Do adolescents who use stimulants have a different personality? Stimulant consumption is especially important in our context because its use has greatly increased in recent years. The aim of the present study is to analyze the differences between stimulant users and nonusers (under 18 years old) in personality characteristics assessed with the MACI. The sample comprises 398 youths between 14 and 17 years old who were selected through random sampling in their homes or in recreational night spots. Results show important differences in personality features between stimulant users and nonusers. Stimulant users are characterized by having unruly, forceful, oppositional and borderline-tendency personality prototypes.


The concept of a CpG island methylator phenotype, or CIMP, quickly became the focus of several colorectal cancer studies describing its clinical and pathological features after its introduction in 1999 by Toyota and colleagues. Further characterization of CIMP in tumors lead to widespread acceptance of the concept, as expressed by Shen and Issa in their 2005 editorial, "CIMP, at last." Since that time, extensive research efforts have brought great insights into the epidemiology and prognosis of CIMP+ tumors and other epigenetic mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis. With the advances in technology and subsequent cataloging of the human methylome in cancer and normal tissue, new directions in research to understand CIMP and its role in complex biological systems yield hope for future epigenetically based diagnostics and treatments.


This paper is concerned with the thermo-mechanical behavior of steel sheet for an autobody including the temperature dependent strain-rate sensitivity. Tensile tests have been carried out with the high strength steel sheets such as SPRC35R, SPRC45E and TRIP60. The tensile tests were performed with the variation of the strain-rates from 0.001/s to 200/s and with the variation of environmental temperatures from -40 to 200. The thermo-mechanical response at the quasi-static state is obtained with the static tensile test and the one at the intermediate strain-rate is obtained with the high speed tensile test. Both the strain-rate and the temperature sensitivity of the flow stress are calculated for the quantitative evaluation of thermo-mechanical behavior of steel sheets. The results demonstrate that as the strain-rate increases, the variation of the flow stress becomes more dependent on the temperature. The results also indicate that the material properties of SPRC35R are more sensitive to the strain-rate and the temperature than those of SPRC45E and TRIP60.


Dominance hierarchies are group-level properties that emerge from the aggressions of individuals. Although individuals can gain critical benefits from their position in a hierarchy, we do not understand how real-world hierarchies form, or what signals and decision-rules individuals use to construct and maintain them in the absence of simple cues. A study of aggression in two groups of captive monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) found a transition to large-scale ordered aggression occurred in newly-formed groups after one week, with individuals thereafter preferring to direct aggression against those nearby in rank. We describe two mechanisms by which individuals may determine rank order: inference based on overall levels of aggression, or on subsets of the aggression network. Both pathways were predictive of individual decisions to aggress. Based on these results, we present a new theory, of a feedback loop between knowledge of rank and consequent behavior, that explains the transition to strategic aggression, and the formation and persistence of dominance hierarchies in groups capable of both social memory and social inference.


A platform business, such as Apple Inc.'s App Store, refers to a Web-based business in which anyone can participate and make profits by taking advantage of, with few restrictions, resources and infrastructures of the host firm operating the platform. Such businesses are enabled and thrived primarily by participation of third-parties in the business value chain. Perceiving that in the context of App Store-like businesses, outside application developers' participation and their development practices are crucial for the success of the platform business, we attempted to identify factors that influence developers' intention to develop applications frequently. As an underlying foundation for this study, we used a dual model framework, the theoretical importance of which has recently been verified by Kim & Son (2009). The dual model consists of two different, but related, mechanisms—a dedication-based mechanism and a constraint-based mechanism. The dual model, together with our careful observations, implies that application developers build applications frequently not only because they want to do so (a dedication-based mechanism), but also because they feel constrained to do so (a constraint-based mechanism). Hence, after in-depth interviews with seven application developers and an extensive literature review, we identified seven specific elements that developers take into account when developing applications, and categorized these factors according to the two mechanisms. In total, 112 sets of Web survey responses were collected from iPhone application developers in South Korea, and 10 hypotheses were tested by PLS. Our results indicated that for the dedication-based mechanism, benefit-sharing attractiveness, market demand for applications, usefulness of development tools, and review process fairness have positive impacts on intention to develop frequently through developer satisfaction. For the constraint-based mechanism, learning and set-up cost positively affect termination cost, in turn increasing dependence of developers. Finally, dependence is positively related to intention to develop frequently. This study applied a dual model to the context of the smartphone application development and set out practical guidelines for companies that wish to enter this type of business or to make their App Store-like business flourish.


Glucosinolates are sulfur-containing secondary metabolites found largely in
Brassicaceae family. Glucosinolates undergo hydrolysis readily upon cell rupture
(such as cutting and heating) by the naturally-occurring enzyme myrosinase to form
mainly isothiocyanates and/or nitriles. Isothiocyanates are known to possess
anticarcinogenic properties while nitriles are largely inactive. Benzyl isothiocyanate
(BITC), a hydrolysis product of benzyl glucosinolate (BGSL), is one of the most potent
anticancer agents. Papaya (Carica papaya) is known to contain has high amount of
BITC. In Malaysia, beside ripe fruit, young leaves and young or unripe fruit of papaya
are widely consumed as vegetables. Also, flower and seeds of papaya are used as
traditional therapeutic remedies for various ailments. Although many studies have
been done on BITC content and other medicinal properties of papaya, but very few
reports on the distribution and concentration of BGSL in papaya. Thus, the first
objective of this study is to profile BGSL in different parts of papaya namely seeds,
leaf and unripe fruit pulp. The papaya (C.papaya) plant studied here was of Eksotika
variety grown in the district of Kota Belud, Sabah. Because BITC is only formed when
its precursor, BGSL, being enzymatically hydrolyzed by the endogenous myrosinase,
therefore the second objective of the current study is to study enzymolysis and
myrosinase activity under different conditions. The motivation to carry out
myrosinase activity is the facts that agricultural and food processing may have varied
effects on the myrosinase-GSL breakdown mechanism in which ultimately influenced
the formation of the health-promoting compound, BITe. The conditions studied in
enzymolysis (with sinigrin as a substrate) was the effect of hydrolysis time (10, 20,
30, 40 and SO min). While for the myrosinase activity the condition studied were
temperature (30°C, 40°C, 60 °C and 80°C), pH (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 , 8.0 and
9.0) and concentration of ascorbic acid (2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0 mM), ferrous and
ferric ions (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 mM for both irons). The BGSL was extracted
using deionized water and then analyzed using HPLC. For the enzymolysis and
myrosinase activity, crude myrosinase extracted from seed, leaf and unripe fruit pulp
of papaya was mixed with a known concentration of standard sinigrin (as substrate).
After a predetermined reaction time, the unreacted (remaining) Sinigrin was then
extracted and analyzed using HPLC in the same manners as for BGSL. The results
showed that seed has the highest content (in mg/100g dry weight) of BGSL (i.e. 490
± 14.14) compared to leaf (14.7 ± 3.56) and unripe fruit pulp (12.5 ± 0.71). The
optimum conditions for the activitiy of crude myrosinase extract from the different
papaya parts are as follows: hydrolysis time, seed at 20 min (99.16%), leaf at 60
min (100 %) and unripe fruit pulp at 30 min (83.30%) ; temperature, 30 - 40°C (all
parts); pH, 8 (seed), 7 (leaf), 9 (unripe fruit pulp); concentration of ascorbic acid, 2.0 mM (all parts); no effect for all the iron concentrations tested. The findings show
that myrosinase activity could occur in optimally in mild temperature within a short
time and in neutral condition. As for the additives, higher concentration of ascorbic
acid inhibit the activity while presence of iron does not affect myrosinase activity.
Overall, this work shows that papaya seed is a rich source of BGSL, the precursor for
the anticancer BITC. To ensure optimum uptake of BITC, food preparation methods
must be performed in optimum conditions for the endogenous myrosinase to take
place.


In many parts of Africa, a quiet revolution is transforming the delivery of legal assistance to pre-trial detainees and accused persons. Too poor to afford the services of a lawyer, and unable to rely on inadequate – or nonexistent – state-funded legal aid systems, many Africans are at the mercy of often oppressive and corrupt criminal justice systems. This is beginning to change as paralegals – who are less expensive and more accessible than lawyers – are empowering the poor and marginalised in their interactions with police, prosecutors, and the courts. In almost two dozen countries across Africa, paralegals are providing a critical service, particularly in the early stages of the criminal justice process. They provide primary legal aid services that often no one else is providing, which in turn results in the elimination of unnecessary pre-trial detention, the speedy processing of cases, diversion of young offenders, and reduction of case backlogs. Some paralegal services also provide food and medical supplies to people in detention. They may also be present at police stations in order to deter ill-treatment and forced confessions. Paralegals play a valuable role in reducing prison overcrowding by locating the family members of pre-trial detainees and facilitating bail hearings. This article gives an overview of paralegal services in a number of African countries, and shows how these services are assisting thousands of pretrial detainees and accused persons to access justice in environments where legal services are scarce or non-existent.


The current literature on computing education suggests that there is a paradigm shift taking place in the discipline. Evidence of this is in the discipline's rapid evolution and the volatility in the enrollments. This has prompted university administrations to make important strategic decisions as to how to reengineer their curriculum to remain viable, relevant and reflect innovation. This paper uses a case study approach to describe how the School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT) at the University of Technology, Jamaica, employed a market orientation approach to reengineer its curriculum. In developing the curriculum, SCIT employed among other things; students views, international industry trends, the Joint Task Force for Computing Curricula 2005, local/regional requirements and recommendations from the School's Advisory Committee. The intent was to provide a broader portfolio that would attract and retain a wider student population. This model curriculum program can be a blueprint for small computing programs, especially in developing countries with modest resources.


