Objective: To evaluate changes in the inclination of anterior teeth caused by orthodontic treatment using a Straight-Wire appliance (Capelozza's prescription II), before and after the leveling phase with rectangular stainless steel archwires. Methods: Seventeen adult subjects were selected who presented with facial pattern II, Class II malocclusion, referred for compensatory orthodontic treatment. Inclinations of anterior teeth were clinically assessed using CT scans at three different times, i.e., after the use of 0.020-in (T1), 0.019 X 0.025-in (T2) and 0.021 X 0.025-in (T3) archwires. Friedman's analysis of variance was applied with 5% significance level to compare the three assessments (T1, T2 and T3). Results: It was noted that the rectangular wires were unable to produce any significant changes in inclination medians, except for a slight change in mandibular lateral incisors (p<0.05). On the other hand, variations in inclination were smaller when 0.021 X 0.025-in archwires were employed, particularly in maxillary incisors (P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of rectangular 0.021 X 0.025-in archwires produces more homogeneous variations in the inclination of maxillary incisors, but no significant median changes. Abstract


Adverse events following bone marrow biopsy are rare but poorly documented. Annual UK surveys are building up a data-base on the frequency and nature of such complications, which will provide the evidence on which recommendations can be based. The latest annual survey documented 15 adverse events, mainly hemorrhagic, among 20323 procedures.


Bright fireballs or bolides are caused by meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed. On 2013 February 15, a superbolide was observed in the skies near Chelyabinsk, Russia. Such a meteor could be the result of the decay of an asteroid and here we explore this possibility applying a multistep approach. First, we use available data and Monte Carlo optimization (validated using 2008 TC3 as template) to obtain a robust solution for the pre-impact orbit of the Chelyabinsk impactor (semimajor axis = 1.62 au, eccentricity = 0.53, inclination = 3.82 deg, longitude of the ascending node = 326.41 deg and argument of perihelion = 109.44 deg). Then, we use this most probable orbit and numerical analysis to single out candidates for membership in, what we call, the Chelyabinsk asteroid family. Finally, we perform N-body simulations to either confirm or reject any dynamical connection between candidates and impactor. We find reliable statistical evidence on the existence of the Chelyabinsk cluster. It appears to include multiple small asteroids and two relatively large members: 2007 BD7 and 2011 EO40. The most probable parent body for the Chelyabinsk superbolide is 2011 EO40. The orbits of these objects are quite perturbed as they experience close encounters not only with the Earth-Moon system but also with Venus, Mars and Ceres. Under such conditions, the cluster cannot be older than about 20-40 kyr.


The study examines a number of acoustic properties of non-native speech directed to a native speaker, a non-native speaker with a shared first language background, and a non-native speaker with a different first language. Results demonstrate that the interlocutor condition interacts with the language attitudes factor: Participants with more positive attitudes towards their second language (English) differ along several acoustic dimensions from participants with more positive attitudes towards their first language (Mandarin), especially when interacting with native speakers of English. Expanded vowel space, higher articulation rate, and increased pitch adopted by English-oriented participants in interactions with native speakers of English may be indicative of their greater positive emotional involvement in the interaction. .


The system of residency training in the United States has at its core a perpetual tension between service and education. Graduate medical education (GME) is financed through prospective payments to teaching hospitals, where house officers compose a significant portion of the health care workforce. Numerous changes have occurred during the past 20 years that have put increasing pressure on this delicate balance. Radical transformation in the structure and process of GME training, most notably duty hour limitations, has led to compression of work, coupled with increasing emphasis on patient safety and quality. Hospitals have simultaneously undergone equally radical changes resulting from economic forces that have intensified pressure on faculty to increase clinical productivity to generate revenue. As a result, less time is available for faculty to teach and for trainees to learn.


An exact solution of the Oberbeck – Boussinesq equations for the description of the steady-state Bénard – Rayleigh convection in an infinitely extensive horizontal layer is presented. This exact solution describes the large-scale motion of a vertical vortex flow outside the field of the Coriolis force. The large-scale fluid flow is considered in the approximation of a thin layer with nondeformable (flat) boundaries. This assumption allows us to describe the large-scale fluid motion as shear motion. Two velocity vector components, called horizontal components, are taken into account. Consequently, the third component of the velocity vector (the vertical velocity) is zero. The shear flow of the vertical vortex flow is described by linear forms from the horizontal coordinates for velocity, temperature and pressure fields. The topology of the steady flow of a viscous incompressible fluid is defined by coefficients of linear forms which have a dependence on the vertical (transverse) coordinate. The functions unknown in advance are exactly defined from the system of ordinary differential equations of order fifteen. The coefficients of the forms are polynomials. The spectral properties of the polynomials in the domain of definition of the solution are investigated. The analysis of distribution of the zeroes of hydrodynamical fields has allowed a definition of the stratification of the physical fields. The paper presents a detailed study of the existence of steady reverse flows in the convective fluid flow of Bénard – Rayleigh – Couette type.


Abstract The nickel metal hydride batteries (Ni-MH) are used in many electronic equipment, like cell phones, computers, cameras as well as hybrid cars. Spent batteries can be a rich source of many metals, especially rare earth elements (REE), such as lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), samarium (Sm), gadolinium (Gd). Ni-MH batteries also contain iron (Fe) as well as non-ferrous metals, i.e. nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), etc. Leaching of such waste with sulfuric acid solutions is one among many methods recovering of useful metals in hydrometallurgical processes. The main aim of this work was separation of metal ions from pregnant leach liquor (PLL) by solvent extraction using phosphorous compounds and ionic liquids (ILs). The initial pH of the aqueous solution was 0.1. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), bis (2,2,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272), and phosphoniumionic liquid – trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium bis (2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate (Cyphos IL 104) were used as the selective extractants. The initial concentration of the extractants in an organic phase was equal to 0.1 mol∙dm−3. The obtained results show that the highest extraction efficiency was obtained for Fe(III) and Zn(II) in extraction experiments with 0.1 M D2EHPA at pH of 0.1. Ni(II), Co(II) and REE remained in the aqueous solutions. In the next stage, REE were extracted with the mixture of 0.1 M Cyanex 272 and 0.1 M Cyphos IL 104 at pH equal to 3.8. Finally, Ni(II) and Co(II) ions were efficiently removed from the aqueous phase using 0.1 M solution of Cyphos IL 104 at pH around 5.4.


There are many factors which are influencing the educational process, starting from the infrastructure available to carry out the educational act up to the individual responsibility for education quality which has to be assumed by all parties involved in the process. The modern education requires a careful planning, organization, and execution of all phases of the educational process having as final target to achieve the maximum Customer Satisfaction possible to be achieved. Simply, the modern education is looking to achieve the learners satisfaction this being one of the key performance indicators which could be used as prove of education success. Higher Education Organizations have an important role within the education of youths, future resources for the workforce market. These organizations have the task to build the skills and shape the abilities for various domains of activity as required by the specialized markets. It is very important to support students' development and not have their enthusiasm stopped by a harsh learning environment or other restrictions which may intervene in the deployment of the educational process. One of the critical phases of the educational process is the students' assessment. The results obtained by the students and the students' feedback show if the curriculum proposed and the education technologies and techniques used during the process execution have the capability to ensure a successful education as well as could help to identify future directions for improvement to make the education even better. This paper is presenting the results obtained by the author during the validation process of an Intelligent Tutoring System proposed for the Informatics discipline, and specifically addressing the students' satisfaction related to the use of a students' e-Assessment system that uses Natural Language Processing.


This report provides a description of the institutions involved in timber import and an overview of import procedures and related documents in the Netherlands in the framework of the European Union Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). FLEGT aims at establishing Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. The report includes recommendations with respect to streamlining import procedures and electronic document handling.


