated. Non-parametric test was used for statistical analysis (α = 0.05). We found that filling techniques and types of sealer had no statistically significant effects on the occurrence of voids and gaps. The segments of iRoot SP penetrated into dentinal tubules were statistically more than that of AH Plus in both single cone and warm vertical techniques at 2 mm to apex (P < 0.05). Regardless of the filling technique used, iRoot SP can achieve comparable filling quality and better dentinal tubules penetration than AH Plus. Considering the good bioactivity of iRoot SP, it may help improve the seal of root canal system.


Consider $N$ points in $\mathbb{R}^d$ and $M$ local coordinate systems that are related through unknown rigid transforms. For each point we are given (possibly noisy) measurements of its local coordinates in some of the coordinate systems. Alternatively, for each coordinate system, we observe the coordinates of a subset of the points. The problem of estimating the global coordinates of the $N$ points (up to a rigid transform) from such measurements comes up in distributed approaches to molecular conformation and sensor network localization, and also in computer vision and graphics.
The least-squares formulation of this problem, though non-convex, has a well known closed-form solution when $M=2$ (based on the singular value decomposition). However, no closed form solution is known for $M\geq 3$.
In this paper, we demonstrate how the least-squares formulation can be relaxed into a convex program, namely a semidefinite program (SDP). By setting up connections between the uniqueness of this SDP and results from rigidity theory, we prove conditions for exact and stable recovery for the SDP relaxation. In particular, we prove that the SDP relaxation can guarantee recovery under more adversarial conditions compared to earlier proposed spectral relaxations, and derive error bounds for the registration error incurred by the SDP relaxation.
We also present results of numerical experiments on simulated data to confirm the theoretical findings. We empirically demonstrate that (a) unlike the spectral relaxation, the relaxation gap is mostly zero for the semidefinite program (i.e., we are able to solve the original non-convex least-squares problem) up to a certain noise threshold, and (b) the semidefinite program performs significantly better than spectral and manifold-optimization methods, particularly at large noise levels.


Photovoltaic Modules are designed to meet the reliability and safety requirements of national and international test standards. Qualification testing is a short duration (typically, 60-90 days) accerated testing protocol, and it may be considered as a minimum requirement to undertake consistency testing. The goal of qualification testing is to identify the initial short term consistency issues in the field, while the qualification testing/certification is primarily driven by marketplace requirements. This paper examines the recent consistency and failure rates of crystalline PV modules of different manufacturers over a period of one year conducted at Photovoltaic Testing Facility Lab, Solar Energy Centre, located in Gurgaon Region of Haryana (India) and its comparison with reliability studies of other PV technologies. This paper further reports the low irradiance behavior of PV modules kept under outdoor measurements resulting in significant differences within a given technology and effecting the final energy yield of different PV module types.


Tilapia is a warmwater fish and a popular choice for aquaculture. However, cold sensitivity of tilapia is a constraint to expansion of tilapia culture into the colder regions of the world. Tilapia generally require a thermal environment of 25–30 C. Acclimation to cold requires changes in gene expression such as delta 9 desaturase (Δ9D) which is widely expressed in many poikilothermic animals in the process of cold acclimation. A major function of Δ9D is to desaturate membrane lipids in order to sustain membrane fluidity during cold. In this article we examined the effect of acute and chronic cold stress (12–14 C) on the expression of the Δ9D gene in muscle, gill, heart, and liver of growing Oreochromis niloticus. Despite the relatively cold temperatures, none of the fish were killed by the cold stress. Results indicate that there was no significant change in expression of Δ9D during acute cold stress. The expression of Δ9D in liver and heart tissues was not chronically affected by cold (7 d); however, Δ9D expression of muscle and gill tissue was increased in response to chronic cold stress. Muscle was the most responsive tissue demonstrating greater than 16-fold increase following 7 d of cold exposure. Unlike many other cold tolerant teleost fish, tilapia liver Δ9D transcription was not affected by acclimation to chronic cold stress. It is possible that upregulation of expression of Δ9D in muscle and gill tissue reflects the requirement of these tissues in maintenance of a higher metabolism associated with the need to sustain oxygen consumption, mobility, and heat generation. In contrast, reduced expression of Δ9D in liver may reflect lower overall metabolic rate during cold.