Lead isotope analysis is an increasingly widespread tool in the study of environmental pollution as Pb isotope compositions do not change during industrial and environmental processes, and always reflect their source origin. In this study we present the results of R-mode factor analysis for associations between chemical elements in Neapolitan soils, combined with the distribution of Pb concentrations and Pb isotope compositions in order to differentiate natural from anthropogenic metal sources. Results show Neapolitan urban soils to be significantly enriched in Pb, Hg, Zn, Sb, and to a lesser extent in Cu, Cd, Cr and Ni. Lead isotope measurements form a trend suggesting mixing between two end-member compositions, one of clear natural origin (geogenic) and another related to human activities (anthropogenic). Lead isotope investigations demonstrate that road traffic is one of the main sources of metal pollution.


The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges and opportunities of pre-disaster strategic planning in supporting temporary housing provision, using as a case study the earthquakes occurred in Italian central Apennines in 2016 and 2017. The paper explores such challenges and opportunities in several municipalities along four affected regions. Primary data were retrieved from fieldwork conducted in March 2017 in some affected municipalities, supported by interviews to relevant organizations and stakeholders involved in emergency and reconstruction in the affected areas. Findings report that in the assessed municipalities delays occurred in temporary housing provision due to both technical and governance aspects, undermining the possibility to satisfy local needs in a timely way. Therefore, the paper sheds new light on the role of pre-disaster strategic planning in temporary housing provision. The paper discusses and supports the advances of international practices for pre-disaster strategic planning. It also calls for embracing mechanisms able to avoid delays and lock-ins embedded within the socio-political context-specific factors.


In this paper, we propose and evaluate a simple mechanism to accelerate iterative machine learning algorithms implemented in Hadoop map-reduce (stock), and Apache Spark. In particular, we describe a technique that enables data parallel tasks in map-reduce and Spark to be dynamically and adaptively scheduled on CPU or GPU, based on availability and load. We examine the extent of performance improvements, and correlate them to various parameters of the algorithms studied. We focus on end-to-end performance impact, including overheads associated with transferring data into and out of the GPU, and conversion between data representations in the JVM and on GPU. We also present three optimizations that, in our analysis, can be generalized across many iterative machine learning applications. We present a case study where we accelerate four iterative machine learning applications – multinomial logistic regression, multiple linear regression, K-Means clustering and principal components analysis using singular value decomposition, implemented in three data analytics frameworks – Hadoop Map-Reduce (HMR), IBM Main-Memory Map-Reduce (M3R) and Spark. We observe that the use of GPGPUs decreases the execution time of these applications on HMR by up to 8X, M3R by up to 18X, and Spark by up to 25X. Through our empirical analysis, we offer several insights that can be helpful in designing middleware and cluster managers to accelerate map-reduce and Spark applications using GPUs.


Quantitative relationships between true elastic properties are not always applicable to inverted elastic properties. We use the important example of two-term AVO reflectivity inversion to demonstrate this. AVO literature includes many examples of two-term AVO equations, and we provide a general relationship to convert between inverted reflectivities obtained when using these various equations. Conversion between inverted reflectivities should be based on this equation, rather than standard elastic-property relationships. This is of immediate importance when applying the method of chi-angle projections to estimate elastic reflectivities.


Herein, the potential of hydrolysates of chicken feet proteins as natural dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors was investigated; moreover, three hydrolysates were selected due to their high DPP-IV inhibitory capacity (>80% inhibition), showing the IC50 values of around 300 μg estimated protein per mL; one of them (named p4H) was selected for the posterior analysis. In addition, its effect on glucose tolerance was investigated in two rat models (diet and age-induced) of glucose-intolerance and healthy animals; the amount of 300 mg estimated peptide per kg body weight improved the plasma glucose profile in both glucose-intolerance models. Moreover, it stimulated active GLP-1 release in the enteroendocrine STC-1 cells and rat ileum tissue. In conclusion, our results indicate that chicken feet proteins are a good source of bioactive peptides as DPP-IV inhibitors. Moreover, our results highlight the potential of the selected hydrolysate p4H in the management of type 2 diabetes due to its dual function of inhibition of the DPP-IV activity and induction of the GLP-1 release.


Small artery infarction, which is particularly prevalent among Asians (1), carries a lower risk of recurrent stroke at one-month compared with other stroke subtypes, but long-term findings are inconsistent (2,3). Data on subsequent myocardial infarction risk after small artery stroke are limited. We compared the incidence of vascular events following ischemic stroke due to small artery disease vs. other etiologies among prospectively recruited Asian patients admitted to the Singapore General Hospital from 2005 to 2007. Telephone follow up at a median of 30 months (IQR 24–34) masked to clinical information was obtained for 89% of the cohort. Among the 731 patients with known stroke etiology, 49% had small artery infarction, 38% had large artery infarction, 12% had cardioembolic, and 1% had other etiology. Figure 1 shows the cumulative incidence of subsequent vascular events. Using Cox regression adjusted for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and atrial fibrillation, small artery infarction was associated with a lower incidence of recurrent stroke [hazard ratio (HR) 0·62; P = 0·047], myocardial infarction (HR 0·45; P = 0·031), vascular death (HR 0·18; P = 0·002), and composite vascular events (HR 0·59, P = 0·007) compared with nonsmall artery stroke. The lower risk of subsequent vascular events following small artery infarction may be explained by a differing underlying pathology from large artery and Correspondence: Deidre Anne De Silva*, Department of Neurology, Singapore General Hospital Campus, National Neuroscience Institute, 169608 Singapore. E-mail: email@example.com


As technology scales down, the static power is expected to become a significant fraction of the total power. The exponential dependence of static power with the operating temperature makes the thermal profile estimation of high-performance IC a key issue to compute the total power dissipated in the next-generation. In this paper we present accurate and compact analytical models to estimate the static power dissipation and the temperature of operation of CMOS gates. The models are the fundamentals of a performance estimation tool in which numerical procedures are avoided for any computation to set a faster estimation and optimization. The models developed are compared to measurements and SPICE simulations for a 0.12 /spl mu/m technology showing excellent results.


Development of novel high frequency Si, Si3N4, and graphene based micro-and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) requires suitable characterization methods with nanoscale spatial resolution, high frequency (HF) response and high sensitivity. As spatial resolution of existing methods such as Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) is limited by the light wavelength to the micrometre scale [1], it is tempting to use atomic force microscope (AFM) techniques offering nanoscale resolution. Here we use AFM to analyse the vibrations of nanoscale thin membranes over the frequency range from kHz to several MHz using both linear and nonlinear mechanisms for their excitation and detection. Our model system is a Si3N4 membrane (200 nm thickness, 500x500 um2, Agar Scientific) on a Si substrate. The AFM (Multimode, Nanoscope 8, Bruker) was modified with a piezoceramic transducer driven by the function generator to excite sample vibrations from kHz to about 10 MHz, with the resulting cantilever deflection detected by a standard lock-in-amplifier. The reference optical vibrometry (OFV-2670 and UHF-120, Polytec) found the membrane fundamental vibrational mode at ~250 KHz suggesting it to be under high tensile stress. The core idea of our study was to explore the possibility of detection HF membrane vibrations via AFM and effect of the probing tip contact on the resonance frequency. We used three AFM modes: 1) Force Modulation Microscopy (FMM) with tip vibrations detected at the excitation frequency, 2) nonlinear off-resonance regime where HF sample vibration is modulated at low frequency, and cantilever response measured at the modulation frequency (Ultrasonic Force Microscopy, UFM [2]), 3) UFM resonance regime, where the modulation frequency was around the membrane resonance (M-UFM). While the edge of a membrane was not detectable via topography, it was clearly visible in all ultrasonic modes. FMM mapping at swept excitation frequency showed that the cantilever-tip loading of the membrane increasingly shifted the resonance frequency down as the tip moved towards the centre, with the maximum response reached at a certain distance from the edge, suggesting an optimum position for the detection of vibrations. In M-UFM mode we found that the membrane resonance was also detectable, even though there was no resonance frequency component in the driving oscillation spectrum. We attributed this to the nonlinear nature of the tip-membrane interaction that produced the localised force at the resonance modulation frequency. This study shows that ultrasonic AFM modes will allow the exploration of the vibration of MEMS/NEMS structures of sub-um dimensions including 2D materials based NEMS. [1] Gates RS, Pratt JR, Nanotechnology, 2012, 23(37). [2] Bosse JL et al., Journal of Applied Physics, 2014, 115(14):144304.


Recently, novel direct pulse width modulated (PWM) ac-ac converters using coupled inductors with switching cell structure have been introduced as an alternative to the conventional ac-ac converter topology. The converters can effectively solve the commutation problem associated with the conventional direct PWM ac-ac converters. However, the two coupled inductors used in the topology make the converters less attractive for use in practical applications. This paper proposes magnetic integration of the discrete-coupled inductors in single-phase ac-ac converters. The dc offset fluxes generated by the common-mode currents are cancelled out perfectly when the windings on the common core are appropriately arranged, resulting in ac flux only. The proposed inductor shows significant improvements over discrete-coupled inductors, in that the proposed inductor does not have an air gap, it exhibits symmetrical winding currents, and it has smaller volume with large current handling capability. The proposed inductor can handle an unlimited amount of current due to the absence of core saturation caused by the current and is well suitable for high power ac-ac conversion applications. The performance evaluation and comparison of the experimental results show that the net volume of the coupled magnetic components can be reduced by more than 50% with the proposed integration scheme.


