Smart Cyber-Physical Systems (sCPS) are a novel kind of Cyber- Physical Systems engineered to take advantage of large-scale cooperation between devices, users and environment to achieve added value in face of uncertainty and various situations in their environment. Examples of sCPS include modern traffic systems, Industry 4.0 systems, systems for smart-buildings, smart energy grids, etc. The uniting aspect of all these systems is that to achieve their high-level of intelligence, adaptivity and ability to optimize and learn, they heavily rely on software. This makes them software-intensive systems, where software becomes their most complex part. Engineering sCPS thus becomes a recognized software engineering discipline, which however, due to specifics of sCPS, can only partially rely on the existing body of knowledge in software engineering. In fact, it turns out that many of the traditional approaches to architecture modeling and software development fail to cope with the high dynamicity and uncertainty of sCPS. This calls for innovative approaches that jointly reflect and address the specifics of such systems. This paper maps the discussions and results of the Third International Workshop on Software Engineering for Smart Cyber-Physical Systems (SEsCPS 2017), which specifically focuses on challenges and promising solutions in the area of software engineering for sCPS.


The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of teachers' experiences of burnout and teacher selfefficacy, and the relationship between these two constructs. Although the research has demonstrated a wellestablished relationship between burnout and teacher self-efficacy, the exact dynamic between these two constructs is open to debate (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010). Additionally, most of the existing research around burnout and teacher self-efficacy is quantitative. Therefore, this study investigated these two constructs qualitatively in order to gain a deeper understanding of the way teachers construct meaning about their experiences of burnout and how they feel, think, and explain their behavior based on their perceptions of their environment and beliefs about their abilities to be successful. Using in-depth interviews, I conducted a multicase study of three New Hampshire middle school teachers based on the following three research questions: What meaning do three New Hampshire middle school teachers ascribe to their experiences of burnout and teacher self-efficacy? How are burnout and teacher selfefficacy manifested? How are burnout and teacher self-efficacy related? I analyzed my results using the language and lens of audit. Audit refers to programs and technologies that aim to formalize accountability practices by focusing on standards and outcomes (Power, 1997, as cited in Shore & Wright, 2000). The main premise is that the transplantation of financial accounting practices into fields such as education have redefined accountability and transparency, as well as undermined professional autonomy for teachers – all of which have unintended dysfunctional consequences (Shore & Wright, 2015; Gill, 2009; Taubman, 2009), including burnout. By linking burnout to audit practices, I hope to move the educational psychology literature forward by historicizing and politicizing the cognitive constructs of burnout and teacher self-efficacy.


Vertical records of ocean-bottom seismographs (OBSs) are usually noisy at low frequencies, and one important noise source is the varying ocean-bottom pressure that results from ocean-surface water waves. The relation between the ocean-bottom pressure and the vertical seafloor motion, called the compliance pressure transfer function (PTF), can be derived using background seismic data. During an earthquake, earthquake signals also generate ocean-bottom pressure fluctuations, and the relation between the ocean-bottom pressure and the vertical seafloor motion is named the seismic PTF in this article. Conventionally, we use the whole pressure records and the compliance PTF to remove the compliance noise; the earthquake-induced pressure and the seismic PTF are ignored, which may distort the original signals. In this article, we analyze the data from 24 OBSs with water depth ranging from 107 to 4462 m. We find that for most stations, the investigated frequency range (0.01–0.2 Hz) can be divided into four bands depending on the water depth. In band (I) of lowest frequencies (<0.11, <0.05, and <0.02  Hz for water depth of 107, 1109, and 2650 m, respectively), the vertical seafloor acceleration is composed mostly of pressure compliance noise, which can be removed using the compliance PTF. The compliance PTF is much smaller than the seismic PTF, so distortion of earthquake signals is negligible. In band (II) of higher frequencies (0.11–0.20, 0.05–0.11, and 0.02–0.05 Hz for water depth of 107, 1109, and 2650 m, respectively), the vertical acceleration and ocean-bottom pressure are largely uncorrelated. In bands (III) and (IV) of even higher frequencies (>0.11 and >0.08  Hz for water depth of 1109 and 2650 m, respectively), the compliance noise is negligible, and the ocean-bottom pressure is mostly caused by the seafloor motion. Thus, the compliance can be safely ignored in frequency band (I).


Complications due to diagnostic colonoscopy are very rare. Perforation is the most frequent colon-related event. So far only ten cases of acute appendicitis after colonoscopy have been reported in the literature. We present the case of a 79-year-old man who developed acute appendicitis after diagnostic colonoscopy. Diagnosis was aggravated by the fact that in the patient's history an appendectomy had been performed 65 years earlier. Because of the rarity of this event it is doubtful whether the endoscopic examination was causal or coincidental. However, in cases of pain after colonoscopy, appendicitis has to be included in the differential diagnosis.


T he current study was made during the period from July to November 2020. The infestation with head lice was searched for residents of Kirkuk city, and a random samples (1988 cases) were collected from city residents and check up their scalps to detect the head lice infestation. This study aims to determinate the prevalence of head lice infestation in different regions of Kirkuk city and to demonstrate the role of some epidemiological factors on the infestation as age, gender, nature of hair tissue, hair length, hair density. The current study showed the head lice infestation reached 117 cases with a total prevalence of infestation 5.88%. These results come from a clinical study that made on 1988 people from a variety of age groups, society, social-economic and cultural groups. The highest prevalence of infected was recorded (15.11%) for the age group 6-12 years, while the lowest prevalence of infected was for the age group 46-80 years (0.42%). The present research concluded that the infestation was higher in female than male (9.35, 2.10%, respectively). The highest prevalence of infected was in straight hair (3.40 and 11.76%) for both male and female (respectively), and the lowest prevalence of infestation was for curly hair (2.30%) in female, while the infestation for curly hair in male are not recorded. The results also showed the highest prevalence of infestation was in long hair (10.79 and 12.16%) than in short hair (0.63 and 3.63%) for both male and female (respectively). The highest prevalence of infestation was also recorded for high dense hair (3.13 and 12.63%) compared with low dense hair (0.66 and 1.65%) for both male and female (respectively).


Cicero composed his incendiary Philippics only a few months after Rome was rocked by the brutal assassination of Julius Caesar. In the tumultuous aftermath of Caesar's death, Cicero and Mark Antony found themselves on opposing sides of an increasingly bitter and dangerous battle for control. Philippic 2 was a weapon in that war. Conceived as Cicero's response to a verbal attack from Antony in the Senate, Philippic 2 is a rhetorical firework that ranges from abusive references to Antony's supposedly sordid sex life to a sustained critique of what Cicero saw as Antony's tyrannical ambitions. Vituperatively brilliant and politically committed, it is both a carefully crafted literary artefact and an explosive example of crisis rhetoric. It ultimately led to Cicero's own gruesome death. This course book offers a portion of the original Latin text, vocabulary aids, study questions, and an extensive commentary. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Ingo Gildenhard's volume will be of particular interest to students of Latin studying for A-Level or on undergraduate courses. It extends beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical engagement with Cicero, his oratory, the politics of late-republican Rome, and the transhistorical import of Cicero's politics of verbal (and physical) violence.


Based on existing literature, this paper provides a conceptual review of ethnic entrepreneurship with a specific focus on ethnic Pakistani start-up motives and so will provide an update of the advancements made in the area of ethnic minority entrepreneurship (EMEs). Ethnic Pakistanis are leading the entrepreneurship and self-employment trends in Britain and so there is the need to develop an in-depth study of this ethnic group, to understand the propensity, key drivers and theory supporting their attitudes towards entrepreneurship. An exploration will be made towards highlighting two key areas: 1) Cultural Factors and 2) External Factors. This paper is part of a doctoral research project and will specifically focus on a variety of Push and Pull factors such as culture/religion, social networks and capital, racism and discrimination, sojourners and settlers, ethnic enclaves, and regulations of the host-nation . An exploration of these will provide a general overview of key elements which are being discussed in the area of ethnic entrepreneurship. For example, the Push and Pull theory highlighting positive factors such as: independence, financial freedom, and flexibility of work will be explored alongside negative factors such as: discrimination, inability to find suitable employment, blocked upward mobility, unemployment etc.


This review paper examines the key barriers to using green ammonia as an alternative fuel in maritime industry. A literature survey is performed based on research articles and grey literature, with the aim of discussing the technoeconomic problems with and benefits of ammonia and the relevant technologies. The limitations of ammonia as a maritime fuel and its supply chain, the expected percentage demand by 2030 and 2050, its economic performance compared to other shipping fuels such as hydrogen, and the current regulations that may impact ammonia as a maritime fuel are discussed. There are several key barriers to ammonia's wide adoption: (1) High production costs, due to the high capital costs associated with ammonia's supply chain; (2) availability, specifically the limited geographical locations available for ammonia bunkering; (3) the challenge of ramping up current ammonia production; and (4) the development of ammonia-specific regulations addressing issues such as toxicity, safety, and storage. The general challenges involved with blue ammonia are the large energy penalty and associated operational costs, and a lack of technical expertise on its use. Regardless of the origin, for ammonia to be truly zero-carbon its whole lifecycle must be considered—a key challenge that will aid in the debate about whether ammonia holds promise as a zero-carbon maritime fuel.