The Solar MAgnetic Connection HAUS 1 tool (Solar-MACH) is an open-source tool completely written in Python that derives and visualizes the spatial configuration and solar magnetic connection of different observers (i.e., spacecraft or planets) in the heliosphere at different times. For doing this, the magnetic connection in the interplanetary space is obtained by the classic Parker Heliospheric Magnetic Field (HMF). In close vicinity of the Sun, a Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model can be applied to connect the HMF to the solar photosphere. Solar-MACH is especially aimed at providing publication-ready figures for the analyses of Solar Energetic Particle events (SEPs) or solar transients such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). It is provided as an installable Python package (listed on PyPI and conda-forge), but also as a web tool at solar-mach.github.io that completely runs in any web browser and requires neither Python knowledge nor installation. The development of Solar-MACH is open to everyone and takes place on GitHub, where the source code is publicly available under the BSD 3-Clause License. Established Python libraries like sunpy and pfsspy are utilized to obtain functionalities when possible. In this article, the Python code of Solar-MACH is explained, and its functionality is demonstrated using real science examples. In addition, we introduce the overarching SERPENTINE project, the umbrella under which the recent development took place.


SUMMARY

Using ambient seismic noise for imaging subsurface structure dates back to the development of the spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method in the 1950s. We present a theoretical analysis of the SPAC method for multicomponent recordings of surface waves to determine the complete 3 × 3 matrix of correlations between all pairs of three-component motions, called the correlation matrix. In the case of isotropic incidence, when either Rayleigh or Love waves arrive from all directions with equal power, the only non-zero off-diagonal terms in the matrix are the vertical–radial (ZR) and radial–vertical (RZ) correlations in the presence of Rayleigh waves. Such combinations were not considered in the development of the SPAC method. The method originally addressed the vertical–vertical (ZZ), RR and TT correlations, hence the name spatial autocorrelation. The theoretical expressions we derive for the ZR and RZ correlations offer additional ways to measure Rayleigh wave dispersion within the SPAC framework.

Expanding on the results for isotropic incidence, we derive the complete correlation matrix in the case of generally anisotropic incidence. We show that the ZR and RZ correlations have advantageous properties in the presence of an out-of-plane directional wavefield compared to ZZ and RR correlations. We apply the results for mixed-component correlations to a data set from Akutan Volcano, Alaska and find consistent estimates of Rayleigh wave phase velocity from ZR compared to ZZ correlations. This work together with the recently discovered connections between the SPAC method and time-domain correlations of ambient noise provide further insights into the retrieval of surface wave Green's functions from seismic noise.


Little is known with regard to how acute and chronic high altitude exposure effects immune function. Hypoxia is an environmental stressor that is known to elicit alterations in both the autonomic nervous system and endocrine function. Alterations in these systems can have an immediate as well as a longer lasting impact on immune function. Studies from the summit of Pikes Peak (4300 m) have indicated a strong α& β-adrenergic component in the regulation of immune function at altitude that can persist weeks after initial exposure. Specifically, interleukin (IL)-6 is elevated with acute altitude exposure primarily mediated via β-adrenergic stimulation and remains elevated for several weeks as a result of αadrenergic activation. When the added stress of physical exercise is combined with that of hypoxia, a more pronounced impact on immune function is observed compared to that of either exercise or hypoxia alone. A popular training paradigm currently employed by endurance athletes to enhance performance involves living at high altitude while training at low altitude. The concept entails incorporating the physiologic and metabolic adaptations associated with chronic high altitude exposure (increase in RBC, mitochondrial oxidative capacity, capillary density, etc) while training at a lower altitude allowing for the maintenance of a high absolute training intensity. Others have demonstrated that a short-term application (18 days) of the live high-train low paradigm results in suppression of the mucosal immune system as indicated by a cumulative decline in salivary IgA levels. Taken together, the majority of evidence suggests a potential additive effect of combined hypoxia and exercise in transiently suppressing immune function, at least in the short-term. Implications for the athletes and training are addressed.