Stringent requirements on reflector antenna performances in modern applications such as direct broadcast satellite (DBS) communications, radar systems, and radio astronomy have demanded the development of sophisticated synthesis techniques. Presented in the paper is a generalized diffraction synthesis technique for single- and dual-reflector antennas fed by either a single feed or an array feed. High versatility and accuracy are achieved by combining optimization procedures and diffraction analysis such as physical optics (PO) and physical theory of diffraction (PTD). With this technique, one may simultaneously shape the reflector surfaces and adjust the positions, orientations, and excitations of an arbitrarily configured array feed to produce the specified radiation characteristics such as high directivity, contoured patterns, and low sidelobe levels, etc. The shaped reflectors are represented by a set of orthogonal global expansion functions (the Jacobi-Fourier expansion), and are characterized by smooth surfaces, well-defined (superquadric) circumferences, and continuous surface derivatives. The sample applications of contoured beam antenna designs and reflector surface distortion compensation are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this diffraction synthesis technique. >


This paper considers the relationship between pricing and ordering decisions for a monopolistic retailer facing a known demand function where, over the inventory cycle, the product may exhibit: i physical decay or deterioration of inventory called wastage; and ii decrease in market value called value drop associated with each unit of inventory on hand. The retailer is allowed to continuously vary the selling price of the product over the cycle. We introduce a notion of instantaneous margin, and use it to derive profit maximizing conditions for the retailer.

The model explains the markdown of retail goods subject to decay. It also provides guidance in determining when price changes during the cycle are worthwhile due to product aging, how often such changes should be made, and how such changes affect ordering intervals and quantities.


How can you foster change in your organization? Accomplishing major organizational change is difficult and extremely risky. However, change is necessary if health facilities are to survive in a competitive managed care world. Thrust into this environment, military health facilities are finding they must improve access and quality, while reducing costs. Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point was reengineered to meet this challenge. The results? A nontraditional hospital structure and management philosophy. Pipeline hierarchical chains of command and traditional professional boundaries have been modified. The strategy and transition process, as well as the obstacles to change, are explored in this article. Three years into a multi-year process, expected obstacles to change have been experienced, and success is predicted.


ABSTRACT One of the biggest hurdles of teaching data science and programming techniques to beginners is simply getting started with the technology. With multiple versions of the same coding language available (e.g., Python 2 and Python 3), various additional libraries and packages to install, as well as integrated development environments to navigate, the first step can be the most daunting. We show the advantages of using cloud computing to solve this issue and demonstrate one way of implementing it to allow beginners to get started with coding immediately. Using user-friendly Jupyter notebooks along with the interactive capabilities possible through Binder, we provide introductory Python and SQL material that students can access without downloading anything. This lets students to get started with coding right away without getting frustrated figuring out what to install. Example introductory modules on using Python and SQL for data analysis are provided through GitHub at https://github.com/Coleridge-Initiative/ada-intro-python and https://github.com/Coleridge-Initiative/ada-intro-sql.


Lactate is not believed to be a suitable substrate for hydrogen fermentation, although glucose and starch are. To eliminate this 'blind spot' in hydrogen fermentation, we showed that it is feasible to produce hydrogen with lactate as the sole carbon source by using mixed microflora as well as a single culture. Microflora were isolated from a methane fermentation system, and their hydrogen productivity, fermentation properties, and diversity were analyzed. Since previous studies used inoculum pretreatment to improve efficiency, we used both pretreated and non-pretreated samples. The hydrogen yield of the non-pretreated microflora sample was 0.43 mol/mol lactate, which is approximately 49 times the values reported previously. Megasphaera elsdenii was found to be the main lactate utilizing-hydrogen producing bacteria (LU-HPB) in this sample, but it is not heat-shock tolerant. Thus, heat-shock pretreatment reduces microbial diversity, including lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and LU-HPB, in the inoculum. This is another 'blind spot' of hydrogen fermentation from lactate. The hydrogen yield of M. elsdenii was approximately 0.4 mol/mol lactate. Considering the balance of metabolites in the reaction, even if the substrate was completely consumed for lactic acid fermentation, 0.8 mol hydrogen per mol of glucose may be recovered via homo-type lactic acid fermentation. Thus, LU-HPB do not require inoculum and/or substrate pretreatment and may improve the utilization of recalcitrant substrates such as xylose by cooperating with LAB. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify and characterise a microbial hydrogen fermenter that can use lactate as the sole carbon source.


The content of lipids in rat erythrocyte membranes was studied with vitamin A deficiency, Guerin's carcinoma and with administration of significant doses of vitamin A. It is found that vitamin A deficiency decreases the content of phospholipid fractions: phosphatidyl ethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl serine. The content of phosphatidyl choline is unchanged. Under conditions of the experiment the content of cholesterol decreases. This dependence is lost when calculating per 1 g of protein. In erythrocytes of rats with Guerin's carcinoma the content of lipids increases. The character of the results is unchanged when calculating per 1 mg of protein. When administering 200.000 IU of vitamin A the content of the phospholipid and free cholesterol identified fractions lowers significantly.


Formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii (EC.184.108.40.206; CbFDH) is a commercially available enzyme and can be easily handled as a catalyst for the CO2 reduction to formate in the presence of NADH, single-electron reduced methylviologen (MV+˙) and so on. It was found that the formate oxidation to CO2 with CbFDH was suppressed using the oxidized MV as a co-enzyme and the single-electron reduced MV (MV+˙) was effective for the catalytic activity of CbFDH for the CO2 reduction to formate compared with that using the natural co-enzyme of NADH [Y. Amao, Chem. Lett., 2017, 46, 780-788]. The CO2 reduction to formate catalyzed by CbFDH requires two molecules of the MV+˙. In order to clarify the two-electron reduction process using MV+˙ in the CO2 reduction to formate catalyzed with CbFDH, we attempted enzyme reaction kinetics, electrochemical and quantum chemical analyses. Kinetic parameters obtained from the enzymatic kinetic analysis metric revealed an index of affinity of MV+˙ for CbFDH in the CO2 reduction to formate. From the results of the electrochemical analysis, it was predicted that only one molecule of MV+˙ was bound to CbFDH, and the MV bound to CbFDH was to be necessarily re-reduced by the electron source outside of CbFDH to supply the second electron in the CO2 reduction to formate. From the results of docking simulation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it was indicated that one molecule of MV bound to the position close to CO2 in the inner part of the substrate binding pocket of CbFDH contributed to the two-electron CO2 reduction to formate.


Meta-Product (MP) is a new evolution of product that involves with network of services, products, people, and environment. From an industrial point of view, this evolution shifts from a material multiplication to an information generated by human actions. Meta-Products require more complex elements than generic products and need the involvement of multidisciplinary team (garment designers, sensor networks designers and application developers). Therefore, a new product development methodology that improves network collaboration is required. The main objective of this work is to propose a new methodology for the collaborative development of intelligent wearable Meta-Products. The proposed methodology contributes for a clear understanding about the steps to be used during the design and development of new Meta-Products.


A survey study was performed to assess the extent of radiation safety education and training in acute care Texas hospitals for radiologic technologists and other hospital personnel. The findings revealed a self-perceived need by hospital administrative personnel and were interpreted to suggest a quantitative need for increased radiation safety education for several classes of hospital personnel. The findings are discussed relative to potential certification requirements for technologists and implications for the training of other personnel.


Objective To assess the comparative efficacy and safety of polysaccharide K (PSK), with or without chemotherapy, for patients with gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) through a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Materials and Methods We performed a network meta-analysis to identify evidence from randomized controlled trials. We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library for publications up to May 2017. The prespecified primary efficacy outcomes were 1–7 year overall survival (OS), while the secondary efficacy outcomes were 1–7 year disease-free survival (DFS); we performed subgroup analyses and meta-regressions according to the cancer type (colorectal, esophagus and gastric cancer) and treatment arms (with or without chemotherapy). Safety outcomes were side effects of PSK. We conducted pairwise meta-analyses using a random-effects model and then performed random-effects network meta-analyses. Results A total of 23 trials were eligible, involving 10684 patients and 13 intervention arms. PSK treatment significantly increased 1–5 year OS and resulted in positive trends in 6–7 year OS; significant increases were also found in 1–7 year DFS, while no increase in side effects was observed. Significant efficacy outcomes obvious in colorectal and gastric cancer groups, as well as PSK combined with chemotherapy groups (iv, po, iv+po). Network meta-analysis revealed that PSK combined with chemotherapy was superior, with significantly increased 3-year and 5-year OS. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017065193) Conclusions The adjuvant immunochemotherapy agent PSK is effective and safe for patients with GIC. PSK combined with chemotherapy appears to be the preferred application of PSK.


Abstract The subject of this paper is the study of the pre-Linnaean herbarium with the inventory number "VII F1 Hortus Botanicus Catinensis" belonging to the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (University of Catania). The volume examined comprises 186 pages (originally 190) with 1–9 specimens on each sheet. The herbarium samples mainly include angiosperms (386), but a few taxa belonging to gymnosperms (1) and pteridophytes (4) are also present. Unfortunately, some specimens are partially or entirely damaged or even missing; nonetheless, it has been possible to identify most of them. As far as the nomenclature is concerned, we find two kinds of handwriting (of which only that of Cupani can be identified), numerous corrections and/or integrations of the polylogus and different types of ink that were used. These elements allow us to state that we are speaking of a herbarium which was prepared by an unknown person and reviewed by Cupani.