The X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) and other members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family can suppress apoptosis induced by a diverse variety of triggers. Functional studies done to date have focused on tissue culture models and adenovirus overexpression of XIAP and other IAP proteins. Here we report the phenotype of an engineered transgenic mouse overexpressing a human IAP, as well as assessing the long-term consequence of IAP overexpression. We document the relative protein expression levels of the endogenous mouse homologue to XIAP, mouse inhibitor of apoptosis (MIAP 3), within thymocyte and T cell subpopulations. The consequence of lymphoid-targeted overexpression of XIAP in transgenic mice suggests a physiological role for the endogenous protein, MIAP3. Xiap-transgenic mice accumulated thymocytes and/or T cells in primary and secondary lymphoid tissue, T cell maturation was perturbed, and transgenic thymocytes resisted a variety of apoptotic triggers both in vitro and in vivo. These observations imply a possible key function for the intrinsic cellular inhibitor XIAP in maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system.


Excerpts will be presented from a correspondence between Sigmund Freud and Eugen Bleuler, which is devoted mainly to Bleuler's withdrawal from the newly formed International Psychoanalytical Association. These excerpts are from seven letters from Freud to Bleuler and 50 letters from Bleuler to Freud, which were written between 1910 and 1925, and have never been published before. Permission was obtained by Dr. Alexander for their publication from Prof Manfred Bleuler, the son of Eugen Bleuler, and also from Ernst Freud, the son of Sigmund Freud.* This correspondence throws light upon the origin not of psychoanalysis as a science, but upon what became known as The Psychoanalytic Movement. It reveals the emotional needs of the pioneers of this young branch of knowledge to organize the psychoanalytic movement as an isolated scientific community outside and in opposition to the rest of the medical fraternity. Psychoanalysis is


AIM
Giant herniated thoracic disc (HTD) is a rare disease that, unlike other thoracic disc herniations of different size, need a different surgical management. The copresence of ''giant'' volume and calcification of the herniated disc heavily affects the surgical difficulty and is not elsewhere described.

METHODS
Seven cases of surgically treated giant calcified HTDs were considered in this study. Five of them were females and two males, age range 18-63 years. Before and after surgery, all patients underwent computed tomography myelography, magnetic resonance imaging or both pre-and postoperatively. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Asia grading system preoperatively, immediately after surgery, and at long-term follow-up examination. The mean overall follow-up period was 36 months. All patients presented with various grades of myelopathy: according to the Asia impairment scale, two were grade B, four were grade C and one were grade D. Six patients underwent an anterior approach, i.e. thoracotomy, and one patients underwent a posterolateral approach, i.e. peduncolocostotrasversectomy.

RESULTS
Based on an analysis of the long-term follow-up data, the Asia grade improved in five patients (71.4%), stabilized (no grade change) in one (14.3%), and worsened in one (14.3%).

CONCLUSIONS
Giant calcified HTDs are particularly challenging surgical lesions and their volume and consistency are additional elements of difficulty. This article presents authors' personal experience on a small but extraordinary series of giant and calcified thoracic herniated discs and the problems encountered in the management of this peculiar pathology since an accurate surgical planning leads to better clinical results.


Principal component analysis (PCA) is one of the most fundamental procedures in exploratory data analysis and is the basic step in applications ranging from quantitative finance and bioinformatics to image analysis and neuroscience. However, it is well-documented that the applicability of PCA in many real scenarios could be constrained by an "immune deficiency" to outliers such as corrupted observations. We consider the following algorithmic question about the PCA with outliers. For a set of $n$ points in $\mathbb{R}^{d}$, how to learn a subset of points, say 1% of the total number of points, such that the remaining part of the points is best fit into some unknown $r$-dimensional subspace? We provide a rigorous algorithmic analysis of the problem. We show that the problem is solvable in time $n^{O(d^2)}$. In particular, for constant dimension the problem is solvable in polynomial time. We complement the algorithmic result by the lower bound, showing that unless Exponential Time Hypothesis fails, in time $f(d)n^{o(d)}$, for any function $f$ of $d$, it is impossible not only to solve the problem exactly but even to approximate it within a constant factor.


New peak metamorphic temperatures are obtained by Raman spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Material to document the thermal structure of the central Western Alps with high sampling resolution. We show that peak metamorphic T gradually increases eastward from <330 to 350 °C (ultra‐Dauphinois to subbriançonnais units), ∼350 to more than 400 °C (Briançonnais domain including the Zone Houillère where metamorphic index minerals are rare) and from 350 to more than 500 °C (Liguro–Piemontese domain). Combined with other constraints on the metamorphic evolution, this dataset reveals a good preservation of the overall thermal structure of the fossil subduction wedge, with no particular thermal overprint during collision. However, local confrontation with P–T estimates and radiometric ages reveals more subtle variations within tectonic units and across the main contacts that are linked to the past activity of the major thrusts and extensional shear zones during subduction and exhumation.


: Functional characteristics of the retrograde conduction in the WPW syndrome were studied in 68 patients by means of electrophysiological examination of the heart. The retrograde conduction via the Kent bundle was characterized by constant time of the atrioventricular conduction. The latent WPW syndrome with the accessory pathway blocked in the anterograde direction and functioning in the retrograde direction only was detected in 22 cases. A possible successive relationship of the classical and latent WPW syndrome was shown. Higher functional possibilities of the accessory pathway for the retrograde conduction were revealed in comparison with the anterograde conduction.


Confined masonry has been efficiently used for buildings in Latin-America, Northern-Africa and Asia, even in seismic areas. However, despite all the research on the seismic behaviour of this structural typology, mainly in Latin-America, the lack of clear criteria for confined masonry design limits its application in Europe. In this work, a semi-empirical strength criterion for confined masonry, based on the diagonal shear failure of confined walls, is proposed. For this purpose, data mining is applied to a database of confined walls under cyclic loading tests, in order to clarify the variables that influence the shear strength. This study showed that the shear strength can be acceptably predicted by a multiple regression of the normal stress, diagonal shear strength, slenderness and masonry cross-section ratio of the walls. The relevance of longitudinal reinforcement of the confinement columns is low, with a significant contribution only in the post-cracking stage.


The second half of 19th century can be considered as the Golden Age of TMM for the achieved theoretical and practical results that led to enhancements of machinery during the second Industrial Revolution. Burmester and Allievi can be considered as significant examples of that time for their personalities and careers as well as for their work on kinematics of mechanisms. In this paper, a survey is presented on their curricula and main scientific works on mechanism design with the aim also to stress similarities and differences in the life of kinematicians and in developments in mechanism design at the end of 19th century.


Financial distresses in corporations harm both individual investors and financial institutions, and can cause social problems due to the cascading effects. Government agencies, fund managers, and even small investors need to arm themselves with devices for predicting financial distresses in corporations, even when the financial problems are shadowed by malignant window dressing. In previous work, we explored the effectiveness of making predictions based on both financial ratios, including those proposed by Altman for the Z-score models and those used in the common-size analysis, and qualitative indicators, such as corporate governance. In this paper, we report results of our attempt to select the best features from the previously proposed features with genetic algorithms and gain ratio-based methods. Experimental results indicate that the selected features outperform the features used in the Z-score models. Not surprisingly, the genetic algorithms surpass the gain ratio-based methods in the task of feature selection.


We have developed a random walk theory to relate observable fluorescent intensities on tissue surfaces to the presence of several embedded fluorescent masses. This work is an extension of analysis previously carried out for an isolated fluorescent site. Results depend on the optical properties of tissue at the excitation and emission wavelengths, as well as on the location of fluorescent targets and positions of source and detector. Measurements on tissue-like phantoms were performed to test the theory. Analysis of fluorescent signals, performed in accordance with the theory, yields accurate information about the location of the targets. Prospects of a noninvasive quantitative fluorescent imaging system, to diagnose and monitor salivary glands disease, is presented.


AlN-SiC-TiB2 ceramics were synthesized by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) methods. The powder mixtures of Al, 6H-SiC and TiB2 were shaped by isostatic cool pressing method, and then combustion reaction was carried at the pressure of 100-200 MPa N2 by an ignitor. The solid solution of AlN and 2H-SiC in AlN-SiC-TiB2 ceramics was formed. The phase composition and microstructure were investigated by XRD and SEM. The mechanical properties of composite were measured as functions of composition. The maximum value of flexural strength and fracture toughness of composites were 430 MPa and 3.9 MPa⋅m1/2 respectively.


Purpose: Surgical resection remains the most effective therapy for solid tumors worldwide. The most important prognostic indicator for cure following cancer surgery is a complete resection with no residual disease. However, intraoperative detection of retained cancer cells after surgery is challenging, and residual disease continues to be the most common cause of local failure. We hypothesized that visual enhancement of tumors using near-infrared imaging could potentially identify tumor deposits in the wound after resection. Experimental Design: A small animal model of surgery and retained disease was developed. Residual tumor deposits in the wound were targeted using an U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved imaging agent, indocyanine green, by the enhanced permeability and retention effect. A novel handheld spectrometer was used to optically visualize retained disease after surgery. Results: We found residual disease using near-infrared imaging during surgery that was not visible to the naked eye or micro-CT. Furthermore, examination of tumor nodules was remarkably precise in delineating margins from normal surrounding tissues. This approach was most successful for tumors with increased neovasculature. Conclusions: The results suggest that near-infrared examination of the surgical wound after curative resection can potentially enable the surgeon to locate residual disease. The data in this study is the basis of an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial in patients who undergo resection for lung and breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5741–51. ©2012 AACR.