In this study, the use of composted hazelnut husk (CHH) as an alternative substrate for a horticultural crop, tomato (cv. Ancon), was evaluated. Before use, the CHH was separated into three different fraction sizes, 0-2 mm, 2-4 m m and 4-6.35 mm. These fractions were then mixed with soil samples, based on increasing ratios (0%, 2%, 4% and 8%, v/v) and different media were prepared. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with three media, four mixture ratios with four replicates under greenhouse conditions. After a growing period of three months, plant growth and some fruit quality properties were measured. Plants were grown more successfully in 0-2 mm and 2-4 mm CHH fraction sizes and 8% mixture ratio. The effect on fruit quality of CHH fractions showed differences, however; 4% and 8% ratios of 0-2 mm CHH fraction size mixed with soil were found to be more effective on fruit quality properties. According to these results, CHH can be used for tomato growing, especially with 4% and 8% ratios of 0-2 mm and 2-4 mm CHH fraction sizes mixed with soil. For tomato plants, research of different combinations of CHH media is recommended to attain better results.


The impact of group affiliation to agroholdings on enterprise performance in terms of productivity and efficiency is controversially discussed in the literature. However, only few papers evaluate the effects of group membership on the productivity and the efficiency of agricultural enterprises in Russia. The underlying research question of this paper is therefore whether farms that belong to agroholdings perform better than independent farms. We calculate partial land and labor productivity, total factor productivity and technical efficiency scores for the two categories of independent farms and members of agroholdings. In this paper a production function approach is estimated in the framework of stochastic frontier analysis. The results are used to decompose total factor productivity into a scale effect, a technological change effect and a technical efficiency effect. The results show a different trend than observed in previous studies. The growth of agroholdings total factor productivity exceeds by far the development of the independent farms and that group affiliation has a positive impact on the performance of the farm.


3068 Background: ONM-100, a micelle-based polymer imaging agent conjugated to indocyanine green (ICG) and with an exquisitely pH-sensitive binary activation mechanism, may be used for tumor detection. ONM-100 micelles dissociate in acidic environments resulting in activation of the fluorescent ICG tag. As nearly all solid cancer types are acidotic, ONM-100 has the potential to act as a broadly indicated tumor agnostic imaging agent. This first-in-human study investigates the safety and feasibility of ONM-100 as a tumor agnostic imaging agent for intra-operative fluorescent imaging of various solid tumors. Methods: ONM-100 was IV administered 24±8h prior to surgery in a dose escalation scheme (0.1-1.2mg/kg). Patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer (BC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and esophageal cancer (EC) were included. Blood was drawn to assess safety and pharmacokinetic data. Intra-operative fluorescence images were collected before and after tumor excision. Post-excision fluorescence images were obtained from serially sliced specimens and correlated with standard histopathological assessment. Results: 30 patients (11 BC, 13 HNSCC, 3 EC, 3 CRC) were enrolled. No ONM-100 related serious adverse events were observed and the agent was well-tolerated. A strong and sharply demarcated fluorescent signal was observed in all patients with vital tumor tissue (median CNR ranging 1.85-14.05) which correlated with tumor on final histopathology. HNSCC and superficially located BC as well as peritoneal metastasis could be clearly visualized in vivo during surgery. In four patients (BC and HNSCC), perioperatively, tumors otherwise unnoticed by the surgeons were detected on the margin or wound bed using fluorescence imaging. Additionally, two BC tumor lesions were detected that were missed by conventional pre-operative imaging and pathological assessment. Conclusions: ONM-100 appears to be safe and enables fluorescent visualization of tumors both in vivo and ex vivo. The first-in-human data demonstrate the feasibility for potential use of ONM-100 for image guided surgery, margin assessment and detection of occult disease. Clinical trial information: NTR 7085.


Towards an understanding of Forensic Accounting
Purpose: Traditionally there are three approaches to defining forensic accounting, a narrow, a broad and a comprehensive approach. In order to test this, our paper aims to answer the following questions: "What is the presence of 'forensic accounting' in NZ, Australia and South America?" "What has happened in the field of 'Forensic Accounting' over the past decade?" And "How is the field changing?"
Design/ Methodology/ Approach: This paper adopts a framework developed by Guthrie, Ricceri and Dumay (2012) to perform a structured literature review to disseminate and discuss the various ways that the term 'forensic accounting' is presented while simultaneously testing the validity of three categories of definitions identified above.
Findings: In New Zealand, Australia and South America there is evidence of three different views of Forensic Accounting, but that the narrow definitions dominates.
Research limitation/ Implications: Given the multi-lingual nature of our research and our lack of fluency in two of the languages (Spanish and Portuguese), our findings were not as extensive as they could be. Another limitation was related to inherent problems of search engines, where several results were returned with few relevant publications.
Originality/ Value: The findings of our paper demonstrate the developing, multidisciplinary nature of forensic accounting; however this is not being utilised in publications as they focus on the role of forensic accounting and fraud. Additionally, our paper discusses several trends in the field of forensic accounting literature including increased reliance on websites.


The reinforcing spirals model (Slater, 2007) is considered an important conceptual model in research on both media use and media effects. Researchers relied on this conceptual model to explain reciprocal effects of media use and media effects in various domains of research. Although Slater (2015) refined the model by considering boundary conditions, moderators, and alternative processes, empirical research has lagged behind this theoretical advancement. We discuss how the use of inappropriate statistical modeling techniques can produce misleading findings about the presumed occurrence of reinforcing spirals processes and what can be done about that. Conceptually, extant research has focused most on escalating spiral dynamics while such process may occur very rarely. At the same time, research may have ignored more common dynamic processes, e.g., homeostasis, wear-out, depolarization. Therefore, we urge researchers to think about communication dynamics from different angles and to model such processes accordingly.


Although visual feedback has enabled a wide range of robotic capabilities such as autonomous navigation and robotic surgery, low sampling rate and time delays of visual outputs continue to hinder real-time applications. When partial knowledge of the target dynamics is available, however, we show the potential of significant performance gain in vision-based target following. Specifically, we propose a new framework with Kalman filters and multirate model-based prediction (1) to reconstruct fast-sampled 3D target position and velocity data, and (2) to compensate the time delay for general robotic motion profiles. Along the path, we study the impact of modeling choices and the delay duration, build simulation tools, and experimentally verify different algorithms with a robot manipulator equipped with an eye-in-hand camera. The results show that the robot can track a moving target with fast dynamics even if the visual measurements are slow and incapable of providing timely information.


If individuals have spatially di(cid:27)erentiated preferences for sites or areas im- pacted by an invasive alien species, e(cid:27)ective management must take this heterogeneity into account and target sites or areas accordingly. In this paper, we estimate spatially di(cid:27)erentiated preferences for the management of primrose willow (Ludwigia grandi(cid:29)ora), an invasive weed spreading in a French regional park. We use an original spatially explicit discrete choice experiment to evaluate individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) to control the invasion in di(cid:27)erent areas of the regional park. Our results indicate that 14 WTP for management highly depends on the area considered, with areas 15 where it is three times higher than others. We analyze the main factors explaining the heterogeneity of preferences and show that the closer respon- 17 dents live to the park, the more they visit and/or practice activities in it, the 18 higher their WTP and spatial preferences. Park residents and regular users 19 have high WTP and unambiguous preferences for targeting control to speci(cid:28)c 20 areas. Non-residents and occasional users have much lower WTP and more 21 homogeneous spatial preferences. These results suggest that implementing 22 management strategies that spatially target invasion control according to 23 public preferences is likely to produce signi(cid:28)cant utility gains. These gains 24 are all the more important as the preferences taken into account are those of the stakeholders directly concerned by the invasion, the residents and reg- 26 ular park users. Ignoring these spatial preferences will lead to sub-optimal 27 invasion management. 28


A rise in postprandial serum triglycerides (PP-sTG) can potentiate inflammatory responses in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and thus serves as an independent risk factor for predicting increased cardiovascular morbidity. We examined postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (PP-TGRLs) in subjects ranging from normal to hypertriglyceridemic for their capacity to alter EC acute inflammatory responses. Cultured human aortic ECs (HAECs) were conditioned with PP-TGRLs isolated from human serum at the peak after a moderately high-fat meal. VLDL particle size increased postprandially and varied directly with the subject's PP-sTG level and waist circumference. PP-TGRL particles bound to HAECs and were internalized via LDL receptor-mediated endocytosis. PP-TGRL alone did not induce an inflammatory response over the range of individuals studied. However, combined with low-dose TNF-α stimulation (0.3 ng/ml), it elicited a net 10-15% increase above cytokine alone in the membrane expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin, which was not observed with fasting TGRLs. In contrast to upregulation of ICAM-1 and E-selectin, VCAM-1 transcription and expression varied in direct proportion with individual PP-sTG and waist circumference. The extent of monocyte arrest on inflamed HAECs under shear stress also correlated closely with VCAM-1 expression induced by conditioning with PP-TGRL and TNF-α stimulation. This ex vivo approach provides a quantitative means to assess an individual's inflammatory potential, revealing a greater propensity for endothelial inflammation in hypertriglyceridemic individuals with abdominal obesity.