Blood acid-base status and net transfers of acidic equivalents to the external environment were studied in hagfish, Myxine glutinosa , infused with ammonium sulphate (4mequivkg − 1 NH 4 + ) or with sulphuric acid (3mequiv kg −1 H + ). Hagfish extracellular fluids (ECF) play a greater role in acid-base regulation than in teleosts. This is because hagfish have a much larger blood volume relative to teleosts, despite a relatively low blood buffering capacity. Consequently, infusion of ammonium sulphate produced only half of the acidosis produced in marine teleosts in comparable studies, and hagfish readily tolerated a threefold greater direct H + load. Furthermore, the H + load was largely retained and buffered in the extracellular space. Despite smaller acid-base disturbances, rates of net H + excretion to the external environment were, nonetheless, comparable to those of marine teleosts, and net acid excretion persisted until blood acid-base disturbances were corrected. We conclude that the gills of the hagfish are at least as competent for acid-base regulation as those of marine teleosts. The nature of the H + excretion mechanism is discussed.


Use of different fish-friendly 'katha' materials in fish sanctuary is a new concept in Bangladesh. Two kilometers area of each of the three rivers namely the Updakhali, the Kalihar and the Kangsha in Netrokona district were used to set up four sanctuaries in order to evaluate the preference of fishes to katha materials. Three types of katha materials viz. tree roots, bamboo roots and tree branches (traditional) and one blank spot (without katha materials) as control were tested. The study was conducted for two years from November 2003 to March 2005 and fish were harvested three times per year during December, February and March. A total of 43 species of fish were recorded. In the second year, the total number of fish increased 6.40, 8.42 and 8.39 folds than that of the first year in the tree root, bamboo root and traditional katha, respectively. The maximum species compositions (40) was found in the traditional katha and the minimum (30) in the bamboo root katha. Out of 43 species, 11 species were found to prefer all the three types of katha materials and aggregated in large numbers. Among the mostly available 11 species, Titari, Psilorhynchus sucatio showed the highest abundance (3,859) followed by Tengra, Mystus vittatus (3,597) in traditional and bamboo root kathas, respectively in the second year while Tengra also showed highly preference for bamboo root Katha in the first year. Prawn (Macrobrachium rude) showed no special affinity for any particular katha while Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Chanda (Chanda ranga), Chapila (Gudusia chapra), and Darkina (Esomus danricus) showed the highest preference for traditional katha.


Calcium that induces contraction by interacting with the contractile proteins of muscle cells may be derived from different sources: extracellular space including the basement membrane, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and, under certain circumstances, mitochondria." Among these sources of Ca for excitation-contraction coupling the contribution of the SR varies between different types of muscles: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth.' ~ An unresolved question concerns the nature of these variations: Are they only quantitative or also qualitative, consisting of fundamentally different mechanisms for the release of Ca from the SR? This review tries to answer that question. The greatest attention is placed on the mechanism of Ca release from the SR of cardiac muscle and this is compared to release in skeletal muscle. Not much space is devoted to smooth muscle, simply because little is known of the mechanisms of Ca release from the SR in this tissue. Studies concerning the sources of Ca other than the SR" and the mechanisms of Ca transport by the SR which are not directly related to the release processes will not be discussed. The first event in excitation-contraction coupling is the action potential. It is generally admitted that some Ca crosses the surface membrane of the cardiac cell during the action potential, whereas little or no Ca crosses the surface membrane of skeletal muscle cells." Two processes have been proposed as possible links between the action potential of the sarcolemma and the release of Ca from the SR: the Ca-induced release of Ca and the "depolarization-induced" release of Ca: Ca-Induced Release of Ca. According to this hypothesis, the small amount of Ca that crosses the sarcolemma during the action potential is insufficient by itself to activate the myofilaments but induces a release of Ca from the SR sufficient for activation." "Depolarization-Induced" Release of Ca. According to this hypothesis, the action potential traveling in the transverse tubules induces a modification of the SR membrane that increases its permeability to Ca and thereby results in a release of Ca from the SR." However, it is