This guide is designed to acquaint our patrons with Westlaw Next, which is now available on two of our public computers.


This paper addresses quality vs. cost tradeoffs in multisensor pervasive spaces. Specifically, we focus on a case study that uses location sensing in instrumented pervasive spaces executing a variety of applications ranging from social networking to surveillance and security. Location sensing is vital in creating effective situational awareness for mission critical applications, e.g. localization of firefighters and rescue personnel in emergency response scenarios as well as general purpose location based services. While advances in GPS and other technologies have enabled high quality outdoor localization, the realization of accurate indoor location technologies is significantly more complex. We present a generalized indoor localization framework that composes inputs from multiple localization technologies in a quality-aware manner so as to meet the accuracy/cost demands of diverse applications.


Climate change and degradation of natural resources pose daunting challenges in arid and semi-arid rangelands of southern Mediterranean region. Overcoming these challenges requires considerable management actions efforts. In this context, the current two-year (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) study investigated the effects of soil surface scarification and reseeding of rangelands with sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) on botanical composition, biomass production, water productivity and pastoral value in the Sbaihia community, Tunisia. The experimental design consisted of a randomised complete block design with six replications. The treatments were: (i) soil surface superficial scarification; (ii) reseeding sulla following soil scarification; and, (iii) control. Despite the relatively important interannual variation, the highest aboveground net primary production (2 307 and 5 330 kg dry matter ha−1), water productivity (9.5 and 11.8 kg DM mm−1), and pastoral value (2 099 and 4 853 forage units ha−1) values were recorded in the rangelands reseeded with sulla in both growing seasons. Sulla contribution in the species composition of reseeded rangelands increased from 1.7% in 2018 to 2% in 2019. Although soil surface scarification increased the vegetation cover, its effect on biomass production was not significant. Therefore, combined soil scarification and reseeding well-adapted native forage species has a great potential to improve productivity of semi-arid rangelands.


: Cessation of nutrient entry suppresses glycogen production in hepatocytes. Triggering of the lipid pathway of energy supply limits carbohydrate utilization because of citrate block development. Fasting involves impairment of erythrocyte structure and membranes, increase of hepatocyte membrane permeability, and decrease of functional activity of lymphocyte population. These changes can be due to glucose deficit in capillaries of lymphoid organs. Study of effects of riboxin, mildronate, glucose, benfothiamine, and their combinations on immune response of rats after 5- of 7-day fasting led the authors to a conclusion that an immunomodulating effect can be induced by combinations of riboxin or mildronate with glucose and benfothiamine.


In this demo, we present a cough activated face visor, where the transparent visor screen moves to cover the wearer's face when coughing sounds are detected. The cough detection is performed by a TinyML machine learning model, running on a microcontroller integrated to the visor's headband. We make no claims regarding the direct impact of our prototype in preventing the spread of Covid-19, but hope it inspires discussion on future smart solutions in the area of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additionally, we note that visibility of the visor's operation potentially encourages observers to adopt preventative measures such as hygiene practices and social distancing.


A stunning range of substructures in the dust of protoplanetary disks is routinely observed across a range of wavelengths. These gaps, rings and spirals are highly indicative of a population of unseen planets, hinting at the possibility of current observational facilities being able to capture planet-formation in action. Over the last decade, our understanding of the influence of a young planet on the dynamical structure of its parental disk has progressed significantly, revealing a host of potentially observable features which would betray the presence of a deeply embedded planet. In concert, recent observations have shown that subtle perturbations in the kinematic structure of protoplanetary disks are found in multiple sources, potentially the characteristic disturbances associated with embedded planets. In this work, we review the theoretical background of planet-disk interactions, focusing on the kinematical features, and the current methodologies used to observe these interactions in spatially and spectrally resolved observations. We discuss the potential pit falls of such kinematical detections of planets, providing best-practices for imaging and analysing interferometric data, along with a set of criteria to use as a benchmark for any claimed detection of embedded planets. We finish with a discussion on the current state of simulations in regard to planet-disk interactions, highlighting areas of particular interest and future directions which will provide the most significant impact in our search for embedded planets. This work is the culmination of the 'Visualizing the Kinematics of Planet Formation' workshop, held in October 2019 at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York City.


According to the dual impact of infill wall on the frame structures, the normal infill wall has been improved. In order to investigate the seismic behavior of infill frame structures with different vertical slit width under reversed cyclic loading, experimental research on three groups of infill frame structures has been performed. And the failure characteristic, bearing capacity, ductility and hysteretic property are analyzed. From the results of test, it can be seen that infill frame structures with slits have a good seismic performance and the vertical slit width is an important factor, which affects the seismic behavior of the frames. With the increase of the slit width, the yield load and bearing capability decline significantly and the ductility becomes low sharply. Moreover, three groups of infill frame structures also have a better deformation behavior, which can meet the requirement of antiseismic design.


Numerical study of natural convection heat transfer inside a differentially heated square enclosure with adiabatic horizontal walls and vertical isothermal walls is investigated. Two insulated ribs are symmetrically located on horizontal walls. The governing non-linear equations are solved in a two-dimensional domain using a control volume method and the SIMPLER algorithm for the velocity–pressure coupling is employed. The results will be presented in forms of streamlines, isotherms and Nusselt number for Rayleigh number 106. It is shown that for small rib height the isotherms indicate the laminar boundary regime with high temperature gradient near the bottom of the hot surface and the top of cold one. However, as rib height increases this boundary layer is vanished. Also it is found that as the length and height of the ribs increase the mean Nusselt number decreases.


This is the third in a series of conference papers on rhetorical criticism. Held in July 1995 in London, the conference included participants from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Republic of South Africa. Part I is concerned with the past, present and future of rhetorical analysis; Parts II, III and IV are concerned with rhetorical analysis of scriptural texts; and Part V provides a conclusion reflecting on a number of questions raised in Part I. Most of the participants would characterize themselves as advocates of rhetorical criticism; but there were others less convinced that rhetorical criticism is developing as it ought.


Selecting heating and cooling systems is a decision that affects both energyperformance and thermal comfort in buildings. Lately, though, energy efficiency inbuildings is strongly related with the increasing need to utilise renewable energy sourceseither solar thermal energy or wind and solar generated electricity for heating or coolingapplications. For that effort to become feasible and practical a different approach in theperception of heat emission indoors, thermal comfort, energy efficiency and thermalenergy storage is required. Hydronic radiant building surfaces provide that differentapproach since they achieve thermal comfort by heating directly the building and thepeople and not the indoor air and in addition, they utilise low temperature heating waterthat increases the efficiency of solar thermal collectors and electricity driven air to waterheat pumps while they present the feature of thermal energy storage embedded in theirconstruction. Thus, by using such equipment a totally different view on the building as asystem is possible where the building elements themselves act as heat emitters andthermal energy storage facilities. In this chapter, after an introduction to the main featuresof radiant heating systems and the perception of thermal comfort, several hydronicradiant building surfaces (floors, walls and ceilings) are compared with commonconvective heat emitters using as criteria the energy consumption and thermal comfortachieved.


We present a double-sideband suppressed-carrier (DSB-SC) technique achieved by an optical balanced detection approach for measuring small vibrations. The baseband signal is recovered by demodulating the DSB-SC signal with a self-mixing approach without local oscillator, which is usually required in coherent detection. The achievement of carrier suppression and vibration measurement is experimentally demonstrated, and the result closely agrees with the theoretical predictions.


Write-unidirectional memories generalize write-once memories storing binary sequences of some fixed length in a reusable manner. At every new usage the content of the memory can be rewritten by either changing some of the zeroes to ones or changing some of the ones to zeroes, but not both. The author constructs codes of rate 0.5325. He discusses the four cases that arise according to whether or not the encoder and/or the decoder is informed of the previous state of the memory. J.M. Borden's converse bound (submitted to IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory) is rederived using Fibonacci sequences. >


The general aim of this bibliography is to provide a source from which investigators in subjects pertaining to Kansas can find out what material is available in their fields and where to find it. The work done in this thesis is a beginning of a final work which will be a bibliography of books, pamphlets, newspaper articles, magazines, manuscripts, maps and other materials pertaining to Kansas. The final work will be completed by other students of the Kansas State Teachers College of Hays. The sources from which the material contained in my thesis was obtained are the Kansas State Historical Library and the Library of Congress. The materials included in this thesis are, in general, of historical nature. The thesis contains general Kansas entries, general Kansas history, and the history of each of the counties of Kansas. There are approximately six thousand titles indexing state documents, books, pamphlets, and such newspaper articles as are in scrapbooks at the Historical Library at Topeka, Kansas.


Computer simulation is a popular and immensely powerful tool used in the design and the subsequent analysis of manufacturing systems. The popularity of simulation is due to its ability to model systems in a fast and cost effective way, its flexibility and its ability to model the time dynamic behaviour of systems. This paper demonstrates the use of computer simulation as a tool in the design and analysis of a new manufacturing system by presenting a case study of a proposed Instrument Panel/Crashpad production and assembly work cell in an automotive industry. The case study emphasis was to evaluate alternative designs, predict system performance, detect any potential problems, experiment with system parameters and determine the sensitivity of the system to these parameters. The simulation study was carried out using SIMFACTORY, a user-friendly manufacturing system simulator.


Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) has become an important tool for guiding regional or national policy actions to address global environmental problems such as climate change. LCA-based indicators of greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of different fuels are being used to design long-term policies supporting renewable and alternative energy technologies. However, some of these technologies risk proving counter-productive to policy goals. An example is the debate about the environmental benefits of biofuels. Using biofuels as an illustrative example, we identify the structural reasons for the differences between two strands of literature on environmental benefits of alternative energy, namely, lifecycle analysis and economic market-equilibrium analysis. We explain why a policy planner cannot assume the potential environmental gains as revealed by a comparison between two LCAs as given while selecting policies to capture those gains. In other words lifecycle indicators are endogenous variables in the policy-selection problem. A capacity to compute lifecycle indicators as a function of economic variables and policy parameters can help policy planners better compare the implications of different policy actions.


This article examines how Philadelphia's emergent middle class—young, urbane, educated, and overwhelmingly white—digests the gentrifying multiethnic city. Drawing on Yelp reviews of South Philadelphia's Mexican restaurants, it deconstructs their conflicting ideas about "authenticity." Naming the authentic has an important social function for these consumers: by exhibiting their cross-cultural literacy and cosmopolitan tastes, Yelpers signal their belonging to and mastery of the diverse city. By categorizing what is "really Mexican," this article suggests, they solidify their status as self-styled urban adventurers.


[1] Remote sensing and in situ observations are used to investigate the ocean response to the Tokar Wind Jet in the Red Sea. The wind jet blows down the atmospheric pressure gradient through the Tokar Gap on the Sudanese coast, at about 19 N, during the summer monsoon season. It disturbs the prevailing along-sea (southeastward) winds with strong cross-sea (northeastward) winds that can last from days to weeks and reach amplitudes of 20–25m/s. By comparing scatterometer winds with along-track and gridded sea level anomaly observations, it is observed that an intense dipolar eddy spins up in response to the wind jet. The eddy pair has a horizontal scale of 140 km. Maximum ocean surface velocities can reach 1m/s and eddy currents extend more than 100m into the water column. The eddy currents appear to cover the width of the sea, providing a pathway for rapid transport of marine organisms and other drifting material from one coast to the other. Interannual variability in the strength of the dipole is closely matched with variability in the strength of the wind jet. The dipole is observed to be quasi-stationary, although there is some evidence for slow eastward propagation in an idealized numerical model. Simulation of the dipole in an idealized high-resolution numerical model suggests that this is the result of self-advection.


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established an operational plan for the future air traffic management (ATM) system, in which the controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) is envisioned to evolve into digital messaging that takes on an ever increasing role in controller to pilot communications, significantly changing the way the National Airspace System (NAS) is operating. According to FAA, CPDLC represents the first phase of the transition from the current analog voice system to an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliant system in which digital communication becomes the alternate and perhaps primary method of routine communication. The CPDLC application is an air traffic service (ATS) application in which pilots and controllers exchange messages via an addressed data link. CPDLC includes a set of clearance, information, and request message elements that correspond to existing phraseology employed by current air traffic control (ATC) procedures. These message elements encompass altitude assignments, crossing constraints, lateral deviations, route changes and clearances, speed assignments, radio frequency assignments, and various requests for information. The pilot is provided with the capability to respond to messages, to request clearances and information, to report information, and to declare/rescind an emergency. A "free text" capability is also provided to exchange information not conforming to defined formats. This paper presents simulated results of the aeronautical telecommunication application controller pilot data link communications over VHF digital link mode 3 (VDL mode 3). The objective of this simulation study was to determine the impact of CPDLC traffic loads, in terms of timely message delivery and capacity of the VDL Mode 3 subnetwork. It is an extension of the work performed in S. Bretmersky et al. (2004). The traffic model is based on DAG CNS Services Information Requirements Document (2003) and is used for generating air/ground messages with different priorities. Communication is modeled for several sectors in the en route domain of the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOB ARTCC).


BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of the superior third of the face should usually involve an extensive area, including the frontal and temporal regions. However, the open coronal technique has been avoided because it carries a risk of potential complications and a wide scar. The technique has been supplanted by endoscopic and other less-invasive techniques, which are perhaps less efficacious. This article proposes an open technique that maintains the coronal lifting efficiency without its typical complications. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 20 consecutive female patients who underwent cervicofacial facelift from February 2008 to July 2011 was performed. The patients had a mean age of 53.3 years (range, 46-71 years). The sensitivity of the regions covered (i.e., anesthesia, hypoesthesia, hyperesthesia, paresthesia), motor function of the temporal branch of the facial nerve (i.e., frontal muscle movement), and healing (i.e., widening and alopecia) were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no sensory, motor, or vascular complications. Moreover, neither cicatricial enlargement nor alopecia was observed. One patient required revision of the corrugator muscle myectomy, and another underwent myectomy of the lateral orbicularis muscle of the eye for optimal results. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed technique is simple, safe, does not require special equipment or devices, and has the advantage of wide and harmonious distribution of the flap, including the temporal and frontal regions.


Corporations need better real-time monitoring and control systems to improve productivity by watching quality and increasing production flexibility. The innovative technology to achieve this goal is evolving in the form artificial intelligence and neural networks applied to sensor processing, fusion, and interpretation. By using these advanced Al techniques, we can leverage existing systems and add value to conventional techniques. Neural networks and knowledge-based expert systems can be combined into intelligent sensor systems which provide real-time monitoring, control, evaluation, and fault diagnosis for production systems. Neural network-based intelligent sensor systems are more reliable because they can provide continuous, non-destructive monitoring and inspection. Use of neural networks can result in sensor fusion and the ability to model highly, non-linear systems. Improved models can provide a foundation for more accurate performance parameters and predictions. We discuss a research software/hardware prototype which integrates neural networks, expert systems, and sensor technologies and which can adapt across a variety of structures to perform fault diagnosis. The flexibility and adaptability of the prototype in learning two structures is presented. Potential applications are discussed.


In this article the explicit solutions for a second order partial lineal differential
equation in several variables using the method of holomorphic expansions [6] is investigated.


Activity support is one of eight elements which Hamid Shirvani has generalized. It is also the element which is the most direct with the relationship of people's activities and the most difficult with operation and description in the eight elements. While Extenics is that we use the formal model to study the possibilities of expansion and the rules and methods of innovation. Extenics can make use of basic-element model to describe everything. So we can do formal analysis on the objects of study, such as activity support element. Based on activity support element, the article is using the concepts of matter-element, affair-element and relation-element in Extenics to analyze activity support element, and using the principle of divergence analysis to do expansion analysis, which can make the activity support element systematically integrate the other urban design elements among the correlative net. There is the methodological significance with scientifically processing the relationship of behavior and environment in the article.


In order to reduce chain drive noise, by changing chain roller structure to mitigate meshing impact and achieve the purposes of noise reduction, a kind of duplex chains with non-metallic elastic material split rollers was designed. To study noise performance of the chains, noise comparison test was done on the same specifications duplex roller chains, and the test results were analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that duplex chains with non-metallic elastic material split rollers could reduce the meshing impact and the polygon effect, which could effectively reduce vibration and noise in the process of chain drive. So the design was reasonable and feasible, noise level was reduced by 3-8dB and a significant noise reduction was achieved.


OBJECT
Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are indolent tumors that have the potential to dedifferentiate into malignant high-grade tumors. Recent studies have demonstrated that cerebellar low-grade tumors have a better prognosis than supratentorial tumors, although no study has focused on the risk factors for poor prognosis in cerebellar LGGs in adults. The authors of the current study aimed to address both of these concerns by using a large cohort derived from a national cancer registry and a smaller cohort derived from their institution's experience.

METHODS
Adults with diagnosed Grade I and Grade II gliomas of the cerebellum were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict rates of survival, and the log-rank test was applied to evaluate differences in Kaplan-Meier survival curves. An institutional cohort was created by isolating all patients whose surgical pathology revealed an LGG of the cerebellum. Excluded from analysis were patients in whom a glioma was first diagnosed under the age of 18 years and those whose tumors could not be definitively determined to arise from the cerebellum. Results Data from the local cohort (11 patients) demonstrated that the most common presenting symptom was headache, which occurred in more than 70% of the cohort. Approximately half of the patients in this cohort had symptomatic improvement after treatment.

RESULTS
from the SEER cohort (166 patients) revealed that adults with Grade I gliomas were slightly younger than those with Grade II tumors (p < 0.01), but no other demographic differences were observed. Patients with Grade I tumors were twice as likely to undergo gross-total resection (54% vs 21%), and those with Grade II gliomas were much more likely to receive postoperative radiation (3% vs 48%). Five-year survival was greater in the patients with Grade I gliomas than in those with Grade II lesions (91% vs 70%). Multivariate analysis revealed that an age ≥ 40 years (HR 7.30, 95% CI 3.55-15.0, p < 0.0001) and Grade II tumors (HR 2.76, 95% CI 1.12-6.84, p = 0.028) were risk factors for death, whereas female sex was protective (HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.14-0.59, p < 0.001). Log-rank tests revealed that a cerebellar location was protective (p < 0.0001), but this relationship was only true for Grade II tumors (p < 0.0001). Survival in patients with Grade I gliomas was not different based on the various lesion locations (p = 0.21).

CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, adults with cerebellar WHO Grade I and II astrocytomas have a much more favorable survival curve than those with similar supratentorial tumors. Research demonstrates that the primary driver of this phenomenon is the improved survival in patients with cerebellar Grade II gliomas.


Aggression and violence are common characteristics of professional ice hockey games. While hockey players are encouraged to be aggressive on-ice, these behaviors are not welcomed off the ice. Instances of athlete aggression occurring outside the context of professional sporting events have been documented, particularly within interpersonal relationships. In order to address this issue, the process of counseling professional male ice hockey players must be considered. The invitational approach, as outlined by Alan Jenkins, can be used to take into account the contradictions of violence and aggression in professional sporting contexts. Rather than label perpetrators of abuse with psychological shortcomings, invitational practice brings forth the politics of power relations within institutional settings. Narratives from former ice hockey players will be examined and the invitational approach will be applied from a counseling perspective. The institution of the National Hockey League (NHL) will be deconstructed in terms of power relations and practices. Four themes will be examined: fame/approval, masculinity, gender relations, and alcohol consumption. The goals of restorative practice allow for the cessation of violence and abuse, restitution for harm done, and help reclaim a sense of integrity for the perpetrator.


Abstract We show that the effective behavior of composites made of viscoelastic rheological constituents can be modeled by a rheology of which the internal properties can be quasi-analytically determined from the volume fractions and rheological properties of the phases. A three-chain generalized Maxwell rheology can be used to model the behavior of a matrix-inclusion system of which both matrix and inclusions are described by the Zener rheology. Validations against exact results of the inverse Laplace–Carson are realized for a large range of the contrast between the phases. The developed solutions cover the existent solutions of the case of Maxwellian constituents.


The article deals with issue of physical development of children as an important summarizing health parameter and indicator of social well-being of society. The organism development in child age determines the main traits of health of this generation in older age including potential longevity and transferring of corresponding qualities to future generations. The analysis is presented concerning accumulation of factual data and development of methodical instruments to evaluate physical development of children in Russia and other countries. The universal application in Russia of corresponding WHO standards is proposed. The necessity to include the integrated indicators of physical development into official statistical reporting is emphasized.


Doxorubicin (DOX) induces oxidative stress leading to cardiotoxicity. Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin of Dioscorea opposita, has been reported to have antioxidant activity. Our study was aimed to find out the protective effect of diosgenin against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in mice. DOX treatment led to a significant decrease in the ratio of heart weight to body weight, and increases in the blood pressure and the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and creatine kinase myocardial bound (CK-MB), markers of cardiotoxicity. In the heart tissue of the DOX-treated mice, DOX reduced activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), were recovered by diosgenin. Diosgenin also decreased the serum levels of cardiotoxicity markers, cardiac levels of thiobarbituric acid relative substances (TBARS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase-3 activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), an inflammatory factor. Moreover, diosgenin had the effects of increasing the cardiac levels of cGMP via modulation of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) activity, and in improving myocardial fibrosis in the DOX-treated mice. Molecular data showed that the protective effects of diosgenin might be mediated via regulation of protein kinase A (PKA) and p38. Our data imply that diosgenin possesses antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities, and cGMP modulation effect, which in turn protect the heart from the DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.


The effect of hypothermia on ventricular conduction was determined with a multi-terminal electrode sutured to the epicardial surface. Measurements of conduction intervals revealed average increases of 95% at 22°C in 13 dogs and 148% at 20°C in seven dogs that survived to this temperature. The mean conduction velocity estimated at 0.55 m/sec at 37°C diminished to 0.29 m/sec and 0.19 m/sec respectively at 22° and 20°C. An apparent overall exponential relationship between conduction velocity and temperature was observed, although below 30°C the rate of conduction decreased almost linearly with a Q10, of 1.6 to 1.8. Individual measurements along both rows of intersecting electrode terminals revealed slightly different rates of conduction. However, within the entire group the direction of relatively faster conduction was inconsistent and, furthermore, the changes of conduction velocity with hypothermia were practically identical for the two recording alignments in all instances. During cooling to 22°C the absolute and the relative phases of ventricular refractoriness both increased by more than 200% of the control values observed at 37°C. This threefold effect on recovery of excitability was in contrast to the twofold slowing of conduction at the same temperature. It is concluded that the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation during hypothermia cannot be explained adequately by assuming a greater slowing of conduction relative to prolongation of refractoriness.


In aquatic environments, complex interplay exists among physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters, which are further influenced by exogenous factors such as hydrological, meteorological and geological conditions. To understand the spatial and temporal variations of water quality, and furthermore, the relationships between the variables of interest is hence a challenging task. Given the large data matrix, one category of methods frequently employed in the literature is multivariate analysis such as cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and factor analysis. These techniques are straightforward and intuitive to identify the qualitative associations among variables. However, a quantitative evaluation from a probabilistic perspective is favorable since it defines a measurable causality among variables so that more efficient water management strategies can be formulated. This paper will illustrate a new way to discover the relationship between two variables by estimating their joint distribution which fully interprets the statistical dependence. A multivariate Gaussian mixture model was employed to describe the data. The model parameters were determined using the developed expectation maximization algorithm, which is capable of dealing with multiple variables and censored data. The joint distribution of two variables of interest and the conditional distributions were used to describe the complete statistical distribution of water quality parameters, which are subject to the effects of hydro-meteorological conditions. The method was demonstrated using data from the Bow River in Alberta. The results shed light on how one variable affects the distribution of the other variable under complex environments in a probabilistic context.


Integrin-associated protein (CD47) is ubiquitously expressed on the surface of cells and functions as an identifier of self. In blood cancer, tumor cells expressing CD47 evade phagocytosis by macrophages, leading to a poor patient prognosis. However, the status of CD47 expression in solid tumors, particularly in gastric cancer, is not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to examine the level of CD47 in the primary tumor, peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) of patients with gastric cancer, and to determine its effect. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to determine the level of CD47 mRNA expression in primary tumor, PB and BM samples collected from 168 patients with gastric cancer. Cell sorting was performed to investigate CD47 protein expression in PB and BM fractions, and to identify the source of CD47 expression. In primary tumors, the expression of CD47 was not associated with any clinicopathological factors or prognosis. By contrast, in PB, the low CD47 expression group demonstrated a significantly increased tumor size, and frequency of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis, compared with the high CD47 expression group. In addition, the clinical tumor stage of the low CD47 expression group was significantly increased compared with that of the high CD47 expression group. Conversely, in PB, the high CD47 expression group had a significantly higher frequency of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis compared with the low CD47 expression group. The lymphocyte fraction exhibited the highest CD47 expression compared with the other fractions in PB and BM samples. Low expression of CD47 was associated with the advancement of gastric cancer, in contrast to other cancers, and it may be associated with a decrease in lymphocytes during later stages. These results indicate that CD47 expression in the PB and BM may serve as a marker to analyze the immunological function of patients with gastric cancer; however, the significance of CD47 in gastric cancer requires further study.


1Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea; 2Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea; 3Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea Purpose: The zinc finger protein, ZBTB48, is a telomere-associated protein. It was renamed as telomeric zinc finger-associated protein (TZAP) binding to elongated telomeres. However, its expression level was not measured in cancers. Patients and Methods: We analyzed TZAP mRNA levels in 60 colorectal cancers (CRC) and its correlation with telomere length and TERT was studied. Results: TZAP mRNA in CRC was higher statistically than that in paired non-cancerous tissues (p = 0.033). Higher TZAP was found in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-positive CRCs (>5 ng/mL) (p = 0.012). Shorter telomere was found in CRCs with high TZAP expression than that with low TZAP expression (p = 0.010). According to quantitative correlation analysis, TZAP has a correlation with age (r = −0.349, p = 0.007), TERT (r = 0.279, p = 0.041) and telomere length (r = −0.305, p = 0.021). TZAP expression did not harbor prognostic value in CRC. Inhibition of TZAP expression by siRNA suppresses cell growth in HT29 cells; however, it resulted in increased cell viability in HCT116 cells. TZAP inhibition induces a decrease in mRNA levels of TERT in both HT29 and HCT116 cells. TCGA data analysis showed higher expression of TZAP showed poorer overall survival in colon cancer (p = 0.001); however, it did not have a significance in rectal cancer (p = 0.951). Conclusion: We suggested that TZAP may be a possible biomarker for CRC.


In this paper, we present a sliding mode control algorithm to robustly stabilize a class of underactuated mechanical systems that are not linearly controllable and violate Brockett's necessary condition for smooth asymptotic stabilization of the equilibrium, with parametric uncertainties. In defining the class of systems, a few simplifying assumptions are made on the structure of the dynamics; in particular, the damping forces are assumed to be linear in velocities. We first propose a switching surface design for this class of systems, and subsequently, a switched algorithm to reach this surface in finite time using conventional and higher order sliding mode controllers. The stability of the closed-loop system is investigated with an undefined relative degree of the sliding functions. The controller gains are designed such that the controller stabilizes the actual system with parametric uncertainty. The proposed control algorithm is applied to two benchmark problems: a mobile robot and an underactuated underwater vehicle. Simulation results are presented to validate the proposed scheme.