In organizations or firms, and in multicellular systems, human or cellular organisms require complex signaling networks to coordinate their effort and improve their odds. Lewis' signaling games are extensive form games originally derived to describe the evolution of the association between a sign and its meaning. Signaling chains generalize Lewis' signaling games in order to model the evolution of signaling in complex systems. More precisely this model empirically evaluates how effective the probe and adjust learning dynamics is in evolving signaling  conventions on signaling chains.

In signaling chains, there are four fundamental elements: a sender, a receiver, a transmitter, and a state of Nature, which provides random events that are independent of the players behavior. At each time t, Nature chooses its state with some probability, the sender observes Nature's state, and sends a signal through a chain of transmitters to the receiver. The receiver does not know the state of Nature, and she must chose an action. Finally, the receiver's action and Nature's state determine the sender's and receiver's payoff. In this model, cases in which the sender and receiver share a perfect common interest are considered. If the act matches Nature's state, the sender and the receiver get a payoff of one, otherwise they get a payoff of zero.


Hybrids between 14C-labeled ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) from either Gluconobacter oxydans subsp. oxydans NCIB 9013, Acetobacter aceti subsp. aceti NCIB 8621t1, or Zymomonas mobilis subsp. mobilis ATCC 29191 and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from acetic acid bacteria and representative strains of possibly related and other gram-negative bacteria were prepared. Each hybrid was described by two parameters: T m(e) , the temperature at which 50% of the hybrid was denatured, and the percentage of rRNA. binding, the amount of 14C-labeled rRNA (in micrograms) duplexed under stringent conditions per 100 μg of filter-fixed homologous or heterologous DNA. Each taxon occupied a definite area on the rRNA similarity maps. Parameters of hybrids formed with rRNA from G. oxydans subsp. oxydans NCIB 9013 showed that the acetic acid bacteria consist of two separate but closely related groups corresponding to the genera Acetobacter and Gluconobacter. When compared with rRNA from A. aceti subsp. aceti NCIB 8621t1, both genera were indistinguishable, showing that there were many strains of. Acetobacter whose rRNA cistrons are as different from the reference Acetobacter rRNA as from Gluconobacter rRNA. The rRNA cistrons of Acetobacter were more heterogeneous than these of Gluconobacter. The great similarities among the T m(e) 's of the heterologous hybrids and among the numerous phenotypic features stress that both genera are more closely related to each other than to any other genus. The parameters of the DNA:rRNA hybrids located the acetic acid bacteria as a separate branch in an rRNA superfamily consisting of Rhodopseudomonas, Beijerinckia, Agrobacterium, Rhizobium, some Spirillum species, and Paracoccus denitrificans. Parameters of hybrids formed with rRNA from Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis ATCC 29191 showed that the genus Zymomonas forms a separate branch in the same rRNA superfamily. We detected a number of misnamed organisms. "Acetobacter" aceti subsp. xylinum NCIB 4112, "Acetobacter" aceti subsp. orleanensis NCIB 6426, and "Acetobacter" lermae NRRL B-1810 belong in the genus Gluconobacter. "Gluconobacter" industrius IFO 3261, "Gluconobacter" dioxyacetonicus IAM 1814, "Gluconobacter" sp. strains A4.1 and M28, "Pseudomonas" melophthora NCPPB 461 and 462, and "Pseudomonas" pomi NCPPB 463 are all regular members of Acetobacter. Our evidence is against the maintenance of "intermediate" strains of acetic acid bacteria. "Gluconobacter" liquefaciens NCIB 9505 and IAM 1834 and "G." melanogenus IAM 1835 and IAM 1836 are genetically regular members of the genus Acetobacter. "Acetobacter" aurantius IFO 3246 is a Gluconobacter. "A." aurantius IFO 3249, 3247, 13330, and 13333 are not acetic acid bacteria at all. We propose to unite Acetobacter and Gluconobacter in the family Acetobacteraceae. The ranges of the moles percent guanine plus cytosine of the DNAs have been determined for the different taxa in both genera.


Digitizing the physical world through photogrammetry and 3d scanning has nowadays become part of our common vernacular in the creation of 3D virtual environments. However, it is near equally common for these technologies to be employed at the expense of design. The primary motivation behind our workshop is twofold: (1) to ensure that art creation for virtual environments continues to serve design, rather than dictate it, and (2) to encourage a more collaborative experience between physical and digital artists in computer graphics production. In our pipeline, 3D printing has enabled us to preserve our design at a very high fidelity as we transition into a physical format where we can safely leverage the talents of physical sculptors and painters without jeopardizing design intent. In turn, through photogrammetry we then digitize the physical sculptures and integrate them back into our native virtual environments. By employing both 3D printing and photogrammetry in a single pipeline, we have helped to maximize the value that both designers and artists can contribute to the creation of virtual environments.


Agricultural growth in Africa has accelerated, yet most of this growth has been driven by land expansion. Land expansion potential is reaching its limits, urging governments to shift towards a green revolution type of productivity-led growth. Given the huge public investments required, this paper aims to assess the potential impacts of a green revolution. Results from a CGE model for Ghana show that green revolution type growth is strongly pro-poor and provides substantial transfers to the rest of the economy, thus providing a powerful argument to raise public expenditure on agriculture to make a green revolution happen in Africa.


As ventilation efficiency in a room is not always uniformly distributed, an index for measuring ventilation efficiency at a concerned point or in a concerned local domain is required. Local ventilation efficiency is often represented by the rate of the averaged concentration of the local domain to that of exhausted air from the room. From the age theory of air, it is well known that the averaged concentration in a room corresponds to the mean staying time of contaminant. Evaluating the domain-averaged concentration (Cdomain) means evaluating the average staying time of the contaminant in the domain. It can be only one part of the whole room and can be considered as an occupied zone. Visitation frequency (VF) and the average staying time of the contaminant for one visitation in the local domain (Tp) are introduced to analyze the average staying time of the contaminant in the local domain. The value of VF is strongly affected by the position of the local domain in the room; that is, the position of the local domain in the whole flow field of the room. Tp represents the property of the flow pattern in the local domain. As the indication of VF and Tp represent the mechanism for forming the domain-averaged concentration, they are deeply related to local purging flow rate, which represents the airflow rate for defining the domain-averaged concentration. As VF and Tp are related to the contaminant transportation property, it is effective to analyze them by particle tracking method. A CFD method of large eddy simulation (LES) was thereby carried out in this study. The prediction result by LES is also validated by a precise model experiment. In this paper, the detailed analysis of VF and Tp is carried out on the basis of the particle tracking method utilizing the LES result in order to clarify the mechanism of the domain-averaged concentration. The analyzed room has one supply inlet and one exhaust outlet. A clear re-circulating flow, generated by the forced ventilation, is observed in the room. The value of VF is examined with three types of local domains in the room model. In the room model, VF shows a value of 5.70 when the local domain occupies half of the room. It becomes smaller when the size of the local domain is reduced.


This research investigated the effects of camel whey protein (CWP) treatment on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and insulin resistance (IR) HepG2 cell models. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats every week, and biochemical parameters in serum samples were evaluated after 6 weeks. Antioxidant activity in the liver was estimated, and histological examination of the liver tissues was conducted. After CWP treatment, the glucose uptake and lipid accumulation were examined in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Our results indicated that CWP mitigated the body weight loss, reversed dyslipidemia, and inhibited the inflammatory response, in T2DM rats. Meanwhile, it protected the liver from being injured by reducing the level of oxidative stress. In the CWP group, the pathological changes were significantly reduced, while the liver lobule structure, liver cell arrangement, as well as congestion, edema, and vacuolization were improved. Our results from quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analyses showed that CWP could up-regulate the expression levels of insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and glycogen synthase (GS). An active protein component CWP8 was isolated and identified, which was shown to be able to stimulate glycogen synthesis and ameliorate lipid accumulation in IR HepG2 cells. These data indicate that CWP and CWP8 might act as potential natural products regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM.