Synthesis of a new type of calixarene-doped polyaniline (PANI) is reported. Polyaniline as a free base (emeraldine) was synthesized by a chemical method, in the presence of HCl and ammonium peroxodisulphate as oxidant. PANI was doped with p-sulfonatocalix|4|arene. The structure of the protonic acid doped- PANI was investigated by infrared and UV-VIS spectroscopies. The spectral features of dopant are found in the doped polyaniline. The synthesized polyaniline exhibits enhanced solubility in dimethyl for mamide and N-methyl pyrrolidon, which is useful for sensing


The purpose of the first two parts of this report is to present in concise format all the formulas required for computation of the hydrodynamic forces, so that they can be easily computed for either straight or curvilinear flight. Improved approximations are also introduced having a high degree of accuracy throughout the entire range of practical proportions. The remaining two parts of the report are devoted respectively to stability and skin friction, as functions of the same hydrodynamic forces.


We analyze the bit error probability of multiuser demodulators for direct-sequence binary phase-shift-keying (DS/BPSK) CDMA channel with additive gaussian noise. The problem of multiuser demodulation is cast into the finite-temperature decoding problem, and replica analysis is applied to evaluate the performance of the resulting MPM (Marginal Posterior Mode) demodulators, which include the optimal demodulator and the MAP demodulator as special cases. An approximate implementation of demodulators is proposed using analog-valued Hopfield model as a naive mean-field approximation to the MPM demodulators, and its performance is also evaluated by the replica analysis. Results of the performance evaluation shows effectiveness of the optimal demodulator and the mean-field demodulator compared with the conventional one, especially in the cases of small information bit rate and low noise level.


The discourse of research and practice in e-learning has been dominated by two extremes. On one hand, ethereal abstractions, which provide sound principles but do not lend themselves to implementation. On the other hand, detailed anecdotes which provide fascinating insights but pose a challenge to generalization. The void in between these two extremes calls for representations which capture transferable and modular elements of design knowledge. Design patterns originated as a form for democratizing design knowledge by exposing the timeless principles at the heart of expert knowledge, and making them accessible to all. They hold a promise to redress the design divide (Mor & Winters, 2008) in e-learning: the unequal distribution of knowledge of how to effectively design and use technology. Design patterns appear to be ideally suited to the role of enabling design-level conversation across the disciplines involved in e-learning. Yet, in order to fulfill this role, we need to develop scientifically sound and pragmatically relevant methodologies for eliciting, developing, validating and utilizing design patterns and pattern languages. This chapter argues for a design science paradigm of e-learning, and offers a pattern-based methodological framework for such a paradigm. As a concrete manifestation of the framework, I present a pattern language for collaborative reflection and participatory design workshops, which has been developed for and used by several e-learning design research projects.


Abstract Background Many patients with bi-lobar liver tumours are not eligible for liver resection due to an insufficient future liver remnant (FLR). To reduce the risk of posthepatectomy liver failure and the primary cause of death, regenerative procedures intent to increase the FLR before surgery. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the available literature and outcomes on the effectiveness of simultaneous portal and hepatic vein embolization (PVE/HVE) versus portal vein embolization (PVE) alone. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase up to September 2022. The primary outcome was resectability and the secondary outcome was the FLR volume increase. Results Eight studies comparing PVE/HVE with PVE and six retrospective PVE/HVE case series were included. Pooled resectability within the comparative studies was 75 per cent in the PVE group (n = 252) versus 87 per cent in the PVE/HVE group (n = 166, OR 1.92 (95% c.i., 1.13–3.25)) favouring PVE/HVE (P = 0.015). After PVE, FLR hypertrophy between 12 per cent and 48 per cent (after a median of 21–30 days) was observed, whereas growth between 36 per cent and 67 per cent was reported after PVE/HVE (after a median of 17–31 days). In the comparative studies, 90-day primary cause of death was similar between groups (2.5 per cent after PVE versus 2.2 per cent after PVE/HVE), but a higher 90-day primary cause of death was reported in single-arm PVE/HVE cohort studies (6.9 per cent, 12 of 175 patients). Conclusion Based on moderate/weak evidence, PVE/HVE seems to increase resectability of bi-lobar liver tumours with a comparable safety profile. Additionally, PVE/HVE resulted in faster and more pronounced hypertrophy compared with PVE alone.