We have recently developed an in vitro assay for human tumor stem cells that permits cloning of human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells in soft agar. Tumor colonies grew from both effusions and biopsies from 85% of 31 ovarian cancer patients. The cloning efficiency did not vary with the histology of the tumor. Growth was induced with medium conditioned by the adherent spleen cells of mineral oil-primed BALB/c mice. Up to 2000 colonies appeared after 10 to 14 days in culture, yielding a plating efficiency of 0.001 to 1%. Cells from nonmalignant effusions did not form colonies under these conditions. The number of tumor colonies was proportional to the number of cells plated between concentrations of 104 to 106 cells/dish.

Morphological and histochemical criteria showed that the colonies consisted of cells with the same characteristics as those of the original tumor. Results of cytogenic studies were also consistent with a malignant origin for the tumor colonies with marked hyperdiploidy in colonies from four patients and hypodiploidy in a fifth patient.

[3H]Thymidine and hydroxyurea suicide indices provided evidence that in most cases a high proportion of ovarian tumor colony-forming cells were actively in transit through the cell cycle. Removal of phagocytic macrophages with carbonyl iron markedly reduced the plating efficiency, and 2-mercaptoethanol could only partially substitute for macrophages.

The assay appears useful for screening differential cytotoxic effects of specific anticancer drugs (such as cis -platinum) against the tumor stem cells from various ovarian cancer patients.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the effect of healthcare workers' perceptions of corporate reputation on work engagement. This study was carried out with healthcare workers working in a public hospital in the city of Kocaeli, Turkey. Data were collected from 205 participants and then analyzed. The analyses showed that corporate reputation explains 26% of the total variance for physical engagement, 41.2% of the total variance for emotional engagement, 30.2% of the total variance for cognitive engagement, and 37.8% of the total variance for work engagement. Based on the research results, it seems that the improvements to be made in corporate reputation will also contribute to work engagement.


The suspension of B. pertussis cells in 0.15 M NaC1 solution, used for the preparation of corpuscular pertussis vaccine contains components loosely bound to microbial cells and producing pronounced mitogenic effect on mouse splenocytes at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml. The mitogenic activity of B. pertussis is due to complex substances (lipopolysaccharide, protein, nucleic acids) with a wide range of molecular weights (70,000 to greater than 400,000). The mitogenic factor showing no leukocyte-stimulating and protective activity has been isolated by sedimentation with ammonium sulfate and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The mitogenic activity of B. pertussis lipopolysaccharide in the blast transformation test has been confirmed.


Healthy, plant-based diets, rich in fermentable residues, may induce gas-related symptoms. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the effects of a fermented milk product, containing probiotics, on the tolerance of a healthy diet in patients with disorders of gut–brain interactions (DGBI), complaining of excessive flatulence. In an open design, a 3-day healthy, mostly plant-based diet was administered to patients with DGBI (52 included, 43 completed) before and at the end of 28 days of consumption of a fermented milk product (FMP) containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CNCM I-2494 and lactic acid bacteria. As compared to a habitual diet, the flatulogenic diet increased the perception of digestive symptoms (flatulence score 7.1 ± 1.6 vs. 5.8 ± 1.9; p < 0.05) and the daily number of anal gas evacuations (22.4 ± 12.5 vs. 16.5 ± 10.2; p < 0.0001). FMP consumption reduced the flatulence sensation score (by –1.6 ± 2.2; p < 0.05) and the daily number of anal gas evacuations (by –5.3 ± 8.2; p < 0.0001). FMP consumption did not significantly alter the overall gut microbiota composition, but some changes in the microbiota correlated with the observed clinical improvement. The consumption of a product containing B. lactis CNCM I-2494 improved the tolerance of a healthy diet in patients with DGBI, and this effect may be mediated, in part, by the metabolic activity of the microbiota.


In recent years we have seen explosive development of networks due to the tremendous growth of users, traffic and bandwidth requirements. New technologies and improvements have been introduced at the fast rate to keep up with the ever growing demand on speed, reliability and security. One of the advanced technologies being successfully introduced is optical networks. This technology is rapidly expanding and is becoming available to businesses and private homes. The development and impact of optical networks has reached the stage which requires introduction of broadband communication courses into the Computer Sciences curricula. The goal of this paper is to introduce the optical network simulation tool that would aid teaching and learning of optical networking technology. The software is interactively built and it incorporates all main components needed for a successful communication in networks. The tool can be used in both undergraduate and graduate courses; however, so far it has been introduced only to master level graduate students. Students' feedback has been positive and we feel that it has contributed to the increased success in the class.


Elizabeth Dexter Hay studied the cellular processes that affect development of embryos in the US during the mid-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In 1974, Hay showed that the extracellular matrix, a collection of structural molecules that surround cells, influences cell behavior. Cell growth, cell migration [2] , and gene expression are influenced by the interaction between cells and their extracellular matrix. Hay also discovered a phenomenon later called epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a process that occurs during normal embryo and adult development in which epithelial cells, cells that line external and internal surfaces of the body, transform into mesenchymal stem cells [3] , connective tissue cells that are capable of turning into other cell types. Hay's work helped researchers explain normal developmental processes and enabled research into abnormal processes that can cause developmental defects and diseases. cell behavior. Cell growth, cell migration, and gene expression are influenced by the interaction between cells and their extracellular matrix. Hay also discovered a phenomenon later called epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a process that occurs during normal embryo and adult development in which epithelial cells, cells that line external and internal surfaces of the body, transform into mesenchymal stem cells, connective tissue cells that are capable of turning into other cell types. Hay's work helped researchers explain normal developmental processes and enabled research into abnormal processes that can cause developmental defects and diseases.


The authors report a case of a 24-yr-old female Navy student pilot who presented with pyelonephritis, and on workup, was found to have two diverticula arising from calyces in her left kidney. Her infection resolved after several weeks of antibiotic therapy. She was granted a waiver to return to flight status based on the judgment that her risk of recurrent infection, sudden incapacitation, future need of surgery, and compromise of mission effectiveness were acceptably low. She has remained asymptomatic after more than 48 mo of follow-up. Renal calyceal diverticulum has not previously been discussed in the literature of aerospace medicine. The definition, anatomy, possible etiologies, epidemiology, presentation, treatment options, and aeromedical disposition, including human-machine interface issues, for calyceal diverticula are discussed. Aviators with calyceal diverticula are at increased risk of urinary tract infection and other complications; aeromedical disposition should rest on evaluation of such risk on a case-by-case basis.


1 A study of allozyme variation in vegetatively propagating populations of the rhizomatous sedge Carex bigelowii, revealed high levels of clonal diversity (genet diversity) within populations. The structure of allelic variation within the populations suggests that sexual reproduction has played a significant role in these C. bigelowii populations, despite present lack of seedling recruitment. The study was carried out in moss-heath communities on Icelandic lava-fields. Two adjacent populations were studied at one site, while a third population was studied at a second site, 35 km away from the first two populations. 2 The number of genets detected in each population, among 85-88 analysed ramets, ranged from 41 to 55 (minimum estimate). Samples were taken every 4 m along transects in the populations. Ramets with the same allozyme genotype were often spatially aggregated. No seedlings have been observed in the populations during five years of demographic studies. 3 All the populations studied showed a diploid expression of allozymes and high levels of allelic variation, with on average 491.77 alleles per locus (A) and an allelic diversity (HS) of 0.167. Similar levels of within-population variability are found in many wind-pollinated and outcrossing plant species. 4 The difference between observed and expected heterozygosity was small in all populations, suggesting high levels of outbreeding. 5 Comparisons with other Carex taxa show that the levels of and structuring of allozyme diversity in C. bigelowii is similar to that in other outbreeding species (usually rhizomatous), and much higher than in inbreeding species (which are usually caespitose). 6 Only 5the total allelic diversity was explained by differences between the two study sites (G ST = 0.055), suggesting extensive recent or historic gene-flow. (Less)


This study investigated the effect of acid treatment on the compression and mechanical properties of the cellulosic fibrous residue obtained after a high proportion of starch has been removed from the peeled and rasped tuberous root of Xanthosoma sagittifolium (Family: Araceae). Powdered fibrous residues were subjected to acid treatments at varying concentrations (0 – 0.4 M) of HCl and at varying time intervals. Treated samples were washed severally with water to obtain neutrality. The treated cellulosic residues were air dried to a moisture content of 3.5%. The resulting powders were characterized for flow, compression and mechanical properties. All determinations were carried out in triplicate and mean values with standard deviations were reported. Viscosity indices as measured by the time of flow (seconds) of mucilage showed a general decrease in viscosity with increase in acid concentration and duration of exposure. The densification of the powders as measured by Carr's index and Hausner ratio showed an improvement in the compression properties after acid treatment with their values as 18.40 and 1.23 (untreated) and 8.31 and 1.09 (0.4 M HCl, 72 h) respectively. The porosity of the resulting powders was improved also by the acid treatment and the values were 0.549 (untreated) and 0.769 (0.4M HCl, 72 h). Acid treatment brought about remarkable improvement in the flow properties of powder with angles of repose of 27.80 ±1.08o (untreated) and 19.80± 1.25 o (0.4M HCl, 24 h). It was further shown that acid treatment of the fibrous residue resulted in a breakdown in the polymeric chain structure to simpler monomeric units which displayed better flow and compaction properties and may find useful applications as pharmaceutical excipients in tablet formulations. Keywords: Xanthosoma sagittifolium powder, acid treatment, plastoelasticity, tensile strength, packing fraction, compaction, flow properties Journal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences , Vol. 10 No. 3 (2013)


This qualitative study aimed to identify how personnel working in a residential home in Sweden work withCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) orientation within the organization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five personnel. The research questions were; How do the personnel describe the CBT orientation? How do the personnel describe the CBT tools and methods? How do the personnel describe and measure the implementation of CBT?The results were analyzed an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) tool in order to gain a greater understanding of the data. The theories used to analyze the results were the learning theory, attachment theory and New Public Management (NPM). The results of this study indicate that CBT was incorporated in the daily lives of the residents throughout the course of the day and the personnel described common methods such as Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART), Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI).