Model-based gear dynamic analysis and simulation has been a promising way for developing e®ective gearbox vibration monitoring approaches. In this paper, based on the dynamic model of a one-stage gearbox with spur gears and one tooth crack, we investigate statistical indicators and the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) technique to identify e®ective and sensitive health indicators for re°ecting the crack propagation level. Our results suggest that the root mean square (RMS) indicator is a good statistical indicator to re°ect the crack propagation in the early stage; DWT can improve the sensitivity of the RMS indicator and the RMS indicator becomes more sensitive with the increase of the DWT level.


n this work, ferromagnetic Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 (NZF) particles were prepared through the co-precipitation method. Then, dielectric ferromagnetic composites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and NZF embedded into E-51 Epoxy matrix were synthesized by a curing process using tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) as the curing agent. In order to facilitate the contrast, the volume fraction of the NZF ferrite was fixed at 17%, and the permeability and permittivity of the composites have been investigated in detail with the Agilent 4294A from 40 Hz to 110 MHz. For the MWCNT filler, its one-dimensional structure and good electric properties could make the composites gain a great increase on dielectric constant. And the permittivity of the composites with fMWCNT=1.7% is twice higher than the composites with only NZF. Moreover, the permeability of all the composites nearly remains the same. All the above results indicate that the MWCNT-NZF-Epoxy composites own both dielectric and ferromagnetic properties.


Massive vulval edema with severe preeclampsia is presented as one of the consequences that may appear on patients with hypertension disorders during pregnancy, therefore the attention in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service must be systematical and permanent. On women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, although edemas may not be constant, they may either appear at minor, barely perceptible extents, or even in the most severe ways, such as anasarca. A very peculiar manifestation of edema on preeclampsia is massive vulval edema, which appears as a highly rare complication, in whose basis there is a complex, systemic pathological process involved. We present a case of a pregnant woman who was admitted with high blood pressure values and excessive weight gain, plus very noticeable general edemas, and during her stay developed massive vulval edema. No data on this complication were found in the bibliography reviewed. Very few experienced professionals recall having dealt with similar cases in the last fifteen years, hence the decision to publish it.


When the sliding of the grain boundary containing hexagonal particles is accommodated by grain-boundary diffusion, we evaluate the sliding rate and the stress distribution on the boundary, by taking the particle rotation and the intrinsic boundary viscosity into account. The sliding rate was obtained by the energy-balance method, and the particle-rotation rate by a condition of minimum energy-dissipation. With increasing boundary viscosity, the rotation rate increases and then decreases after a maximum. The sliding rate is enhanced by the particle rotation, and decreases with the boundary viscosity.


An optimal estimation framework is considered in the presence of cost-constrained measurements. The aim is to maximise the average Fisher information under a constraint on the total cost of measurement devices. An optimisation problem is formulated to calculate the optimal costs of measurement devices that maximise the average Fisher information for arbitrary observation and measurement statistics. In addition, a closed-form expression is obtained in the case of Gaussian observations and measurement noise. Numerical examples are presented to explain the results.


The centrifugal pump of pressurized water reactor (PWR) in nuclear power plant is characterized by its complicated system, small accumulated data and fault samples. HMM has a strong ability to deal with time series modeling for dynamic process, while SVM has excellent generalization ability to solve the learning problems with small samples. This paper develops a state monitoring system based on the hybrid HMM/SVM model. The wavelet analysis techniques are used to extract features and the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are used as the basic modeling and identification tools. The identification results of centrifugal pump show that the hybrid HMM/SVM system is effective and available for the state monitoring of the centrifugal pump of PWR in nuclear power plan.


Deterministic optimization may lead to unreliable design results if significant uncertainty exists. Including reliability constraints in reliability-based design (RBD) can solve such a problem. It is difficult to use current RBD methods to deal with time- and space-independent reliability when responses vary randomly with respect to time and space. This study employs an envelope method for time- and space-dependent reliability for the optimal design. To achieve high accuracy, we propose an inverse envelope method that converts a time- and space-dependent limit-state function into a time- and space-independent counterpart and then use the second order saddlepoint approximation to compute the probability of failure. The strategy is to find an equivalent most probable point for a given permitted probability of failure for each reliability constraint. To achieve high efficiency, we use a sequential optimization process to decouple the double-loop structure of RBD. The overall optimization is performed with a sequence of cycles consisting of deterministic optimization and reliability analysis. The constraints of the deterministic optimization are formulated using the equivalent most probable points. The accuracy and efficiency are demonstrated with four examples, including one mathematical problem and three engineering problems.


Purpose/objectives: The move to the Accountable Care Organization model of care calls for broad-sweeping structural, operational, and cultural changes in our health care systems. The use of predictive modeling as part of the discharge process is used as a way to highlight just one of the common processes that will need to be transformed to maximize reimbursement under the Accountable Care Organization model. The purpose of this article is to summarize what has been learned about predictive modeling from the population health management industry perspective, to discuss how that knowledge might be applied to discharge planning in the Accountable Care Organization model of patient care, and then to outline how the Accountable Care Organization environment presents various challenges, opportunities, and implications for the case management role. Primary Practice Setting(s): Hospitals, physician practices. Findings/Conclusions: The development of predictive models to identify patients at risk for readmission is described and how such models can positively impact the discharge planning process by lowering readmission rates. Examples of the structural, operational, cultural, and case management role changes necessary to maximize the benefits of an Accountable Care Organization are described. Implications for Case Management Practice: There is a growing need for advanced practice nurses to fill the leadership, resource management, analytical, informatics-based, and organizational development roles that are sorely needed to advance the Accountable Care Organization model of care. Case managers are well-positioned to lend their expertise to the development efforts, but they will need to be educationally prepared for the many advanced practice roles that will emerge as our nation evolves this new system of health care delivery.


In this note we analyse various stability properties of a max-min fair rate control protocol (RCP) operating with small buffers. We first tackle the issue of stability for networks with arbitrary topologies. We prove that the max-min fair RCP fluid model is globally stable in the absence of propagation delays, and also derive a set of conditions for local stability when arbitrary heterogeneous propagation delays are present. The network delay stability result assumes that, at equilibrium, there is only one bottleneck link along each route. Lastly, in the simpler setting of a single link, single delay model, we investigate the impact of the loss of local stability via a Hopf bifurcation.


COVID-19 is a pandemic faced by almost every country in the world, this has resulted in health crisis. Due to COVID-19, all the countries around the world have decided to close all educational institutes to prevent this pandemic. Educational institutes have taken every possible measure to minimize the impact of the closure of schools and introduce the concept of an online education system which is not only a massive shock for parents but it also affects the children's learning process and social life. The educational applications (Apps) are very important, because they offer more opportunities for development and growth to society. In this pandemic situation, educational Apps like Zoom, HEC LMS, Google Classroom, and Skype, etc. are the need of the hour when everything goes online. In this paper, the usability features of online educational Apps are thoroughly discussed including the effectiveness and usability for students. Using the results obtained from the survey, this paper observes the student's perspective of usefulness of online educational Apps in student's learning process of different age groups. It also analyzes the easiness for students to understand, interact and use these Apps.


The characterization and the description of phenomena that involve fractured and karstic aquifers remains an open issue that calls the attention of numerous researchers belonging to different disciplinary fields as far as the aspects linked both to shallow and to subsoil phenomena are concerned. The geologic knowledge of these phenomena proves to be of high importance especially if considered in relationship with water resource exploitation, with the problems linked to contamination and the ones lined to urban and industrial development of the territory. The examined area is located in the city centre of Bari, inside a geomorphologically depressed zone named "lago di Marisabella" and is heavily contaminated by hydrocarbons. Nowadays this area is object of an intense scientific panel discussion because of issues linked to groundwater remediation as well as to the realization of a fill in the bend of Marisabella, located downstream to the examined area. The realization of the landfill has required the development of a detailed local scale hydrogeologic model in order to evaluate the effects on groundwater flow and contaminant propagation. The present work emphasizes the importance of the realization of a detailed geological model of the aquifer that supports the hydrogeologic model in that it permits to widen considerably the comprehension of fluid flow and solute transport phenomena; it can allow consequently to implement conceptually plausible numerical models that make use of adequate state variables (permeability, porosity, solution features) and boundary conditions adherent to reality. This permits to optimize any anthropic intervention that can involve this environmental matrix. Key-Words: sequential indicator simulation, fractured, karstic, contamination, flow, transport


Objective. Depending on physiological context, the adipokine chemerin can reduce or enhance cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether chemerin concentrations represent cardiovascular disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. We assessed ELISA-determined chemerin concentrations and those of 4 early endothelial activation molecules as well as angiopoietin 2, which mediates angiogenesis and thereby contributes to advanced atherosclerosis, the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), and carotid artery plaque by ultrasound in 236 patients (114 black and 122 white) with RA. Relationships were identified in potential confounder and mediator-adjusted mixed regression models. Results. Mean (SD) chemerin and median (interquartile range) angiopoietin 2 concentrations were 114 (35) ng/ml and 2560 (2044–3341) pg/ml, respectively; the mean (SD) cIMT was 0.708 (0.110) mm, and 40.3% of patients had plaque. Chemerin concentrations were not related to those of early endothelial activation molecules, but associated with those of angiopoietin 2 [β SE = 0.002 (0.0004), p < 0.0001] and plaque [OR 1.006 (95% CI 1.00–1.013), p = 0.05] in all patients. The presence of major conventional cardiovascular risk factors, generalized and abdominal obesity, and RA severity markers modified the independent chemerin-cardiovascular risk relations (interaction p < 0.05). Consequently, chemerin concentrations were associated with cIMT in those with but not without overweight or generalized obesity and abdominal obesity [β SE = 0.001 (0.0003), p = 0.005 and 0.001 (0.0001), p = 0.001 vs −0.001 (0.0004), p = 0.2 and −0.0002 (0.0004), p = 0.6, respectively], and with plaque in those without but not with generalized obesity [OR 1.008 (95% CI) 1.000–1.016, p = 0.03 vs 1.003 (0.990–1.017), p = 0.6, respectively]. The β (SE) for the chemerin-intima-media thickness relations in patients with overweight or generalized obesity and abdominal obesity were larger than in those without these characteristics (p < 0.0001 and = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion. Chemerin is associated with endothelial activation and atherosclerosis in RA. Adiposity influences the chemerin-atherosclerotic phenotype relations in RA.