The physical properties of a liquid in contact with a solid are largely determined by the solid-liquid surface tension. This is especially true for nanoscale systems with high surface area to volume ratios. While experimental techniques can only measure surface tension indirectly for nanoscale systems, computer simulations offer the possibility of a direct evaluation of solid-liquid surface tension although reliable methods are still under development. Here we show that using a mean field approach yields great physical insight into the calculation of surface tension and into the precise relationship between surface tension and excess solvation free energy per unit surface area for nanoscale interfaces. Previous simulation studies of nanoscale interfaces measure either excess solvation free energy or surface tension, but these two quantities are only equal for macroscopic interfaces. We model the solid as a continuum of uniform density in analogy to Hamaker's treatment of colloidal particles. As a result, the Hamiltonian of the system is imbued with parametric dependence on the size of the solid object through the integration limits for the solid-liquid interaction energy. Since the solid-liquid surface area is a function of the size of the solid, and the surface tension is the derivative of the system free energy with respect to this surface area, we obtain a simple expression for the surface tension of an interface of arbitrary shape. We illustrate our method by modeling a thin nanoribbon and a solid spherical nanoparticle. Although the calculation of solid-liquid surface tension is a demanding task, the method presented herein offers new insight into the problem, and may prove useful in opening new avenues of investigation.


The research in this thesis depicts aspects in the area of resorcin[4]arenes upper rim functionalization and presents the importance of this type of structures.

The first chapter covers past and present literature regarding general background and synthetic approaches towards building these cage-like cyclic oligomers, and discusses the possible applications as synthetic enzymes.

Chapter two is separated into two main research areas; (i) preparation of a series of monofunctionalized substrates, attaching on each ring desired groups, such as: amines, esters, ethers, carboxylic acids, alcohols, boronic acids, and (ii) design and synthesis of multifunctionalized resorcin[4]arenes, where we aimed to couple two or more of the mentioned functional groups on each aromatic unit.

In the first part of chapter two, two main strategies for upper rim functionalization are reported; (i) at the phenolic OH, reactions that take place almost quantitative, excepting the Buchwald-Hartwig amination (yield 43-94 %, depending on the primary amine used), and (ii) at the ortho position, where, although the unsatisfying yields, some new compounds were successfully synthesized and characterised.

The second part of chapter two details the attempts to multifunctionalize each aromatic unit, using the same methodologies applied to the preparation of the monofunctionalized precursors. The step was found to be challenging due to steric hindrance and low reactivity of the monosubstituted derivatives, and, despite applying longer time, higher temperature and/or pressure, the targeted structures were unsuccessful.

Chapter three includes the experimental data for all the compounds mentioned in chapter two, with chapter four containing some NMR spectra and crystal structure additional information.


The present invention relates to a composition amnion derived substantially purified population of cells, comprising a substantially purified population of amniotic-derived cells, and the preparation of such a cell population substantially purified amnion derived and methods of use. The present invention further relates to antibodies, particularly to monoclonal antibodies that bind to cells derived from amniotic membrane, or in combination with cell surface proteins of one or more marker amnion derived. The present invention further relates to a method of producing the antibodies, methods of using the antibodies and kits comprising said antibodies.


Changes to Title IX allowing the growth of single-sex schools have garnered media attention promoting the benefits of separating boys and girls. Alternately, civil rights groups such as the ACLU continue to oppose any type of school segregation. Within this context, a private philanthropy, the Foundation for the Education of Young Women (FEYW) has established public-private partnerships with six Texas school districts to open all-girls' public college prep magnet schools with plans to expand. This multi-year ethno-historical case study explores the meaning making of one community in the FEYW network as it attempts to make sense of federal policy at the local level. The topic is important to the field of education because it is timely: changes to Title IX and the growth in single-sex arrangements pose interesting legal and sociological questions about equity and justice since it links Title IX (an equity-driven policy) with the choice provisions in NCLB (a market-driven policy). The significance of this study lies in the unique use of ethnography as interpretive policy analysis to show how local communities (re)interpret federal policy to better align with their personal values and more adequately address contextual complexities in their attempts to do what they believe is best for students.