In the aquatic environment, living organisms emit weak dipole electric fields, which spread in the surrounding water. Elasmobranchs detect these dipole electric fields with their highly sensitive electroreceptors, the ampullae of Lorenzini. Freshwater sawfish, Pristis microdon, and two species of shovelnose rays, Glaucostegus typus and Aptychotrema rostrata were tested for their reactions towards weak artificial electric dipole fields. The comparison of sawfishes and shovelnose rays sheds light on the evolution and function of the elongated rostrum ('saw') of sawfish, as both groups evolved from a shovelnose ray-like ancestor. Electric stimuli were presented both on the substrate (to mimic benthic prey) and suspended in the water column (to mimic free-swimming prey). Analysis of around 480 behavioural sequences shows that all three species are highly sensitive towards weak electric dipole fields, and initiate behavioural responses at median field strengths between 5.15 and 79.6 nVcm−1. The response behaviours used by sawfish and shovelnose rays depended on the location of the dipoles. The elongation of the sawfish's rostrum clearly expanded their electroreceptive search area into the water column and enables them to target free-swimming prey.


The present thesis investigates the evidence for vocabulary development during a period of intensive language work. The research involves a target group of 15 12 year old pupils with 3 .5 years of foreign language learning who participate in a week's intensive French work at an outdoor centre in the Lake District. During the intensive language work, pupils find themselves in a situation where they need to communicate and to make themselves understood in the foreign language. In order to find evidence of vocabulary development a series of tests was drawn up to investigate the pupils' vocabulary knowledge prior to the intensive period, immediately following the experience and some four months later. The treatment procedure consisted of a Spoken Vocabulary Test to measure productive vocabulary and a Yes/No Test for receptive vocabulary. It proved possible to identify different categories of vocabulary knowledge for each pupil prior to the intensive period and then to monitor the changes which took place as a result of the experience. The thesis will present the data produced by the treatment procedures and the conclusions drawn from this evidence which establishes that the vocabulary knowledge of the pupils develops following the intensive period. The thesis will also examine the evidence provided by the data for the status of words which are acquired by pupils during the course of the intensive work, whether they are unknown prior to this period or whether they are words familiar from classroom learning but have not previously been fully activated.


The effects of P25 TiO2 made by DEGUSSA and one kind nano-titanium dioxide made by a certain company in China (Expressed by Tc) on Escherichia coli were tested by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) method, and the status dispersed of two kinds nano-TiO2 and the micro-phenomenon of the effect on Escherichia coli were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The hydroxyl radical (•OH) signal intensity in liquid produced by nano-TiO2 was tested by electron spinning resonance (ESR). It was found that the MIC of the P25 and Tc were 500 mg/L and 5 g/L, respectively. The cells of E. coli which were attached by the nano-TiO2 particles were damaged strongly, and the membrane was dissolved and dispersed under SEM. The intensity of •OH signal produced by P25 was stronger than that of Tc tested by ESR. The size of E. coli was 0.4~0.7×1~3 µm, and the average diameter of nano-TiO2 was 20 nm. When the nano-TiO2 particles touch the E. coli, it would stick to the surface of the cell wall and destroy the cell membrane, lead to the canker of cell membrane and the outflow of cytoplasm. The difference of the MIC between the two kinds of nano-powders may be due to their dispersion degree and the particle diameter which influence the •OH production.


Abstract   OBJECTIVES Common Arterial Trunk (CAT) continues to have a very poor prognosis globally. To address that, we have developed a novel technique targeting key concepts for the correction of all components of the anomaly, using autologous arterial tissue. This aims to enhance results, availability worldwide, and importantly to avoid the need for repeated reoperations. METHODS From January 2019 to 4 January 2021, all patients with isolated CAT had repair of the defect using autologous arterial trunk tissue with direct right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery (PA) connection. Clinical outcomes, follow-up which included multi-slice computed tomography 3D segmentation and 4D cardiovascular magnetic resonance flow, are presented. RESULTS Twenty patients were included in the study (median age 4.5 months). There were 2 hospital deaths due to systemic infection and pulmonary hypertensive crisis, respectively. Following discharge all patients remained asymptomatic with no signs of heart failure and improved pattern of growth (median follow-up: 8 months). Early postoperative 3D segmentation showed a conical shaped neo-right ventricular outflow chamber connecting the body of the RV to the main PA through a valveless ostium, and normal crossing of PA and neo-aorta. 4D cardiovascular magnetic resonance pattern of flow showed normal rapid laminar flow through the atrioventricular valves followed by a vortex towards the outflow tracts. There was laminar flow through the neo-aorta and neo-PA with velocity not exceeding 2.5 m/s. The PA regurgitant fraction was 25 ± 5% and was limited to early diastole. CONCLUSIONS The initial results of utilizing the key concepts, using autologous arterial tissue for the repair of CAT, are encouraging, both clinically and by multimodality imaging.


Visual Basic has been described as a visual interface design package to which the programmer attaches snippets of code. Although this definition has been contested by some, no one would contest that Visual Basic's interface design component -- and therefore its forms and controls -- are central to Visual Basic. To create a professional application, the developer needs extensive knowledge of Visual Basic controls, and of their numerous properties, events, and methods. Visual Basic Controls in a Nutshell is the book that documents Visual Basic controls thoroughly. Visual Basic Controls in a Nutshell is divided into two sections. The first contains a detailed summary of Visual Basic Professional Edition's intrinsic and custom controls. Each chapter provides the following information about a control: A general description of the control, including its usage and purpose Control tasks -- that is, the tasks that are typically executed when creating or managing a control The most important properties that define the behavior and appearance of the control The major events fired by a control and to which code can be assigned In cases where their timing may be important, the order in which related multiple events are fired The most important methods that are available for managing a control or accessing its functionality The ways in which the control unexpectedly interacts with changes in its state or in that of the Visual Basic environment. Typically, these undocumented or little documented side effects give developers enormous difficulty. The second section consists of separate alphabetical references to Visual Basic's properties, methods, and events. Along with providing basic documentation for each property, method, and event, the entries in this section contain a wealth of information not always available from the documentation, including: Whether a property is available at design-time and/or run-time The data type returned by a property or method Tips and hints for using the property, method, or event effectively Visual Basic Controls in a Nutshell is an ideal book for Windows programmers who are looking for detailed and organized information on Visual Basic controls. This book is written by an experienced Visual Basic programmer and is filled with precisely the kind of information that his work -- and that of any experienced VB programmer -- constantly requires. Its depth and quality will make it an indispensable addition to the library of every experienced Visual Basic programmer. With its companion volume, VB & VBA in a Nutshell: The Language, it serves to thoroughly document Microsoft Visual Basic.


In power systems, Load Frequency Control is the main goal to maintain the power system frequency of each area and tie line power at a stable condition. In this paper a Proportional Integral with Derivative Filter (PIDF) is proposed to get an accurate result of Load Frequency Control (LFC) problem. With this PIDF controller the system considering some important physical constraints such as Generation Rate Constraint (GRC) and Time Delay (TD) are considered and the parameters are tuned using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique considering an objective function Integral Time multiplied Absolute Error (ITAE). The performance of proposed PIDF controller using PSO optimization technique is valuate at different operating conditions that takes place in restructured scenario.


Bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) has been previously suggested as an adsorbent for removing heavy metals from wastewater due to its high porosity and large surface area. In this study the adsorption characteristics of heavy metals were investigated using various particle sizes of MSWI bottom ash. The adsorption experiment was conducted using synthetic wastewater containing Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd as a function of residence time, initial pH, ash dosage and particle size, respectively. The adsorption rate increased with decreasing particle size and with increasing residence time. Through the above analysis, this work proved that bottom ash was effective in adsorbing the four heavy metals.


Montmorillonite/polystyrene nanocomposites were prepared by in situ photopolymerization of styrene in the presence of 2% by weight of clay organomodified by two new imidazolium surfactants having in their structure an alkyl chain with 20 or 22 carbon atoms, respectively. Thermogravimetry showed that the new surfactants are more thermally stable than conventional alkylammonium surfactants. The properties of the obtained nanocomposites were compared with those of pristine polystyrene, with those of a microcomposite obtained by in situ polymerization of styrene in the presence of unmodified clay, and with those of a nanocomposite obtained starting from an organomodified clay with a short alkyl chain (12 carbon atoms) imidazolium surfactant. XRD, TEM, and rheological analysis showed that the clay/PS nanocomposites have a mixture of intercalated and partially exfoliated structure layers, where the higher the surfactant alkyl chain length, the higher the exfoliation degree. Kinetics curve of accelerated UV aging, obtained by following through infrared spectroscopy the increase of carbonyl functions during aging, showed that the rate of photooxidation of clay containing samples is higher than neat polystyrene. The rate is higher as a function of the degree of dispersion of the filler in the polymer matrix.