This study investigated how the mechanical properties of L-shape joints produced from heat 16 treated Scotch pine or ash wood behaved under cyclic fatigue loading and compared this with 17 the mechanical properties of non-heat treated wood materials. Additionally, static bending 18 performances of the L-shape of joints were investigated and compared to fatigue bending 19 performance of same type of joints. Results indicated that increasing number of staple from 6 20 to 8 and density generally increased static bending of L-shape joints. Static bending resistance 21 of L-shape joints produced from control Ash wood significantly higher than those of L-shape 22 joints produced from heat treated Ash wood while no significant difference were observed 23 between static bending resistance L-shape joints produced from control Scotch pine and L24 shape joints produced from heat treated Scotch pine wood. The fatigue bending resistances of 25 L-shape joints produced from heat treated samples generally passed and failed the same loading 26 steps with those produced from control samples which means both L-shape joints could be used 27 in same service area. L-shape joints under static and fatigue loadings mostly indicated staple 28 leg shear mode. The one under fatigue loading was more than the one under static loading. 29 Additionally, some joints under fatigue loading indicated staple rupture. The overall ratio of 30 static bending loading to cyclic fatigue bending loading for L-shape joints was obtained as 31 2.85. 32


Ultra low energy ion implantation with high beam current is required for shallow junction formation. Due to space charge limits in low energy ion beam transport, it is necessary to extract ion beams at higher energy (>1 kV) and decelerate them to a target energy as low as 100 eV near the process wafers. Energy contamination due to energetic neutral particles that result from charge exchanges between beam ions and bean-dine residual gas molecules before and during deceleration, increases proportionally with beamline pressure and is difficult to be prevented without sacrificing beam currents substantially. AIBT has developed a method or energy contamination control. Both electrical and magnetic fields are applied to the deceleration region so that the energetic neutral particles created before and during beam deceleration are guided to neutral beam blockers instead of the wafers. The energy contamination is negligible though the beamline pressure is as high as 1E-4torr. This method maximizes beam current performance at ultra low energy and gives easy implant control since the beamline pressure does not affect energy contamination level in our system.


This letter studies the power distribution over K blocks of coded information to support a certain rate in Rayleigh- fading channels given the causal channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT). For K = 2, we shall show that since the channel in the future is random, the optimal power policy tends to pour all the power for the first block, which disables the time diversity. By introducing outage capacity as a constraint, time-diversity can be unleashed by stochastically distributing the power among the blocks. For K = 2, we derive the stochastic- optimal power allocation in closed-form for the transmit power minimization problem subject to an outage capacity constraint. For K > 2, we propose to minimize the power by constraining the upper bound of the outage probability, and in so doing, the problem is convex which permits to derive the optimal power policy. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed power policy exploiting CSIT gives significant power reduction when compared to an equal-power policy.


Background Macassar kernels (Rhus javanica L.) has potential as an antiaging agent as it has antielastase activity, especially its stem extract which has best percent inhibition compared to its leaves and fruit extract. Moreover, the antiaging agent can be commonly used in the form of gel for topical applications. Hence, formulation of HEC-based topical gel from the stem extract of Macassar kernels was conducted. This study aims to determine the antielastase activity of the stem extract of Macassar kernels and evaluate the skin elasticity of its topical gel formulation by conducting dermatological safety and skin antiaging efficacy test. Methods The stem extract was in vitro tested for antielastase activity using a microplate reader. Then, a formulation of a topical gel containing Rhus javanica stem extract was made. Five stages of quality control, which consisted of an organoleptic test, homogeneity test, pH measurement, viscosity measurement, and physicochemical stability test, were conducted to ensure the quality of topical gel formulation. Last, clinical studies were conducted to evaluate the dermatological safety and antiaging efficacy of gel preparation containing stem extract of Rhus javanica. Results. The stem extract provided antielastase activity (IC50 = 245.68 μg/mL), and its polyphenol was valued at 23.28 ± 1.52 mg GAE/g). The gel containing 10% stem extract had better stability than the gel containing 5% stem extract. The dermatology safety test and efficacy test results indicated that the topical gel containing 10% Rhus javanica stem extract did not cause any skin irritation and significantly improved skin elasticity (p < 0.05). In the treatment group, the moisture parameter was significantly changed on day 14 (p < 0.0001), day 21 (p < 0.0001), and day 29 (p < 0.0001). The elasticity parameter was also changed significantly on day 14 (p=0.0485), day 21 (p=0.0537), and day 29 (p=0.0002). Conclusion The stem extract of Rhus javanica has potential antielastase activity. The topical gel containing Rhus javanica stem extract also has potential antielastase activity by increasing the skin moisture and enhancing skin elasticity.


INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (RALP) and External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) are standard treatments for clinically localized prostate cancer, but both of these treatments have negative consequences for urinary and sexual function in patients. PURPOSE: To compare changes in urinary and sexual function for men treated with RALP and EBRT. HYPOTHESIS: It was hypothesized that patients treated with EBRT would have better recovery of sexual function, and patients treated with RALP would have better recovery of urinary function. METHODS: Urinary and sexual function for patients treated for prostate cancer was examined using Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaires. These questionnaires were completed before treatment and two years after initial treatment in 32 men treated with EBRT, and 104 men treated with RALP. The difference between initial treatment scores and 2-year scores were analyzed with a general linear model(GLM) procedure to assess the quality of life outcomes for EBRT and RALP. RESULTS: No significant difference was found for change in urinary function for either treatment group (p = 0.41). EBRT was found to significantly increase recovery sexual function compared to RALP (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: EBRT is a superior treatment for preserving sexual function in men with prostate cancer, whereas there is no significant difference in recovery of urinary function. Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal Fischer Volume 12 Issue 1 Winter 2018 2 Fig 1. Anatomy of the Prostate (1) Ureter, (2) Vas Deferens, (3) Bladder, (4) Seminal Vesicle (5) Prostate (6) Urethra from Martin Allums;


The first three chapters examine the school leaving age in elementary and secondary schools before the establishmentof a national compulsory elementary system of education between 1870 and 1880. When elementary education had become compulsory there was a minimum school leaving age of ten which was related to a minimum standard of education. The remaining chapters are mainly concerned with the legislation which raised the minimum leaving age from ten to fifteen with the provision for it to be raised to sixteen. There are, however, two chapters which survey the school leaving age in secondary schools at the end of the nineteenth century and developments in these schools up to the Second World War. Although legislation relating to the school leaving age applied almost entirely to elementary education, these two chapters provide an important link in the main theme; for the final minimum leaving age was closely related to the leaving age which had been considered desirable, though not legally enforced, in secondary education. This study, in which special consideration has been given to the legislation concerned with the raising of the school leaving age, shows how an educational question with social and economic implications was increasingly linked with political issues. The attitude of parents, employers, teachers and other pressure groups are examined. Changes in public opinion are noted. The concluding chapter attempts to review the main facets in the overall process of raising the school leaving age.


Aim: The aim of this study was to further evaluate the suggested independent association of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with incident metabolic syndrome (MetS) in men. Research design and methods: We used data from 1906 men aged 20–79 years from the population‐based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). Multivariable logistic regression models were implemented to analyse cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of total testosterone (TT), SHBG, and free testosterone (free T) concentrations with MetS. Furthermore, we associated changes between baseline and follow-up concentrations of TT, SHBG, and free T with incident MetS. Results: Cross-sectional logistic regression models revealed a significant inverse association of TT (odds ratio [OR] per standard deviation [SD] decrease: 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10–1.50), and free T (OR per SD decrease: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.11–1.51), but not SHBG (OR per SD decrease: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.98–1.30) with prevalent MetS. At the 5-year follow-up 1435 men were repeatedly examined and of the 956 men without baseline MetS, 328 men (34.3%) had incident MetS. Longitudinal analyses showed, after adjustment for the respective sex hormone, that lower baseline SHBG (OR per SD decrease: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.03–1.65), but not TT (OR per SD decrease: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.93–1.39) was associated with incident MetS. Change analyses revealed an inverse association between TT change and incident MetS (OR per SD decrease between baseline and follow-up: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01–1.39), independent of SHBG; whereas SHBG change was not associated with incident MetS until adjustment for TT. Conclusions: Although baseline SHBG predicts incident MetS independent of testosterone, change analyses suggest the testosterone decline as the main driver of the association between sex hormones and MetS.


2018 TSLAC Rolling Library DIY online guides. Shared makerspace resources between BSB, Patrick Heath, New Braunfels, Johnson City, Tye Preston, and Blanco libraries.