We hypothesise that child care subsidies increase the labour force participation of women within Australia. Our alternative hypothesis is that child care subsidies do not increase the labour force participation of women in Australia. This research pulls data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Organisation for Economic Co-operations, Development and the Productivity Commission and Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). Based on the regression analysis performed, we found that there was a notable positive relationship between the labour force participation rates of Australian females and child care subsidies by the Australian government. Nevertheless, it's relevant to highlight that our data could be impacted by other considerations such as taxation changes coming out of the government and the apparent positive relationship between female employment and education over time.


: In a consecutive series of spina bifida operated unselectively at birth 62% reached the twelfth birthday and 54% could be expected to reach the nineteenth. Many of the most severely affected cases survived; if they died the cause was usually renal failure. Bronchopneumonia was the main cause of death in infants and hydrocephalus in the older children. Girls outnumbered boys by 1:1.3 and, although they were more severely affected, their survival equalled the boys'. Awareness of the high survival rate which results from the treatment of spina bifida is important for the parents of a newborn baby. It is also a prerequisite in planning provision for the young adult.


The opinion poll of dental clinics staff and patients on microbial contamination of the offices were fulfilled. The microbial pollution in private companies UAB ,,A", UAB ,,B" UAB ,,C" were analysed . It was found, that the evaluation of hygiene requirements and preventive measures application and microbial contamination monitoring in dental health care offices is inadequate. Employees paid too little attention to patients and their health is determined by their negligent attitude to the human safety, lack of skills and as a consequence the rise of diseases caused by following microorganisms were recognised: oral spread of microorganisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and epidemic outbreaks of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pathogen, virus hepatitis causing liver inflammation and even cirrhosis, Candida albicans fungus, and many other microorganisms. Personal protection measures can reduce transmission of infection to spread. The assessment of the literature and present survey data was shown, there is no doubt that there is necessity for determination of oral microflora spreading area and its prevention means for further optimization of the relevant research topic, and there is suggestion to pay more attention to patients and employees working environment, environmental risks and to provide an adequate amount of personal preventive measures. Article in Lithuanian doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2012.074


After the tremendous advances over the past two decades, micro‐/nanorobots can effectively convert other forms of energy into propulsion and movement, as well as be navigated to targeted locations under physiological conditions and environments. They have been demonstrated to have the potential to load, transport, and deliver therapeutic payloads directly to disease sites, thereby improving the therapeutic efficacy and reducing systemic side effects of highly toxic drugs. In this feature article, the various propulsion modalities of micro‐/nanorobots ranging from chemical/biochemical reactions to external fields, and to motile microorganisms are summarized and commented in terms of driving forces required by the automotive motion in biological media, biocompatibility, as well as the corresponding advantages and limitations in terms of biomedical applications. Then, the latest developments of in vitro and in vivo active drug delivery based on micro‐/nanorobots are discussed in detail. The challenges and future prospects are also highlighted in the end. With ever booming research enthusiasm in this field and increasing multidisciplinary cooperation, micro‐/nanorobots with intelligence and multifunctions will emerge in the near future, which would have a profound impact on the treatment of diseases.


In The Terrible We Cameron Awkward-Rich thinks with the bad feelings and mad habits of thought that persist in both transphobic discourse and trans cultural production. Observing that trans studies was founded on a split from and disavowal of madness, illness, and disability, Awkward-Rich argues for and models a trans criticism that works against this disavowal. By tracing the coproduction of the categories of disabled and transgender in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century and analyzing transmasculine literature and theory by Eli Clare, Elliott DeLine, Dylan Scholinski, and others, Awkward-Rich suggests that thinking with maladjustment might provide new perspectives on the impasses arising from the conflicted relationships among trans, feminist, and queer. In so doing, he demonstrates that rather than only impeding or confining trans life, thought, and creativity, forms of maladjustment have also been and will continue to be central to their development.
 Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award recipient


History and Objectives: Due to the various incidence of malignancy of uterine cervix and lack of information about its status in this region and in order to define the cytopathology of uterine cervix, this research was performed on more than 3000 specimens of Pap smears in married women inhabitant of south of Tehran during the years 1376 and 1377.

Materials and Methods: The present study was performed by a cross sectional descriptive method and the sample volume was estimated on the basis of a 95% confidence interval, prevalence of 2% and error of 0.5%. Married women of Reye town were selected by systematic random sampling from the list. Pap smear were obtained by educated residents and gram stained type of lesion. Especially the frequency of dysplasia was evaluated in the samples and role of various factors in the production of lesions were determined.

Results: In 3070 specimens, which were evaluated, there was no case of cervical cancer. Dysplasia was found in 5%, inflammation in 92% and bleeding in 13% of the patients. Six percent of the specimens were normal. Increasing age and low economic status had role in the development of dysplasia (P<0.01). Other factors had no significant role in the development of lesions.

Conclusion: The frequency of dysplasia is low in the studied population but the frequency of inflammation is worrisome. Therefore further studies to recognize its etiologic cause or causes and also to define the ability of Pap smear to detect cervical cancer are recommended.


Affibody molecules are small (7 kDa) affinity proteins of non-immunoglobulin origin that have been generated to specifically interact with a large number of clinically important molecular targets.In this thesis, Affibody molecules have been employed as tracers for radionuclide molecular imaging of HER2- and IGF-1R-expressing tumors, paper I-IV, and for surface knock-down of EGFR, paper V. In paper I, a tag with the amino acid sequence HEHEHE was fused to the N-terminus of a HER2-specific Affibody molecule, (ZHER2), and was shown to enable facile IMAC purification and efficient tri-carbonyl 99mTc-labeling. In vivo evaluation of radioactivity uptake in different organs showed an improved biodistribution, including a 10-fold lower radioactivity uptake in liver, compared to the same construct with a H6-tag. In paper II, it was further shown that an N-terminally placed HEHEHE-tag on ZHER2 provided lower unspecific uptake of radioactivity in liver compared to its H6-tagged counterpart even when radiolabeling was at the C-terminus using alternative chemistries to attach 99mTc, 111In or 125I. In paper III, the H6-tag's composition and position was varied with regards to charge, hydrophobicity and its C- or N-terminal placement on ZHER2. Among the ten variants investigated, it was found that an N-terminal HEHEHE-tag provided the most favorable overall biodistribution profile and that introduction of hydrophobic and positively charged amino acids provoked liver uptake of radioactivity. In paper IV, the HEHEHE-tag was shown to enable IMAC purification and tri-carbonyl 99mTc-labeling of an IGF-1R-specific Affibody molecule and improved its overall biodistribution when compared to the same construct with a H6-tag. In paper V, the aim was to develop an intracellular receptor-entrapment system to reduce the surface levels of EGFR. An EGFR-specific Affibody molecule was expressed as a fusion to different mutants of an intracellular transport protein in SKOV-3 cells, resulting in a collection of cell lines with 50%, 60%, 80% and 96% reduced surface level of EGFR. Analysis of the proliferation rate of these cell lines showed that a modest reduction (15%) in proliferation occurs between 60% and 80% reduction of the surface level of EGFR.


This paper aims to verify the impacts of the Biosafety Protocol on Brazilian exports, as the country was the only one amid the biggest world agricultural commodities producers that has ratified it. The analysis focused on Article 18 and also on the soybean market. The additional costs to identify LMOs were calculated to Brazil, Argentina and the US considering the main proposals submitted during negotiations. The figures revealed that the compliance costs are higher in Brazil compared to the other countries and that this difference increases as the exigencies become stricter. The potential impacts of these additional costs in the international market were estimated using the Equilibrium Displacement Model. It was considered a scenario under which only Brazil complied with CPB standards and another one where Argentina and the US also adopted equivalent measures. The results showed that Brazil would be harmed in both situations. The country could loose US$ 133 million under Scenario 1 and US$ 329 million under Scenario 2. Regarding Argentina and the US, the Scenario 2 presents better results. Therefore, it is almost certain that these countries will comply with CPB requirements. It implies that Brazil will incur in greater losses.