We present a general formalism for treating a Hamiltonian (canonical) field theory with a spatial boundary. In this formalism essentially all functionals are differentiable from the very beginning and hence no improvement terms are needed. We introduce a new Poisson bracket which differs from the usual " bulk " Poisson bracket with a boundary term and show that the Jacobi identity is satisfied. The result is geometrized on an abstract world volume manifold. The method is suitable for studying systems with a spatial edge like the ones often considered in Chern-Simons theory and General Relativity. Finally, we discuss how the boundary terms may be related to the time ordering when quantizing.


In view of the abnormal phenomenon that a flood peak increased in August 2004 and July 2005 along the lower Yellow River, the mechanism of this abnormal phenomenon is studied. It is found that the flood increase was due to the decrease the channel roughness in the propagation of high concentrated flood carrying the extra fine sediment which was discharged from xiaolangdi reservoir. In view of this, the equation of drag reduction rate is derivated under variable k pattern, and is applied to the reality. The results show that the equation is reliable and has important role in flood control and calculation in water level with hyperconcentration flow. The study of this paper only is a try and discuusion, and need to be improved.


Interactions of progesterone with zwitterionic dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilamellar liposomes (MLVs) were investigated as a function of progesterone concentration at selected temperatures monitoring both the gel and liquid crystalline phase, by using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It has been show that the effect of progesterone on membrane dynamics is dependent on progesterone concentration. At 1 mol%, which is close to physiological level, progesterone behaves differently. At this concentration the decrease in dynamics is more noticeable. Additionally a dramatic decrease in the strength of hydrogen bonding in the interfacial region of the bilayer is also observed. When concentration increases up to 12 mol% opposite behaviour is observed at all interactions. Above 12 mol%, progesterone–DPPC interactions shows almost linear plot.


The etching of Si wafers significantly influences the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Texturing can effectively decrease front surface reflection and improve device performance. Saw damage removal (SDR) is necessary to yields uniform random pyramidal surfaces without the appearance of saw marks, it entails significant consumption of chemical solutions and complicated cleaning steps. Herein, an alternative process of pre-texturing thermal treatment was carried out at 800 °C for 10 min, followed by anisotropic texturing, and a uniform pyramidal surface over a large area of the textured surface was obtained without saw marks. Compared with that of as-cut mono-Si wafers (30.7%), the weighted average reflectance of the samples textured with or without thermal treatment decreased to 11.2% and 11.9%, respectively, and further to 3% and 3.4%, respectively, when anti-reflection coatings were applied. In addition, saw marks on the wafer surface were used as gettering sites during thermal treatment, and the bulk lifetime was more than doubled from 42.6 µs before the treatment to 93.8 µs after. The simple, SDR-free method presented herein for enhancing the textural uniformity of Si wafers and, hence, solar cell performance, can be employed on an industrial scale without necessitating additional investment in equipment.


Prenatal glucocorticoid (GC) is clinically administered to pregnant women at risk of preterm birth for maturation of the cardiopulmonary function. Preterm and low birth weight infants often experience liver dysfunction after birth because the liver is immature. However, the effects of prenatal GC administration on the liver remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal GC administration regarding maturity of the liver in preterm rats. Dexamethasone (DEX) was administered to pregnant Wistar rats on gestational day 17 and 19 before cesarean section. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was then used to analyze the mRNA levels (albumin, HNF4α, HGF, Thy-1, cyclin B, and CDK1) in the liver samples. Immunohistochemical staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to analyze protein production. Hepatocyte size enlarged because of growth and administration of prenatal DEX. Albumin, HNF4α, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) increased secondary to growth and administration of prenatal DEX. Cell cycle markers, cyclin B, and CDK1 gradually decreased during growth and by administration of DEX. These results suggest that prenatal GC administration achieves hepatocyte maturation via expression of HNF4α and HGF in premature fetuses.


Background: High-throughput technologies enable the cost-effective collection and analysis of DNA methylation data throughout the human genome. This naturally entails missing values management that can complicate the analysis of the data. Several general and specific imputation methods are suitable for DNA methylation data. However, there are no detailed studies of their performances under different missing data mechanisms -(completely) at random or not- and different representations of DNA methylation levels (β and M-value). Results: We make an extensive analysis of the imputation performances of seven imputation methods on simulated missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR) and missing not at random (MNAR) methylation data. We further consider imputation performances on the β- and M-value popular representations of methylation levels. Overall, β -values enable better imputation performances than M-values. Imputation accuracy is lower for mid-range β -values, while it is generally more accurate for values at the extremes of the β -value range. The MAR values distribution is on the average more dense in the mid-range in comparison to the expected β -value distribution. As a consequence, MAR values are on average harder to impute. Conclusions: The results of the analysis provide guidelines for the most suitable imputation approaches for DNA methylation data under different representations of DNA methylation levels and different missing data mechanisms.


Modern motor vehicles consist of many electrical auxiliary drives. The range of the application area of these drives reaches from comfort functions like electrical window lifts, seat and mirror adjustment up to the use as ancillary units in the engine compartment. In this lecture an established electromagnetic motor for seat adjustment is presented and fully simulated with Ansoft Maxwell V12. The operating motor behavior is derived with the aid of the transient field simulation and compared with the measured results. The necessary information for the model creation and the parameterization are generated by the analysis of motor geometry and material properties. In the second part of this lecture an alternative auxiliary drive concept with brushless dc motor is presented. The development of this motor is also done by the tool Ansoft Maxwell V12. At this time all signs point to that mechanical commutated motors were sooner or later substituted by electrical commutated motors. Therefore the paper demonstrates the substitution off a PMDC motor with an EC motor.


Liquid Membranes: Principles and Applications in Chemical Separations and Wastewater Treatment discusses the principles and applications of the liquid membrane (LM) separation processes in organic and inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, gas separation, and wastewater treatment. It presents updated, useful, and systematized information on new LM separation technologies, along with new developments in the field. It provides an overview of LMs and LM processes, and it examines the mechanisms and kinetics of carrier-facilitated transport through LMs. It also discusses active transport, driven by oxidation-reduction, catalytic, and bioconversion reactions on the LM interfaces; modifications of supported LMs; bulk aqueous hybrid LM processes with water-soluble carriers; emulsion LMs and their applications; and progress in LM science and engineering. This book will be of value to students and young researchers who are new to separation science and technology, as well as to scientists and engineers involved in the research and development of separation technologies, LM separations, and membrane reactors. - Provides comprehensive knowledge-based information on the principles and applications of a variety of liquid membrane separation processes. - Contains a critical analysis of new technologies published in the last 15 years.


BACKGROUND
6-Fluoro-3-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)quinolin-4(1H)-ones are promising antitumor agents with enormous data on their profound cytotoxic effects on the human cancer cell lines.

OBJECTIVES
We sought to perform a Quantitative structure cytotoxicity relationship (QSCR) analysis of a series of previously reported fluoroquinolone analogues using computer-assisted multiple regression analysis and investigate the cytotoxicity-inducing structural parameters among these congeners.

METHODS
The dataset was segregated into training and test sets of 6-Fluoro-3-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)quinolin-4(1H)-ones by using a random selection method embedded in Vlife MDS 4.6 software and subjected to QSCR analysis. Next, cross-validation of the generated QSCR models was performed along with the external test set prediction. Finally, the data was analyzed, and contour plots were developed to deduce the cytotoxicity-inducing structural parameters among these congeners using Minitab® software.

RESULTS
The validated QSCR model exhibited a statistically significant predictive value of 92.27 percent. Our QSCR model revealed a direct proportionality between hydrogen counts and cytotoxicity and exclusion of sulphur and nitrogen with lesser crowding of cyclopropyl rings in future potential 6-Fluoro-3-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)quinolin-4(1H)-one analogues. Based on the QSCR model predictions and contour plot analysis, the de novo REPUBLIC1986 molecule provided the best hit with predicted IC50 (µM) of 0.45 against CHO cell line and is amenable to salt formation crucial for anti-ovarian cancer activity.

CONCLUSION
These findings suggest the relevancy of the developed QSCR model in designing novel, potent, and safer anti-cancer drugs with 6-Fluoro-3-(4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)quinolin-4(1H)-ones as seed compounds.


Developments of silica packings in high performance liquid chromatography are reviewed with 65 references. Preparative and modification methods of silica packings are introduced. The physical characterization on silica surface is elucidated. The applications of silica packings in HPLC are outlined and the trends of silica packings in China are described.


Incisors are the most frequently involved teeth to suffer dental trauma, with root fractures occurring in 3% of injuries
due to dental trauma. Horizontal root fractures mostly affect upper central incisors, mainly in the middle third of the root.
Nevertheless, apical and coronal third fractures are also sometimes reported. This case report presents the five-year follow-
up of a 16-year-old male who had sustained trauma to his upper right central incisor (11) with a horizontal root fracture
in the middle third of the root, and to the right lateral incisor (12) in its cervical third. The upper central incisor was
treated with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) at the fracture line and the upper lateral incisor was filled with MTA and
gutta-percha to achieve an apical seal. MTA allowed healing and prevented the occurrence of clinical symptoms. In conclusion,
MTAappeared to be a valid option for the horizontal root fracture and had the added advantage of speed of completion
of therapy.