Abstract We examined social group formation, movements and denning relative to other group members, home-range use, and the response to social group disruption among 188 radiocollared swift foxes (Vulpes velox) in Colorado. We found that during the initial stages of pair formation mated foxes shared dens more frequently than during the remainder of their pair-bond. The average distance between mated pairs was influenced by season and time of day, with the greatest proximity in the breeding season (727.2 m ± 42.3 SE), and during diurnal hours (463.7 ± 34.7 m). Female foxes spent more time in the core area of the group home range (60.71% of locations versus 54.66% for males) and males spent more time on the range boundary (19.34% of locations versus 15.61% for females). Home-range use was influenced by season, with females spending more time in the core area in the breeding and pup-rearing seasons than in the dispersal season. Males also spent the highest proportion of their time in the core area during the breeding season, but used the boundary area more frequently than the core area in the pup-rearing season. A sex difference also was found in the response of a swift fox to the death or disappearance of its mate. All females maintained their territory in the event of mate death or disappearance; however, 50% of males emigrated from their range when the female mate died or disappeared. These differences in space use between social group members provide important insights into the territorial behavior and mating system of the swift fox and indicate that the 2 sexes likely play different roles in care of young and home-range defense.


We derive the capacity region of the two-user dirty-paper Gaussian multiaccess channel (MAC) with conferencing encoders. In this MAC, prior to each transmission block, the transmitters can hold a conference in which they can communicate with each other over error-free bit pipes of given capacities. The received signal suffers not only from additive Gaussian noise but also from additive interference, which is known noncausally to the transmitters but not to the receiver. The additive interference is modeled as Gaussian or uniform over a sphere. We show that the interference can be perfectly mitigated, i.e., that the capacity region without interference can also be achieved in its presence. This holds irrespective of whether the transmitters learn the interference before or after the conference. It follows as a corollary that also for the MAC with degraded message sets, the interference can be perfectly mitigated if it is known noncausally to the transmitters. To derive our results, we generalize Costa's single-user writing-on-dirty-paper achievability result to channels with dependent interference and not-necessarily Gaussian noise.


Aims and background: Evaluation and management of pain is an important issue in the intensive care unit and Limited research there is on clinical decision making in relation to the management of pain in patients with decreased level of consciousness. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a pain management program on pain management In patients with decreased level of consciousness of patients in intensive care units. Materials and Methods: This study is a clinical trial across the two groups before and after and stage to stage design. In this study, 50 hospitalized patients with decreased level of consciousness in the intensive care unit selected sampling and randomly divided into two groups. Pain management program was implemented the patient's level of consciousness, to reach more than 8 (GCS), as or planned until 48 hours. For the control group implemented routine unit. With used of the adult non-verbal pain scale collected the pain intensity scores in two group in before and after of pain therapy. Data were analyzed by SPSS (16) software. To describe the data, analytic statistics (independent t-tests, chi-square and ANOVA with repeated) were used. Findings: Results showed that the mean pain intensity scores (after one stage) was significantly more in the control group than the experimental group after of implemented program, and the mean change in pain intensity scores in the experimental group using independent t-test Was significantly lower than control group (p=0/04). Conclusions: This study showed that with applying a pain management program can the pain controlled properly for patients with loss of consciousness after general surgery.