This study compares several geochemical factors (major and minor rare earth elements, Ti/Al ratios, and chemical index of alteration, CIA, values) in the Early Triassic Canizar Formation (Fm) (Buntsandtein facies) of E Iberia with those of adjacent Middle Permian and Middle Triassic units (Alcotas and Eslida fms, respectively). According to significant differences detected, it seems that most geochemical perturbation occurred during the Early Triassic. Variations in Ti/Al ratios suggest changes in source areas between the studied units and even within the Canizar Fm. These provenance changes correlate with successive tectonic pulses during the opening and development of the Iberian Basin, as they can be linked to major sedimentary surfaces and unconformities, as well as major sedimentological variations. Ti enrichment in the lower and middle part of the Canizar Fm, together with high Sr and P concentrations, may be indicative of environmental alterations related to acid meteoric waters. Moreover, this acid alteration took place under arid conditions as reflected by CIA values, indicating that during the deposition of the Canizar Fm, variable but predominantly physical weathering prevailed in contrast to the chemical weathering that took place when the Alcotas and Eslida formations were deposited. Our data along with the known fossil record of the study area indicate that during the Middle–Late Permian and Early Triassic, conditions in this tectonically active area changed from humid to arid-acid, hampering biotic recovery. Then, during late Early–Middle Triassic times, the return of more humid and less acid environments promoted biotic development. Geochemical markers emerged as useful tools complementary to sedimentological, paleontological, and tectonic data for unveiling paleoenvironmental events, especially in a setting of significant regional change.


This paper presents an algorithm to enhance the capabilities of generating all hexahedral finite element meshes by the sweeping process. Traditional sweeping techniques are very useful and robust. They create meshes by projecting an existing single-surface mesh along a specified trajectory to a specified singletarget surface. In this process the source surface is meshed by any surface meshing algorithm while the sides that couple the source to the target are limited to a regular mapped quadrilateral mesh. This process is often called two and one half dimensional meshing. The procedure presented in this paper enhances this traditional technique by developing a projection technique that minimizes mesh distortion; and allows multiple connected surfaces to single target, multiple unconnected surfaces to single target, and multiple unconnected surfaces to multiple unconnected target sweeping.


We study the expressiveness and complexity of Shape Expression Schema (ShEx), a novel schema formalism for RDF currently under development by W3C. A ShEx assigns types to the nodes of an RDF graph and allows to constrain the admissible neighborhoods of nodes of a given type with regular bag expressions (RBEs). We formalize and investigate two alternative semantics, multiand single-type, depending on whether or not a node may have more than one type. We study the expressive power of ShEx and study the complexity of the validation problem. We show that the single-type semantics is strictly more expressive than the multi-type semantics, single-type validation is generally intractable and multi-type validation is feasible for a small (yet practical) subclass of RBEs. To curb the high computational complexity of validation, we propose a natural notion of determinism and show that multi-type validation for the class of deterministic schemas using single-occurrence regular bag expressions (SORBEs) is tractable. 1998 ACM Subject Classification H.2.2 Schema and subschema


The changes of hormone and anatomy results in musculoskeletal problem in pregnant women. Physiotherapy plays important role during pregnancy. However, in Indonesia, the number of attendants to antenatal physiotherapy was limited. This was thought to be associated to the perception of pregnant women toward the need of services. The present study aims to determine the factors related to pregnant women's perception towards need of antenatal physiotherapy services in Puskesmas Kecamatan Cipayung. Target population of this cross sectional study was all pregnant women in Puskesmas Kecamatan Cipayung among 103 participants who purposively selected were interview. Analysis data using univariate and bivariate analysis (Chi Square test). The majoririty of education level, working status, and income level were respectivelly senior high school (61.2%), unemployee (82.5%), and Rp2.500.000-3.500.000 (37.9%). Furthermore, most of respondents complain on musculoskeletal disorder especially low back pain, namelly (63.1%) while their lack of knowledge on physiotherapy was 70.9%, and perception towards the need of antenatal physiotherapy service with indicator "no need" was counted 52,4%. p value between perception toward need of antenatal physiotherapy with education, income, knowledge level and working status were p=0.041, p=0.001, p=0.000, and p=0.314. Results reveal that education level, income level, and knowledge were significant factors affecting pregnant women's perception towards antenatal physiotherapy services meanwhile working status was not significant.It is recommended to promote physiotherapy services for better play role on women health improvement.


With the development of new technologies, it is very popular to use a coronary stent that is a small mesh tubeshaped medical device deployed to treat narrow or weak arteries as part of a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention. Several aspects, such as stent design, stent wire type, mechanical and material characteristics of stent have different influences on stent intervention. It has not been reported about what impacts on stent struts by the hemodynamic behavior on stent material and very few numerical studies have considered both the mechanical and hemodynamic impact of stent implementation. Computational simulation method for realization of realistic structural and hemodynamic micro environment model in this research provided valuable results of long-term functional knowledge of stent material behavior that are time consuming and expensive to determine otherwise. Computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis simulation models were investigated and developed to evaluate engineering properties that affect stent functional attributes. These characteristics are dependences of material properties on blood flow conditions such as structural load, shear-strain rate, radial strength, and wall shear stresses, which need to be scientifically explored. To understand the material (Fe-18Cr-14Ni-2.5Mo as stainless steel 316LVM) mechanical performance of the stent, a finite element analysis simulation model was established when exposed to pulsatile blood pressure. In this study, computational fluid dynamics model was generated to calculate the wall shear stresses and strain distribution in stented vessel carrying blood to heart. The analytical analysis of mechanical and hemodynamic conduct of a stent in this investigation may help for better designs of stent, and provide deeper comprehension to support clinical cardiovascular surgeons and guide potential therapeutic strategies.


This paper presents a first mathematical convergence analysis of a Fock states feedback stabilization scheme via single-photon corrections. This measurement-based feedback has been developed and experimentally tested in 2012 by the cavity quantum electrodynamics group of Serge Haroche and Jean-Michel Raimond. Here, we consider the infinite-dimensional Markov model corresponding to the ideal set-up where detection errors and feedback delays have been disregarded. In this ideal context, we show that any goal Fock state can be stabilized by a Lyapunov-based feedback for any initial quantum state belonging to the dense subset of finite rank density operators with support in a finite photon-number sub-space. Closed-loop simulations illustrate the performance of the feedback law.


The advent of big data in health care is a topic receiving increasing
attention worldwide. In the UK, over the last decade, the National
Health Service (NHS) programme for Information Technology
has boosted big data by introducing electronic infrastructures in hospitals
and GP practices across the country. This ever growing amount of
data promises to expand our understanding of the services, processes
and research. Potential bene�ts include reducing costs, optimisation
of services, knowledge discovery, and patient-centred predictive modelling.
This thesis will explore the above by studying over ten years
worth of electronic data and systems in a hospital treating over 750
thousand patients a year.
The hospital's information systems store routinely collected data, used
primarily by health practitioners to support and improve patient care.
This raw data is recorded on several di�erent systems but rarely linked
or analysed. This thesis explores the secondary uses of such data by
undertaking two case studies, one on prostate cancer and another on
stroke. The journey from data to knowledge is made in each of the
studies by traversing critical steps: data retrieval, linkage, integration,
preparation, mining and analysis. Throughout, novel methods
and computational techniques are introduced and the value of routinely
collected data is assessed. In particular, this thesis discusses
in detail the methodological aspects of developing clinical data warehouses
from routine heterogeneous data and it introduces methods to
model, visualise and analyse the journeys that patients take through
care. This work has provided lessons in hospital IT provision, integration,
visualisation and analytics of complex electronic patient records
and databases and has enabled the use of raw routine data for management
decision making and clinical research in both case studies.


BACKGROUND
To consider the changes in overall diet quality following migration we examined the associations of acculturation variables and education level with diet in Surinamese South Asian and Surinamese Afro-Caribbean origin on the one hand, and ethnic Dutch residents of the Netherlands on the other. Surinam is a former Dutch colony in South America.

METHODS
We randomly selected men and women aged 35-60 years: ethnic Dutch, n = 552; South Asian, n = 306; Afro-Caribbean, n = 660. Intakes of fruit, vegetables, red meat, fish, vegetable oils, breakfast and salt were measured using a short questionnaire that formed the basis for a 'diet quality indicator' score. Highest education was measured and acculturation of the Surinamese groups was assessed by age at migration, number of resident years and a scale measure of social contacts with ethnic Dutch.