In May 1968, in the western jungle of Vietnam near Laos, a Special Forces Company under the command of an Australian army captain, supported by a U.S. Marine artillery detachment, occupied an old French fort on a hill known as Ngok Tavak. Though the ensuing battle and subsequent retreat appeared relatively insignificant, they proved to have much wider implications. Nearly every major force in South Vietnam was involved, and the battles bloody ending came to stand as a microcosm of what went wrong in the war. In its wake Ngok Tavak left issues that cried out for resolution for decades afterwards. After interviewing battle survivors and American soldiers families, and searching through accounts from official reports that included Vietnamese documents, eyewitness statements, and war diaries, Bruce Davies pieces together the evidence that puts Ngok Tavak in context and addresses questions that still haunt those involved.


The performances of a dual-pump parametric and Raman amplification process and the wavelength conversion in silicon waveguides are investigated. By setting the Raman contribution fraction f to be 0.043 in our analytical model, the amplification gain of the probe signal can be obtained to be over 10 dB. The pump transfer noise (PTN), the quantum noise (QN), and the total noise figure (TNF) are discussed, and the TNF has a constant value of about 4 dB in the gain bandwidth. An idler signal generated during the parametric amplification (PA) process can be used to realize the wavelength conversion in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems. In addition, the pump signal parameters, the generated free carrier lifetime and effective mode area (EMA) of the waveguide are analysed for the optimization of signal gain and noise characteristics.


In order to spur the automotive and electronic industries to meet domestic needs and compete in the era of globalization, the development of manufacturing industries is not only based on large-scale industries, but also needs to be developed into Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The obstacles faced today are limited capital, human resources (HR), product development and marketing procedures. PT BesQ Sarana Abadi is a small and medium business (UKM) engaged in the business of making rubber parts. In order to improve competitiveness, PT BesQ Sarana Abadi is researched with the formulation of the right competitiveness strategy. The objectives of the study are: (1) to identify factors that influence the competitive advantage of rubber and automotive parts products; (2) analyzing internal and external factors that affect the competitiveness of rubber and automotive parts industry products using the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) and External Factor Evaluation (EFE) methods; (3) develop competitiveness strategies for the automotive and electronic spare parts products industry using Internal-External (IE) methods and Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) and Balance Score Cards (BSC); (4) formulating priority strategies to improve the competitiveness of rubber and automotive parts industry products using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) method. From the analysis results, there are many weaknesses in the company. In this case a high opportunity value causes the company to operate, because in the IFE matrix the value of strength is greater than the value of weakness. In the EFE matrix, the opportunity value is greater than the threat. With the SWOT and BSC methods identified strategies needed, set the priority of the strategy by using the QSPM method.


Recent discussions on the use of metaphor have centered on how it may be used in a way that has been said to require mandatory attention to the fact that it is metaphorical, resulting in what has come to be known as deliberate metaphor (Steen, 2008). While metaphor deliberateness and conventionality/novelty are conceptually distinct, associations are likely to exist in practice. This article focuses on the deliberate use of conventional metaphor in images, by way of examining the use of animate and anthropomorphic metaphors in an instance of corporate branding discourse (i.e., the prospectuses of Singapore's corporatized universities). Through our analysis, we show that deliberate conventional metaphor serves to reinforce particular conceptualizations rather than effect radical conceptual change. Moreover, we discuss visual and multimodal metaphor as deliberate if used in carefully crafted texts and draw on the notion of an image's connotative meaning to point out how such deliberateness can be further accentuated. The article concludes by discussing some implications for how the degree of conventionality is likely to have an effect on how deliberate metaphor achieves its key objective of changing addressees' concepts of a particular Target.


This work presents a literature review study for fruit detecting and grading system based on image processing techniques. Different types of algorithms are available to extract feature of fruit characters by capturing the fruit image. With the help of this feature fruit is detected and graded according to quality of fruit this can be done using different types of classifier. The grading system has the advantage of high accuracy, high speed and low cost. It will have a good scene of application in fruit quality detecting and grading areas. This work aimed to study different types of algorithms used for quality grading to developed an algorithm for detecting and sorting of fruit from the acquire image. The feature such as morphological feature is used and colour can be extracted which is further more used to identify class of the fruit using neural network.


Background HCV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-coinfected patients. Several observational studies have suggested that HCV response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin is lower in HIV-coinfected patients treated with abacavir. It has been postulated that abacavir could compete with ribavirin to be phosphorylated, leading to a reduction in the active form of the drug (triphosphorylated ribavirin). Here, we studied the effect of abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine addition on the suppressive activity of ribavirin in an HCV RNA replicon system. Methods We used the human hepatoma HuH-7 cell clone 9B containing the HCV genotype 1b replicon I389/ NS3-3'. Cells were treated for 24 h with ribavirin (0, 10 and 50 μM) plus abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine at doses of 0, 10 and 50 μM and HCV RNA production was quantified by real-time PCR in triplicate assays. Results were expressed as mean ±sd of the HCV RNA produced per cell (log10 IU/cell). Means were compared using the Student's t-test. Results Ribavirin treatment produced a dose-dependent suppression of HCV RNA production by the replicon system. Combination of ribavirin and interferon resulted in an additive antiviral activity. The addition of abacavir did not modify the suppressive activity of ribavirin on the replicon HCV RNA expression. Similar results were obtained when ribavirin was used in combination with tenofovir or lamivudine. Conclusions In a subgenomic HCV RNA replicon system, the antiviral effect of ribavirin was not modified by the addition of abacavir, tenofovir or lamivudine.


Class-action litigation has found its way to ERISA in quite a high-profile fashion. In so called "stock-drop" and "indirect-fee" cases, among others, plan participants acting as class representatives have asserted on behalf of a broader group of participants that plan fiduciaries have breached their duties to the detriment of the plan. But what if the putative class representatives have generally released claims against their employer, and a host of other parties connected with the employer? Would they be barred from bringing their claims? A quick review of the cases might lead one to conclude that releases are not effective to forestall a participant's effort to bring a class action. In case after case, courts conclude that general releases do not bar the bringing of ERISA fiduciary claims, and in a number of cases plaintiffs have been permitted to continue with claims notwithstanding their having given general releases. But maybe the courts have been saying that there is something about the particular releases on which they are ruling that renders them ineffective to forestall the fiduciary claims at issue. As illustrated by the reasoning in the December 2009 Schering-Plough case, maybe a particular release or covenant not to sue could, depending on how it is drafted, indeed be sufficient to act as a defense to a class representative's purported claim.


Random matrix theory is now a big subject with applications in many disciplines of science, engineering and finance. This article is a survey specifically oriented towards the needs and interests of a numerical analyst. This survey includes some original material not found anywhere else. We include the important mathematics which is a very modern development, as well as the computational software that is transforming the theory into useful practice.


Background: Unreasonable tasks will increase the person's physical load, leading to safety accidents and occupational diseases. To ensure a reasonable physical load and improve the operational efficiency of the person as far as possible, it is necessary to predict and evaluate the physical load of workers in real-time.Objective: A prediction model of the physical load intensity of the human body based on a neural network was established, and its effectiveness was verified.Methods: Twelve volunteers completed four movements walking, jogging, climbing, and jumping. The surface electromyography (sEMG) on the left and right sides of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris was measured, and the motor posture of volunteers was obtained by Vicon, the joint torque, maximum muscle activity, and muscular force parameters were calculated based on the reverse dynamic model of human motion. The sEMG eigenvalue and mechanical load parameters in different postures were considered input and output, respectively, and 80% of all data were used as the training set and the rest as the validation set.Results: In this study, we found that the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint have a sizeable joint torque during movement, in which the joint torque of the ankle joint is the largest and twice human body weight at its peak. Besides, a larger muscle load occurs at the beginning and end of contact between the human foot and the ground, and the muscle strength of the rectus femoris was significantly higher than that of the biceps femoris (p<0.05). The number of neurons in the input layer, an output layer, and a hidden layer of the model is 32, 13, and 12, respectively. This study found that the prediction error of maximum muscle activity was 6.4%. The average prediction error of joint torque was 8.7%, and the prediction error of the muscular force of the rectus femoris muscle was no more than 9.5%. This model can reasonably predict the physical load of the human body.Conclusions: A workload evaluation model based on the BP neural network was established in this research, which can analyze the biomechanics of the human body in motion and judge the human body's physical load effectively according to the EMG signal.Application: This model can measure the body load of soldiers and firefighters in real-time during task training and provide a reference for task design.


Crossover femoral-popliteal or femoral-tibial bypass has been employed as an alternative extra-anatomic bypass in 3 patients who had occlusion of an iliac artery with subsequent occlusion of the ipsilateral femoral artery with patency of either a popliteal or tibial artery and a patency of the contralateral common femoral artery. Each patient had a contraindication to a more conventional type of procedure. All procedures were performed with reinforced PTFE grafts. All grafts have remained patent for 6 months to 3 years. This operation should be considered as an alternative extra-anatomic reconstructive procedure in patients with the appropriate anatomy and who are not candidates for more standard types of vascular reconstruction.