While in early years of XX-s century famous Russian researcher Bakhtin started description of the chronotope then there do not exist any suggestion or reference that chronotope as a tool will appear on in the real estate environment and in this way will help us to draw down the value based life the property. The essential parts of the property on the one hand built up the real nature of the chronotope and on the other hand chronotope explain their dislocation and time based dynamic. Actually the time based dynamic of the different essential parts of property make us to link with the basic terms coding, overcoding, etc. founded by Umberto Eco, but their usage and clarification in spite the terms semiotics based foundation must wear also some characteristics of real estate, its nature and space. During the layout of chronotope the landscape and the artefact are both important so as on them lays rest of dynamic of markers that are illustrating the development of value.


33 Cardiac angiotensin II (Ang II), either derived from the circulation or locally synthesized, is often suggested to be involved in the structural adaptations occurring in the heart in hypertension and following myocardial infarction. However, it is debated whether the proven beneficial effects of renin-angiotensin system blockade in these pathologies are related to an inhibition of the direct cardiac actions of the peptide. The objective of the present study was to investigate which of the effects of cardiac Ang II are due to direct stimulation of cardiac cells by Ang II. To test for cardiac specific functions of Ang II, transgenic mice were developed that express an Ang II-releasing fusion protein (J Biol Chem 1997;272:12994-99) exclusively in cardiomyocytes. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac and plasma Ang II content, Ang II receptor binding and organ morphology were monitored in transgenic (TG) and non-transgenic littermate mice (control). Cardiac Ang II levels in TG mice were 20-40 fold higher than in hearts of control mice (15±3 pg/100 mg ww). In 3 independent founder lines of TG mice, plasma Ang II concentration was not altered as compared to control (119±20 vs. 127±20 pg/mL). The heart weight to body weight ratio in TG mice (4.0±0.1 mg/g) was not different from controls (3.8±0.1 mg/g), neither was systolic pressure (137±4 and 138±7 mm Hg respectively) or heart rate (618±13 and 662±15 bpm respectively). Microscopic inspection of TG hearts did not reveal any differences with control regarding size and number of cardiomyocytes and organization of extracellular matrix proteins. TG mice had not become less sensitive for Ang II signaling since Ang II receptor number was not altered in TG mice (Bmax = 23±3 fmol/mg protein) as compared to control (22±2 fmol/mg protein). Our data show that very high Ang II levels in hearts of TG mice do not lead to myocardial enlargement or affect cardiovascular physiology. We conclude that elevated Ang II in the heart has no direct effects on cardiac cells and we hypothesize that effects of cardiac Ang II become apparent upon altered hemodynamic loading.


Hepatitis A is a common viral infection worldwide that is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. The incidence of infection in the United States decreased by more than 90% after an effective vaccine was introduced, but the number of cases has been increasing because of large community outbreaks in unimmunized individuals. Classic symptoms include fever, malaise, dark urine, and jaundice and are more common in older children and adults. People are most infectious 14 days before and seven days after the development of jaundice. Diagnosis of acute infection requires the use of serologic testing for immunoglobulin M anti-hepatitis A antibodies. The disease is usually self-limited, supportive care is often sufficient for treatment, and chronic infection or chronic liver disease does not occur. Routine hepatitis A immunization is recommended in children 12 to 23 months of age. Immunization is also recommended for individuals at high risk of contracting the infection, such as persons who use illegal drugs, those who travel to areas endemic for hepatitis A, incarcerated populations, and persons at high risk of complications from hepatitis A, such as those with chronic liver disease or HIV infection. The vaccine is usually recommended for pre- and postexposure prophylaxis, but immune globulin can be used in patients who are too young to be vaccinated or if the vaccine is contraindicated.