RESULTS
Compared with ethnic Dutch, both Surinamese groups scored higher on overall diet quality (P < or = 0.001) but some aspects of diet (breakfast and salt use) were less prudent. Education was positively associated with diet quality in ethnic Dutch (P < or = 0.01), but not consistently so in Surinamese. Associations with social contact with ethnic Dutch varied for different quality aspects of the diet. Residence duration (mean = 22 years) and age at migration (mean = 21 years) were not associated with diet.

CONCLUSIONS
A greater degree of acculturation does not necessarily lead to a less healthful diet in migrants. In addition, the association of education level with diet may differ for migrant groups. The diet of migrants differ from host populations, suggesting that migrant groups should be considered in the development of nutrition health promotion activities.


The levels of continuous casting process of copper and copper alloy billet have many advantages, such as taking small footprint, low investment and the shorter flow. Recently, it develops very quickly all over the world. This article designs the dummy body drive control system based on the DSP digital signal processing chips, inverter and variable speed induction motor, and uses the unique process that space vector pulse width modulation strategy can achieve continuous casting horizontal tractor's four beats to realize continuous casting process' high-quality, stable and reliable implementation. Early in the 19th century, German Bismarck had proposed a continuous casting process in his patent. The development of this method in the copper industry began in 1940s, the type of equipment went through belt type, vibration mold, vertical traction type, tilt casting type and Horizontal traction type [1, 2]. Now, horizontal traction, as the most popular method abroad, because its products don't need straightening, and consistency of properties along the length and high density of grain lead to the improvements of mechanical properties and electrical properties, its superiority in product quality and production efficiency is obvious. The design combined the modern AC variable speed control and advanced SCM control technology and traction continuous casting process to design a Speed controller of horizontal continuous casting of copper traction motor, its performance is similar with to dummy industrial control computer and AC servo motor drive control system, but the configuration of the hardware is less than half the price.


Corrosion by metal dusting causes problems in various industries that process carbonaceous gases. Recently, the chromium‐ and aluminum‐rich Ni‐based Alloy 699 XA was introduced as a material with high resistance against metal dusting attacks. In this study, the metal dusting degradation of Alloy 699 XA and model alloys was investigated. In the model alloys, the aluminum, chromium, and iron contents were varied to analyze the role of each element systematically. Alloy 602 CA was included as a reference material. It was found that the alloys with the highest chromium and aluminum contents (30 and 2–3 wt%, respectively) showed the highest resistance against metal dusting. Also, the limited addition of iron enhanced the aluminum activity and thereby promoted the formation and maintenance of an aluminum‐rich oxide scale. This effect at low iron levels is contrary to the negative impact of iron at higher levels, which typically leads to an increased metal dusting susceptibility. Exposure tests were performed with two gas mixtures having similar compositions, but different carbon activities. It was found that both gases had a similar aggressiveness regarding metal dusting attacks.


Mechanical and vulcanization behaviors of styrene-butadiene rubber(SBR)/N330 and SBR/N330/PBMCN nanocomposites were investigated via partial replacement of SBR with pyrophyllite based modified composite nanopowder(PBMCN), which were prepared by melt mixing procedure. Results show a fairly good dispersion of PBMCN in the SBR/N330/PBMCN composites characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Mechanical and vulcanization behaviors of the as-abtained pruducts were measured according to GB/T 528-2009 and GB/T 16584-1996, respectively. Near properties in tensile strength, elongation at break and vulcanization behaviors were observed in SBR/N330/PBMCN nanocomposites when SBR was partially replaced by PBMCN for 8% mass fraction. A possible reinforcement mechanism of PBMCN to SBR/N330/PBMCN nanocomposites is also dicussed based on the experiment.


A 6-year-old girl presented with a 6-month history of two nodules on her right cheek. Her medical history was significant for a choledochal cyst that had been treated with surgical excision when she was 2 years old with no significant long-term sequelae. Physical examination revealed two nontender, firm nodules on her right cheek with a violaceous hue but otherwise no overlying surface change (Fig. 1). She also had several pink papules on her cheeks and chin. A punch biopsy was performed on one of the nodules (Fig. 2).


Miscarriage word seems to signify that only women are involved. However miscarriage may be the result of a faulty gamete −male or female. Karyotyping should be carried out if there are two or more miscarriages. In vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic screening may be carried out in these cases. Prenatal diagnosis has a place in recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) and should be performed when a translocation or other abnormalities are detected. Men should be given therapy in the form of antioxidants and lifestyle changes that improve overall health and sperm function. In case of obese, men they should loose weight. Regular exercise is important. Diet should be rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. They should limit alcohol and quit smoking. Regular vitamins should be taken. Male factor could be an important cause of embryonic mortality and RPL and should be addressed in all these cases. Hence, more in depth knowledge of epigenetics and genetics is required. As sperm aneuploidy and DNA fragmentation have been shown to be responsible in some cases, it is imperative to have reliable tests for diagnosis of sperm aneuploidy and DNA fragmentation.


The hypothesis was tested that peripheral, adrenergic nerves modulate reactive hyperemia (RH) in the intestinal circulation. In anesthetized rats, anterior mesenteric arterial occlusion for 30-120 s elicited subsequent RH responses, including 63-118% increases in the velocity of arterial blood flow, even greater increases in conductance, and durations of 64-139 s. The longer the period of arterial occlusion, the greater the magnitude of RH. Electrical stimulation of postganglionic, sympathetic nerves reduced RH responses in a frequency-dependent manner. RH responses were enhanced by pretreatment with hexamethonium and phenoxybenzamine and were diminished by pretreatment with propranolol. Propranolol also prevented the enhanced RH responses caused by hexamethonium and phenoxybenzamine. Reserpine prevented the enhanced RH responses to hexamethonium, but bilateral adrenalectomy did not. These findings support the hypothesis that peripheral sympathetic nerves modulate RH in rat gut, with alpha-adrenergic receptors restricting and beta-adrenergic receptors enhancing the hyperemia.


In the present work, we consider the existence and spectral stability of standing wave solutions to a model for light propagation in a twisted multi-core fiber with no gain or loss of energy. Numerical parameter continuation experiments demonstrate the existence of standing wave solutions for sufficiently small values of the coupling parameter. Furthermore, standing waves exhibiting optical Aharonov-Bohm suppression, where there is a single waveguide which remains unexcited, exist when the twist parameter φ and the number of waveguides N is related by φ = π/N . Spectral computations and numerical timestepping simulations suggest that standing wave solutions where the energy is concentrated in a single site are neutrally stable. Solutions with asymmetric coupling and multi-pulse solutions are also briefly explored.


Novel approaches to enhancing the efficacy of ceramide-based therapeutics are of interest for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ceramide is a bioactive sphingolipid that has long been established as an inducer of apoptosis. We have pioneered the effort to develop nanoliposomal C6-ceramide (Lip-C6) as an anticancer therapeutic and recently have engaged in efforts to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. Ceramide catabolism by acid ceramidase and subsequently sphingosine kinase 1 yields the metabolite oncogenic sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Therefore, in the present study we hypothesized that targeting of this metabolic pathway with the sphingosine kinase 1 inhibitor safingol would augment the anti-AML efficacy of Lip-C6. We generated and evaluated nanoliposomes encapsulating safingol (Lip-Saf), in combination with Lip-C6 using AML cell lines and primary AML patient samples. This combination exerted synergistic therapeutic efficacy using HL-60 and KG-1 cells, and additive efficacy using HL-60/VCR cells. In contrast, the combination of Lip-C6 and Lip-Saf yielded an antagonistic effect using the murine AML cell line C1498 and this effect was correlated with an increase in autophagy as a potent leukemia survival mechanism. Intriguingly, by using an inhibitor of ceramide glycosylation, nanoliposomal tamoxifen, we observed synergistic anti-AML efficacy using the C1498 cell line demonstrating that unique manipulations of ceramide metabolism may be prevalent in different AMLs. Lastly, we evaluated both favorable prognosis and poor prognosis primary patient AML samples and observed combinatorial efficacy of Lip-C6 and Lip-Saf. This was reflected by a decrease in autophagy and concomitant increase in apoptosis, as well as the ability to block colony forming capacity. Altogether, these results demonstrated that the efficacy of Lip-C6 as an experimental anti-AML therapy can be dramatically enhanced through combination with inhibitors of ceramide metabolism.