There has been growing interest in developing new semiconducting polymers for applications in optoelectronics (OLEDs) due to their exceptional processability and appealing characteristic of manipulating electronic and optical properties by tuning of molecular structure and self-assembling. This study is an investigation on the interplay among supermolecular organization and optical properties of thin films of the poly[2-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-5-methoxy]-1, 4-phenylenedifluorovinylene (MEH-PPDFV) conjugated polymer, which has fluorinated vinylene units. This interplay is elucidated exploiting atomic force microscopy, spectroscopy ellipsometry, photoluminescence and electroluminescence. Thin films of MEH-PPDFV have been deposited by drop casting on indium-tin-oxide (ITO), quartz and glass substrates. The dependence of polymer chains self-organization and morphology on substrate surface is presented. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the presence of F-atoms in the vinylene units of the MEH-PPDFV yields a blue optical band gap with the maximum of the fundamental HOMO-LUMO transition at 331 nm and photoluminescence at 458 nm. The OLED built with the above polymer shows a very stable blue-greenish electroluminescence that is also achieved at 504 nm.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the possibility of maternal-fetal vertical transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) via amniotic fluid.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Specimens of cervical secretions from 30 pregnant women were obtained during the third trimester before rupture of membrane, and specimens of pharyngeal secretions of their neonates were obtained 12-48 h after birth. Amniotic fluids were collected in 13 pregnant women during cesarean section. The presence of HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 38 deoxyribonucleic acid were detected by consensus polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS
HPV deoxyribonucleic acid was found in 16 cervical secretions, 14 pharyngeal secretions and in 3 amniotic fluids, the positive rate was 53.3%, 46.7%, 23.1% respectively. The pharyngeal secretion was also HPV positive in one of the three neonates from the amniotic fluid positive mothers.

CONCLUSION
The results indicate that HPV can be transmitted in utero through amniotic fluid and cesarean section can not protect the neonates against vertical transmission completely.


ABSTRACT Background and purpose of the study: The vasorelaxant action of the dihydropyridines (DHPs) provides many useful clinical indications. However, their negative effects on cardiac contractility is still of a great concern especially in patients with heart failure. Design and synthesis of dual action compounds, i. e. smooth muscle calcium channel antagonist/cardiac muscle calcium channel agonist provides better and safer compounds particularly in patients with compromised cardiac contractility. In the present study, dual cardioselective Ca2+ channel agonists / vascular selective smooth muscle Ca2+ channel antagonists as third generation of DHP drugs were synthesized by a reported method. Methods: Synthetic procedure involved condensation of isopropyl-3-aminocrotonate with nitroacetone and 1-methyl-5-nitroimidazole2-carboxaldehyde and condensation of alkylacetoacetates with 3-aminocrotonitryl and 1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde for the preparation of 1,4-Dihydo-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro and cyano-4-(1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-pyridinecarboxylates, respectively. The in vitro effects of the synthesized compounds were evaluated on longitudal Smooth Muscle (GPILSM) and Guinea Pig Left Atrium (GPLA) preparations and finally, their conformations and structure-activity relationships were assessed. Results and major conclusion: All compounds showed calcium channel antagonist activity on isolated guinea pig ileum and some of them showed calcium channel agonist effects (or positive inotropic effect instead of calcium channel agonist effect) on isolated guinea-pig left atrium. QSAR and conformational analyses showed that conformation and charge of aryl substituents at C4 position have a main role in antagonistic activity while carbonyl group at C5 position plays an important role in agonistic effects.


Cervantes's play Los baños de Argel has received ample attention for the study of captivity, the interrelations between Muslims and Christians in the Mediterranean and the fictionalization of Cervantes's own experience. In this article, I focus on the analysis of a short passage of the third act in which Christian captives celebrate Easter with three different public performances: a mass, a musical interlude with the participation of Moorish musicians, and the staging of a pastoral drama. By contextualizing my analysis within the process of eradicating the Moorish legacy from Spanish culture, I show that the conflicting reencounter of Christian captives with cultural hybridity underscores the quandaries of creating a "pure national culture" in early modern Spain by exposing the pastoral mode as a vehicle for articulating Iberian anxieties over cultural sameness and difference.


Recent advances in microstructural characterization have made it possible to measure grain boundaries and their networks in full crystallographic detail. Statistical studies of the complete boundary space using full crystallographic parameters (misorientations and boundary plane inclinations) are limited because the topology of the parameter space is not understood (especially for homophase grain boundaries). This paper addresses some of the complexities associated with the group space of grain boundaries, and resolves the topology of the complete boundary space for systems of two-dimensional crystals. Although the space of homophase boundaries is complicated by the existence of a 'no-boundary' singularity, i.e., no boundary exists when the misorientation is zero, here it is shown that this singularity can be removed owing to a second special symmetry. Specifically, "grain exchange symmetry" refers to the indistinguishability of the adjoining grains at a homophase boundary, and results in symmetrically equivalent descriptions of the boundary. This symmetry affects the topology of misorientation spaces, removes the 'no-boundary' singularity, and permits the identification of the space topology for two-dimensional crystals with various point symmetries. For crystals of C1 and C3 point symmetry, the homophase grain boundary space is shown to be D2, while for C2, C4, and C6 symmetries it is RP1.


Contrary to a driven classical system that exhibits chaos phenomena and diffusive energy growth, a driven quantum system can exhibit dynamical localization that features energy saturation. However, the evolution of the dynamically localized state in the presence of many-body interactions has long remained an open question. Here we experimentally study an interacting 1D ultracold gas periodically kicked by a pulsed optical lattice, and observe the interaction-driven emergence of dynamical delocalization and many-body quantum chaos. The observed dynamics feature a sub-diffusive energy growth manifest over a broad parameter range of interaction and kick strengths, and shed light on an area where theoretical approaches are extremely challenging.


OBJECTIVES: In this paper we review alternative non pharmacological treatments for patients with epilepsy, both focal and generalized, which are resistant to the pharmacological treatment normally used. DEVELOPMENT: Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a recently used palliative technique whose mechanism is not clearly understood. We analyze the clinical trials reported to date and the main indications and contra indications. Although the ketogenic diet (KD) has been used since the 1920s, recently there has been renewed interest in using it. Several papers have been published describing its use in children with epilepsy which was difficult to control. The complex metabolic and endocrine aspects of this type of diet make it difficult to select patients who may benefit from it. Gamma knife surgery is a new technique which has been discussed in this paper since it has been recently used in cases of refractory epilepsy, especially temporal medial epilepsy and hypothalamic hamartomas. CONCLUSIONS: VNS and KD are alternative treatments which may be used in patients whose condition cannot be satisfactorily controlled by pharmacological treatment and are not candidates for the surgery of epilepsy. Gamma knife surgery is a surgical technique which has recently been introduced for the treatment of these patients.


Five different species of Eimeria viz. E. acervulina , E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. tenella and E. brunetti were identified. The highest percentage (50%) was found with mixed infection. Specieswise infection with E. tenella was recorded in the present study. Monthwise highest prevalence rate (50%) was observed in March and the lowest (10%) in the months of April and September. Seasonwise prevalence showed the highest prevalence rate (33%) in the summer and spring, and the least (14%) in the autumn. The agewise prevalence was the highest (48%) in the 31-45 days age group and the least (6%) in 0-15 days age group of layers. The coccidiosis was found highly prevalence in mud/mud+brick type floor than in concrete type floor farms. Key words: Coccidiosis; Eimeria; infection; layers; percentage; summer; spring Journal of Natural History Museum Vol. 23, 2008 Page 45-50


This paper suggests how the targeting efficiency of government programmes may be better assessed. Using the 'pro-poor policy' (PPP) index developed by authors, the study investigates the pro-poorness of not only government programmes geared to the poorest segment of the population, but also basic service delivery in education, health and infrastructure. This paper also shows that the targeting efficiency for a particular socioeconomic group should be judged on the basis of a 'total-group PPP index', to capture the impact of operating a programme within the group. Using micro-unit data from household surveys, the paper presents a comparative analysis for Thailand, Russia, Vietnam and 15 African countries.


The eye spear, or an absorbent sponge-like material, has been proposed as a useful method of obtaining repeated saliva samples from infants and young children for cortisol determination. This brief report examines possible interference effects of different types of eye spears under conditions of relatively high and low cortisol levels, with or without the use of oral stimulant, and using two common assays. In Study 1, one type of eye spear was compared to passively collected drool using two different assays (EIA, DELFIA), across high and low concentrations of cortisol. No differences were found between methods for either assay or cortisol level, indicating that the spears are potentially a viable method of collecting saliva. Study 2 compared three other types of absorbent eye spears to passive drooling under the presence or absence of oral stimulant use. This study revealed that the degree of interference varied as a function of the specific type of eye spear that was employed; stimulant use had no effect. Taken together, the results raise important considerations to take into account when selecting collection materials and procedures in the measurement of salivary cortisol.


Sparse representations have been found to provide high classification accuracy in many fields. Their drawback is the high computational load. In this work, we propose a novel cascaded classifier structure to speed up the decision process while utilizing sparse signal representation. In particular, we apply the cascaded decision process for noise robust automatic speech recognition task. The cascaded decision process is implemented using a feedforward neural network (NN) and time sparse versions of a non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) based sparse classification method of [1]. The recognition accuracy of our cascade is among the three best in the recent CHiME2013 benchmark and obtains six times faster the accuracy of NMF alone as in [1].


This study investigates the determinants that influence a firm's decision to use external private equity in agriculture. The use of external equity as a funding source in agriculture has increased since 1990; however, the literature addressing this phenomenon is limited. The asset specificity approach (Williamson 1988) offers insightful contributions to understand the choice of financial mechanisms. Specifically, financial structure is related to asset specificity, the extent to which assets are redeployable to alternative uses, a particularly important attribute in agricultural production. I construct an international dataset of companies that receive external private equity finance to test the determinants of using external equity finance. Results show that the attributes of the assets involved in agriculture are important determinants of financing choices.