Objective: Cytogenetic analysis, the gold standard in the diagnosis of fetal aneuploidies, requires the time-consuming generation of primary cell cultures, which limits the success rate of this technique. In this study, we examined the efficiency and accuracy of quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) for the rapid detection of fetal aneuploidy. Methods: Sixty pregnant women at high risk for fetal aneuploidies were recruited to the study group. Indications for invasive prenatal diagnosis were: advanced maternal age, positive biochemical screening, abnormal ultrasound findings and previous history of fetal abnormalities. All samples were tested by both QF-PCR and traditional karyotyping. Results: Twenty-six samples showed normal patterns. All normal samples were detected by QF-PCR without false positive or false negative results. All trisomies, including trisomies 21, 13, and 18, (n = 25, 2 and 2, respectively) were successfully detected by QF-PCR. Four Turner cases were identified by karyotyping, while only two were detected by QF-PCR. QF-PCR failed to accurately diagnose a balanced translocation. Conclusions: QF-PCR is a rapid and reliable method for prenatal diagnosis of the common chromosomal aneuploidies, especially trisomies 13, 18 and 21. This rapid and inexpensive technique may be a suitable prenatal screen in developing countries. Synopsis: QF-PCR is a rapid and reliable method for prenatal diagnosis of the common chromosomal aneuploidies. It may replace fluorescence in-situ hybridization as rapid prenatal screen.


PURPOSE: To evaluate stereopsis in patients with fully and partially accommodative esotropia. METHODS: A total of 60 patients 31 with fully accommodative and 29 with partially accommodative esotropia patients were included in the study to compare the outcome of stereopsis using four stereoacuity test (Lang I test, Lang II test, Lang 2 Pencil test, and Frisby test) the visual acuity and strabismus screening were assessed according with patients age and standard charts and instruments to rule out the degree of visual acuity and the size and the type of deviation, and stereoacuity of all were measured using the four Stereoacuity tests. This study was conducted using predesigned Performa, in College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Science Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. RESULT: 25(41.7%) were male and 35(58.3%) were female, with a mean age of 9.52. Out of 60 patients, 31(51.7%) were having fully accommodative esotropia and 29(48.3%) were having partially accommodative esotropia. The test result of stereoacuity using four tests revealed presence of good stereoacuity detection in patients with fully accommodative esotropia and poor stereoacuity in partially accommodative esotropia. Of all 31 patients with fully accommodative esotropia, 22 patients (36.67%) were able to read 550 Sec of Arc in Lang I test and 18 (30%) read 200 Sec of Arc in Lang II Streoacuity chart, in Frisby test, 24 patients (40%) detected disparity between 85-340 Seconds of arc and only 3 (5%) showed no Stereoacuity in Frisby test. While patients with partially accommodative esotropia; however, demonstrated poor Stereoacuity outcome in all four tests. of all 29 patients 13 (21.67%) had 1200 seconds of arc and 12(20%) showed no Stereoacuity and only 4 patients (6.67%) revealed 600 seconds of arc, in Lang II test 8.33% out of 48.3 %, had Stereoacuity of 600 seconds of arc and 40% had no Stereoacuity. similarly, 45. % out of 48.3 % showed no stereopsis in Frisby test; however, both patients showed almost similar results in Lang 2 Pencil test, 18 patients (30%) and 12 patients (20%) revealed Stereoacuity of 3000-5000 seconds of arc in fully and partially accommodative esotropia respectively and the remaining showed no Stereoacuity. CONCLUSION: The study result demonstrates the presence of good stereoacuity in patients with fully accommodative esotropia and Poor stereoacuity detection in partially accommodative esotropia in three tests (Lang I, Lang II, Frisby test) however similar stereoacuity, outcome was revealed in Lang 2 pencil test both study population.


Laser is an acronym, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Several decades ago, the laser was a death ray, the ultimate weapon of destruction, something you would only find in a science fiction story. Then lasers were developed and actually used, among other places, in light shows. The beam sparkled, it showed pure, vibrant and intense colors. Today the laser is used in the scanners at the grocery store, in compact disc players, and as a pointer for lecturer and above all in medical and dental field. The image of the laser has changed significantly over the past several years. With dentistry in the high tech era, we are fortunate to have many technological innovations to enhance treatment, including intraoral video cameras, CAD-CAM units, RVGs and air-abrasive units. However, no instrument is more representative of the term high-tech than, the laser. Dental procedures performed today with the laser are so effective that they should set a new standard of care. The scientific method and artistic details prescribed for reconstructive dentistry are well has been documented. The current use of lasers in reconstructive dentistry encompasses a wide variety of soft tissue procedures. The future may hold promise for hard tissue laser use in crown preparation, bone recontouring, and implant placement.