In the current context of global change, freshwater species are increasingly exposed to emerging infectious diseases (Okamura and Feist 2011). As an example, the Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD) has emerged in salmonid fish during the last two decades, both in Europe and North America, causing important losses in aquaculture and worrying declines of several wild salmonid populations (Sudhagar et al. 2019). It is caused by T etracapsuloides bryosalmonae, a myxozoan parasite with a complex life cycle involving two hosts: salmonids (intermediate host) and bryozoans (primary host). As PKD development strongly depends upon water temperature and quality, it is expected that global change could lead to more outbreaks (Okamura et al. 2011). Current monitoring of fish parasite load and infection status relies on histological observation or T. bryosalmonae DNA amplification out of kidney samples, involving fish euthanasia, and thus relatively small sample sizes when inferring infection prevalence. As large-scale screening of this parasite infections are required to better understand PKD dynamics, we have developed a non-lethal method for T. bryosalmonae detection in fish host based on the biological fact that T. bryosalmonae spores can be excreted from infected fish into the water through urine (Hedrick et al. 2004). This novel approach based on the detection of T. bryosalmonae ‡ ‡ § | | ¶ # # | | | © Duval E et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DNA in fish urine was developed on wild brown trout (Salmo trutta), a species known to be an intermediate host of T. bryosalmonae and for releasing infective spores (only towards bryozoan host) through urine (Okamura et al. 2011). Applying this method, we have been able to map wild brown trout infection prevalence across 50 sites at the foothill of French Pyrenees and to identify the main environmental drivers of this disease.


This study turns especially to assisting nurses and auxiliary nurses who often meet people with dementia on a daily basis in their home or in assisted living homes. Today dementia is an endemic disease and there is a lot of knowledge about what it means to have it. Memory loss, changes in the intellect and personality are just some of the changes that come with the disease. Persons who are affected with dementia often describe feelings of chaos and loneliness and although medications help a lot easing the symptoms, they come with a lot of side effects


Equisetum is a small and morphologically distinct genus with a rich fossil record. Two subgenera have been recognized based principally on stomatal position and stem branching: subg. Equisetum (eight species; superficial stomates; stems branched) and subg. Hippochaete (seven species; sunken stomates; stems generally unbranched). Prior attempts at understanding Equisetum systematics, phylogeny, and character evolution have been hampered by the high degree of morphological plasticity in the genus as well as by frequent hybridization among members within each subgenus. We present the first explicit phylogenetic study of Equisetum, including all 15 species and two samples of one widespread hybrid, Equisetum ×ferrissii, based on a combined analysis of two chloroplast markers, rbcL and trnL‐F. Our robustly supported phylogeny identifies two monophyletic clades corresponding to the two subgenera recognized by earlier workers. The phylogenetic placement of Equisetum bogotense, however, is ambiguous. In maximum likelihood analyses, it allies with subg. Hippochaete as the most basal member, while maximum parsimony places it as sister to the rest of the genus. A consensus phylogeny from the two analyses is presented as a basal trichotomy (E. bogotense, subg. Hippochaete, subg. Equisetum), and morphological character evolution is discussed. We detected rate heterogeneity in the rbcL locus between the two subgenera that can be attributed to an increased rate of nucleotide substitution (transversions) in subg. Hippochaete. We calculated molecular‐based age estimates using the penalized likelihood approach, which accounts for rate heterogeneity and does not assume a molecular clock. The Equisetum crown group appears to have diversified in the early Cenozoic, whereas the Equisetaceae total group is estimated to have a Paleozoic origin. These molecular‐based age estimates are in remarkable agreement with current interpretations of the fossil record.


. We introduce a relaxation to the Aleksandrov relation assumption for the Gauss Image Problem. This new assumption turns out to be a necessary condition for two measures to be related by a convex body. We provide several properties of the new condition. A solution to the Gauss Image Problem is obtained for the case when one of the measures is assumed to be discrete and another measure is assumed to be absolutely continuous, under the new relaxed assumption


Derived from the Pseudo Two-Dimensional mathematical structure, a simplified electrochemical and thermal model of LiFePO4-graphite based Li-ion batteries is developed in this paper. Embedding the porous electrode theory, this model integrates the main design parameters of Li-ion systems and its partial differential equations mathematical structure makes it a promising candidate for battery management system (BMS) applications and comprehensive aging investigations. Based on a modified Single-Particle approach, the model is used to simulate and discuss capacity restitution in galvanostatic charges and discharges at various rates and temperatures. Constant high-rate solicitations similar to fast charge of plug-in electric vehicles or electric vehicles, are experimentally tested and simulated with the present model. Also, thermal issues occurring during these specific operating conditions are quantitatively pointed out. The concept of current-dependent spherical particle radius is used to obtain good agreement with experimental data related to galvanostatic charges and discharges. The capabilities and limits of this preliminary modeling work are discussed in detail and ways to extend the potentialities of this approach to BMS applications are proposed.


In this dissertation, links between internal working models of attachment and self-concept are examined. Attachment and self-concept researchers discuss mental models of the self and the self in relationships as cognitive processors that affect attention to social information, as well as encoding, interpretation, and recall. Although some research supports the notions of attachment and self-concept constructs, no associations between the two have been previously examined. An argument is presented that concepts of the self and models of important relationships are interdependent. This argument is empirically tested with a sample of adolescent girls and their mothers, who completed a series of attachment and self-concept measures. Daughters also completed a self-referent processing procedure, in which they responded to a series of positive, negative, and neutral words, determining which were like, unlike, or neither like nor unlike them. Results partly supported the hypothesis that concepts of the self and the self in important relationships were associated with information processing and each other. Ramifications for future research are discussed.


In the area of biomedical engineering, digital-microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) have received considerable attention because of their capability of providing an efficient and reliable platform for conducting point-of-care clinical diagnostics. System reliability, in turn, mandates error-recoverability while implementing biochemical assays on-chip for medical applications. Unfortunately, the technology of DMFBs is not yet fully equipped to handle error-recovery from various microfluidic operations involving droplet motion and reaction. Recently, a number of cyber-physical systems have been proposed to provide real-time checking and error-recovery in assays based on the feedback received from a few on-chip checkpoints. However, to synthesize robust feedback systems for different types of DMFBs, certain practical issues need to be considered such as co-optimization of checkpoint placement, error-recoverability, and layout of droplet-routing pathways. For application-specific DMFBs, we propose here an algorithm that minimizes the number of checkpoints and determines their locations to cover every path in a given droplet-routing solution. Next, for general-purpose DMFBs, where the checkpoints are pre-deployed in specific locations, we present a checkpoint-aware routing algorithm such that every droplet-routing path passes through at least one checkpoint to enable error-recovery and to ensure physical routability of all droplets. Furthermore, we also propose strategies for executing the algorithms in reliable mode to enhance error-recoverability. The proposed methods thus provide reliability-hardening mechanisms for a wide class of cyber-physical DMFBs.


Despite the formal acknowledgment of sanitation as a fundamental human right, more than 600 million people still practice open defecation, most of them in poor countries. A part of this challenge is related to the type of natural environment such as floodable areas where flooding affects thousands of people every year and has a direct impact on their access to sanitation. Although there is a wide range of technological sanitation options for vulnerable communities, few publications explore their applicability to areas prone to constant natural floods, thereby hampering the possibilities for improving sanitation conditions in such areas. This review aims at compiling and consolidating current information on sanitation options for floodable areas with a focus on their technological, environmental, and managerial peculiarities. A systematic review identified 28 relevant publications presenting sanitation solutions for those environments. They were grouped into dry solutions and wet solutions. Our analysis showed that there is no single universal technology capable of solving the problem but instead, a set of different technological arrangements that could be implemented bearing in mind the environmental and social contexts in which they are inserted.