Surface-modified TiO2 nanofibers (NFs) with tunable visible-light photoactive catalysts were synthesised through electrospinning, followed by a sulfidation process. The utilization of sodium-based sulfidation precursors effectively led to the diffusion and integration of sulfur impurities into TiO2, modifying its band function. The optical band function of the sulfur-modified TiO2 NFs can be easily manipulated from 3.17 eV to 2.28 eV through surface modification, due to the creation of oxygen vacancies through the sulfidation process. Sulfidating TiO2 NFs introduces Ti–S-based nanograins and oxygen vacancies on the surface that favor the TiO2–TiS3 core–shell interface. These defect states extend the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 NFs under visible irradiation and improve effective carrier separation and the production of reactive oxygen species. The surface oxygen vacancies and the Ti–S-based surface nanograins serve as charge traps and act as adsorption sites, improving the carrier mobility and avoiding charge recombination. The diffused S-modified TiO2 NFs exhibit a degradation rate of 0.0365 cm−1 for RhB dye solution, which is 4.8 times higher than that of pristine TiO2 NFs under visible irradiation. By benefiting from the sulfur states and oxygen vacancies, with a narrowed band gap of 2.3 eV, these nanofibers serve as suitable localized states for effective carrier separation.


Through a review of some of the major works by Carl Schmitt, the author identifies a reflection on Dostoyevsky by the jurist of Plettenberg, starting from his essay Roman Catholicism and Political Form , published in 1925 (2nd ed.). The conflicting relationship between Carl Schmitt and the disturbing ecclesiological-political theory of the imaginary Cardinal of Seville from the fifth book of The Brothers Karamazov appears as a constant in Schmitt's reflection, sometimes explicitly, sometimes with references to decipher; from the insistence on the analogy between miracle and state of emergency in Political Theology , to the constant reminder of Donoso Cortes, "spiritual successor of the great inquisitors", and his anthropological pessimism. However, this position seems to undergo a change in the essay on Thomas Hobbes (1938) because of a recurring specific expression, also taken up in Ex captivitate salus , to define the historical and spiritual situation of the German intellectuals during the Nazi dictatorship. Keywords Schmitt, Dostoyevsky, Hobbes, Grand Inquisitor, miracle, silence, martyr, Donoso Cortes, Kierkegaard, Nazism.


Immunologic complications of chronic renal failure are associated with the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines by monocytes. This is partly due to renal failure itself but is further enhanced by hemodialysis treatment with frequent contact between blood and dialyzer membranes. Previous studies have shown an imbalance of proinflammatory and regulatory monokines in these patients. This study examines monokine production in hemodialysis patients using for the first time a very sensitive method of cytokine detection at a single-cell level by flow cytometry ("cytoflow technique"). Monocytes were stained intracellularly for the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 after 20 h of culture with lipopolysaccharide. It was shown that high levels of proinflammatory IL-6 in hemodialysis patients are due to an increased number of monocytes producing this cytokine, while IL-6 synthesis per cell remains unchanged. In contrast, elevated levels of regulatory IL-10 are due to an increased synthesis per cell. This study demonstrates that in healthy subjects there is a population of monocytes producing exclusively IL-10 after 20 h of stimulation by lipopolysaccharide. This distinct population of regulatory monocytes is infrequent in dialysis patients, in whom most of the IL-10-positive monocytes also produce IL-6. These findings indicate that overproduction of proinflammatory factors in dialysis patients is at least in part due to a loss of cytokine-specific differentiation in monocytes.


The increasing accumulation of space debris objects on earth orbits represents a risk for spaceflight missions. Particle impacts on satellites can lead to serious damages or even to the loss of a mission. In this paper the risk for historical and future satellite missions is analyzed separately. For historical satellite missions, the risk analysis is combined with cost estimations. Altogether 3893 satellites were examined and their analysis results evaluated. The failure probability of selected future satellite missions due to hypervelocity impacts from space debris is estimated for the years 2005 and 2055. The future evolution of the spatial density is predicted for a businessas-usual scenario which is based on the launch activity in the years preceding 2005. The predicted evolution of the space debris environment is discussed in terms of object sources and orbit altitudes. The analysis shows that an increase in the failure probability of satellites is likely.


Objective This essay was aimed at exploring and analysing the challenges and opportunities arising from reforming Colombian law 1438/2011 dealing with the healthcare-related social security system. Methods Some outstanding issues from the reform introduced by Law 100/1993 were reviewed and then compared to the 2011 regulations; they were also contrasted (in market model conditions) with some public health strategies which were inoperative during the reform stage. Results This second reform phase was discussed in relation to the scope of the right to health, access and overall equity. Progress regarding important issues such as benefit package equalisation, primary healthcare attention, integrated healthcare service networks was recognised; however, its failure to change core aspects of the system was discussed, i.e. financial sustainability and the economic rationale imposed on the aforementioned strategies which curtailed its responsiveness to keep the model introduced by law 100/1993 intact. Conclusion The crucial points necessary for major structural reform of the Colombian healthcare system based on the right to health and equity were then outlined.


A new denoising method for the diesel engine transient speed signal was proposed, especially for the signal seriously corrupted by impulsive noises. This method takes two steps. The first step is to do impulsive noise removing. An improved differential rank impulse detector was used to do impulsive noise detection in this paper. After the impulsive noise was detected, it was replaced by the median value of the window it was in. Then the second step low pass filtering is taking on. Experiments show that the proposed method could remove the noise of the acquired diesel transient speed signals effectively, the denoised signal could reflect the real working conditions of the diesel engine.


We address demand-side management of dispatchable loads in a residential microgrid by means of decentralized controllers deployed in each household. Controllers simultaneously optimize two possibly conflicting objectives: minimization of energy costs for the end user (considering a known, time-dependent tariff) and stabilization of the aggregate load profile (load flattening). The former objective can be optimized independently by each controller. On the other hand, the latter could benefit from a communication infrastructure that allows the controllers to explicitly exchange information and coordinate. To study how different levels of communication pervasiveness affect system performance, we developed a realistic micro-simulation environment accounting for the behavior of residents, dispatchable and non-dispatchable household loads, and the effects on the distribution network. We considered a generic model of communication among household controllers, not tied to any specific technology, and based on the partitioning of the households in a number of groups (neighborhoods). Controllers within the same neighborhood enjoy full connectivity, but cannot interact with controllers outside of their neighborhood. Through extensive simulation experiments, we observed that even communication neighborhoods constituted by as few as 3-4 households are sufficient to effectively stabilize the aggregate network load profile, with minimal bandwidth consumption. Increasing the neighborhood size leads to comparatively negligible performance improvements. We conclude that effective load flattening can be achieved with minimal requirements of communication infrastructure and transmitted information.


The geometry plays an important influence on the performance of jet reactors. Based on the fast process of acid-base neutralization, the effects of geometric parameters such as the angle of diffuser, ratio of nozzle diameter to mixing chamber diameter and the position of nozzle on mixing and reaction characteristics were analyzed using CFD in detail. The results demonstrated that: (1) an optimum ratio of nozzle diameter to mixing chamber diameter was obtained, namely 0.35. If the ratio value is larger than 0.35, the conversion rate in the jet reactor decreases, whereas if the value is smaller than 0.35, the conversion rate can not improve any more but the pressure drop increases; (2) the larger the distance between the nozzle outlet and the inlet of mixing chamber, the faster the reaction proceed is. The optimum results can be acquired when the nozzle outlet shares the same plane with the centerline of the suction inlet; (3) the smaller the angle of diffuser section, the higher conversion rate in the same cross section can be achieved and at the same time, the bigger of the pressure drop is needed.


To the Editor: We commend Dr Thomas and Dr Ritchie for an excellent review of the preoperative assessment of the older adult. I The article sheds light on the risk of surgical mortality in older people. We felt, however, that a similar mention of the morbidity and potential deconditioning associated with surgery would have contributed to the completeness of the preoperative assessment. As the current emphasis in geriatrics is heavily on functional and life quality outcomes, surgical risk is best determined using the same parameters. Although our search of the recent literature failed to identify studies focusing on postoperative deconditioning, a wealth of evidence exists regarding the complications of immobilization, including iatrogenic bedrest and immobility. Physiologic studies have established that bedrest leads to multisystem deconditioning affecting the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and central nervous systems. Such adverse consequences include orthostatic sensitivty and hypotension, muscle atrophy, whic~ i~ wo~se in the legs, joint contractures, and others.: Acute delirium IS another well known complication of the environmental challenge of a hospital admission. Although not measured in terms of ADL and loss of functional independence, functional decline was shown to occur in the setting of acute hospitalization despite improvement in t?e acute illness.: It is very possible that in marginally functional older persons, the above changes may translate into loss of mobility and of functional independence. The extent of deconditioning is highly dependent on the premorbid condition and is proportionate to the length of iatrogenic immobilization. No time period, however, was found to be completely safe in this regard. Given the acute nature of su.rgery, it seems that in most cases the loss of independence will be temporary and functional recovery will occur. Unfortunately, in some cases, incomplete recovery of function and loss of support systems may lead to permanent loss of independent living, as we have seen in our practice. We suggest that any preoperative geriatric assessment should look at the combined risk of mortality and of functional decline. We also feel that further research is needed to assess the functional outcomes of elective surgery in the geriatric population and the.ext~nt to which they can be predicted by the preoperative genatnc assessment.