Smoking is a bad habit that has been done since the time of the discovery of tobacco. Initially smoking only aims to warm the body but, over time the habit becomes changed goal is as a requirement that can not be abandoned or can be said to be addicted. Without tobacco as if there is no pleasure in itself. This continued until the time of the industrial revolution in England until the emergence of cigarette factories to spread throughout the world. The majority of smokers worldwide are ± 47% male population while 12% are female population with different age categories. Various reasons people smoke a variety, among these people there are several factors that influence a person to smoke for example, prestige factors to be called "champion", and there are also people who say smoking can trigger inspiration and keupayaan thinking, even there is an interesting pantun used as justification for the smoking habit that is "there is a rooster on the roof, not smoking not handsome" there is also a saying that "smoking dead do not smoke is also dead." Smoking is one problem that is difficult to solve. Moreover, it has become a national problem, and even international. This becomes difficult, because it is related to many factors that trigger each other, so as if it has become a vicious circle. Cigarettes are cylinders of paper length between 70 to 120 mm (varies by country) with a diameter of about 10 mm containing tobacco leaves that have been chopped. As for several types of cigarettes in Indonesia, among others: Djarum Super, Gudang Garam Filter, Gudang Garam Merah, Dji Sam Soe, Sampoerna Mild, Sampoerna Mild Menthol, Marlboro, Surya, U Mild and others. In terms of cigarette health can cause negative effects for active smokers and passive smokers, because each suction causing nicotine and carbon monoxide are very dangerous for both especially for active smokers who can cause various chronic diseases, such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer , breast cancer, esophageal cancer, digestion, kidney cancer, oral cancer, atherosclerosis, impotence and heart attacks, to death.


Nina Listiawati. 14111310156. Exploring Accentual Function in the Speech of President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the 21st APEC Economic Leaders Meeting 2013:
Discourse – Phonology Perspective
This research was conducted within the spirit of discourse –phonology which
concern with the study of the relationship between the language and the context that is
used in spoken discourse. This study was investigated the three primary system of
intonation (T3) used by speaker. Those are what tonality tells about unit of information
(tonality), focus of information (tonicity) and status of information (tone) then how
accentual function of intonation constructed by speaker.
This study was designed in discourse analyses in phonological persfective which is
taken from one of president in Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono under the title
"Points for Press Conference President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the end in the 21st
APEC Economic Leaders Meeting 2013". The data of the research is taken from
selecting a single speech of spoken discourse. The data collected by video recording then
converted into audio form of WAV then segmented using PRAAT software analysis. The
analysis of data by using contextual method. The process of analysis is constructed based
on : (1). The division theory of information unit in the systematic functional grammar
level (SFG) (2). The common pattern of tonality, tonicity and tone by Dorothy M chun
and MAK Halliday, (3). The accentual function of intonation as found in the speech
based on phonology perspective and textual metafunction.
The result of this analysis shows that there are different speaker's division of
message using systematic functional grammar level. There are four units of data as found
in the system of tonality. There are 63 units of information. 31 units of information or
(49%) as dependent and 32 units of information or (51%) as independent. The tone unit
which constructed by the speaker also 63 clauses, the markedness of tonality which
consists of umarked tonality (32%) and marked (68%) that is constructed by the speaker.
Then, 32 units as finite or (51%) and 31 units of information as non finite or (49%). In the
types of clauses the speaker put (21%) for noun clause, (73%) for adjective clause, and
adverbial clause is (6%). There are three common patterns of tonicity and two kinds of
markedness of tonicity where speaker focus of given-new (G-N), given-new-given
(GNG), and new-given (NG) as found in the speech. The speaker put (22%) for G-N
information, (59%) in G-N-G and (19%) in N-G. The common patterns of markedness of
tonicity which is produced by the speaker are unmarked tonicity 10 clauses (16%) and
marked tonicity 53 clauses or (84%).The common patterns are: (29%) as Major
Information , (11%) as Minor Information, (26%) as Incomplete Information, (25%) as
Highlighting of Theme and (9%) as Implied information. Then, the common types of
tones that constructed by speaker categorized into 5 types are Fall (F) that got (17%) or 9
units of information, Rise (R) that got (9%) or 5 units of information, Rise-Fall (RF) is
(29%) or 16 units of information, 15 units of information for Fall-Rise (FR) or (10%), and
Level is 10 units of information or (18%). Accentual function tells how the focus of
information or the most prominent on the stressed syllable. The ways to analyze the
accentual function of intonation is seen from the primary stress, the context of textual
metafunction where the speaker put 55 stresses in the clause of the speech. Then, the
types of multiple theme that includes three elements are experiental theme (43%),
interpersonal theme (17%) and textual theme (40%). Then, marked and unmarked theme.
Marked theme for about (79%) and unmarked theme (21%). All of the result shows how
speaker perceives the message into more than one unit of information in each clause andperceives to put the focus information in the place that the word or syllable is important
and interrelated to accentual function of intonation.
Key words: Tonality, Tonicity, Tone, Accentual function of Intonation


Background Due to an increase in production of chemotherapeutics, we implemented dose banding of chemotherapeutic drugs to prevent errors and improve the quality of cytotoxic drug preparation. The standard sterility tests recommended by the European Pharmacopoeia on chemotherapeutic batches are time consuming (14 days incubation before the final result). Purpose The goal of the study was to create a more sensitive sterility test, which assured a more rapid and reliable result and reduced the period of quarantine of chemotherapeutic infusions from that batch. Material and methods We investigated the BacT/ALERT FA (BioMérieux) culture bottles (ref 410851) as a rapid microbiological method. Microbiological growth creates CO2 production which is detected by an automatic photometric method. We inoculated the bottles with 1 of 4 standard microorganisms (10–100 colony forming units) which are recommended in the European Pharmacopoeia (Staphylococcus aureus (SA, ATCC6538), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA, ATCC9027), Bacillus subtilis (BS, ATCC6633) and Candida albicans (CA, ATCC10231)). We compared every step with a traditional trypcase soy broth (BioMérieux, ref 42633) with a phased incubation period (14 days) as recommended in the PIC/s. We also had to take into account the possible inhibition of microorganism growth by the cytotoxic drugs. We tested bacterial growth with the highest cytotoxic batch concentration, 0.4 mg/mL for paclitaxel and 1.9 mg/mL for trastuzumab. Results All microorganisms were detected in the BacT/ALERT culture bottles with or without cytotoxic drug. The rapid microbacterial method was, as expected, more sensitive and easier in detection than the classic method, with a difference of 7 days. Paclitaxel had a low inhibiting effect on the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Conclusion BacT/ALERT culture bottles can successfully be implemented in a hospital pharmacy production unit. Our goal to instal a more sensitive and rapid detection method for sterility testing was achieved and led to a more secure system in the release of chemotherapeutic infusions. Further research with other cytotoxic drugs will be needed to validate this method. No conflict of interest


Circle the Cat is an adaptation of the classic mathematical puzzle Qudraphage in which a cat attempts to escape a hexagonal board, but after each move one hexagon is blocked. We have coded a simulation of this classic puzzle. The result of our development allows for the implementation of varying strategies to computationally examine their effectiveness. The code itself, though extensive, is open enough for additions/extensions to be added fairly easily. Analysis of simpler strategies has allowed for improvement of both Cat and Player AI systems. We are currently looking at implementing more advanced systems, perhaps turning to machine learning.


This study is one of the first to use content analysis of images as a means of interpreting architectural discourse. Nine facts were extracted from a detailed analysis of images that appeared in 3493 pages of the Finnish Architectural Review (ARK) between 1912 and 2012. Close attention was paid to the types of images used repeatedly in order to focus on key editorial and photographic decisions. Editorial decisions consisted of type, size, chromatic scale and number of images. Photographic decisions consisted of human presence, weather, depth-of-field and camera orientation for interior and exterior photographs. Data, which quantifies the frequency of each type of image, indicates that there is a strong reliance on visual conventions in ARK. When considering the limited range of images used in the publication, it becomes clear there is little correlation between the complexity of architectural language and environments and the simplicity of its depiction. That discrepancy suggests there is a need for research and development in the field of architectural photography in order to better inform readers about the diversity of architectural practices. This argument will be unfolded in this paper and supported both by data and practitioner insights.


The radiological findings in two patients with histologically verified cervical chordomas are described and compared with 40 others described in the literature. There is no typical radiographic picture. Our cases showed benign-looking, extensive bone erosions of vertebral bodies and neural arches. In addition, there was destruction of the related discs and a soft tissue mass at the level of the bony lesions.


Knowledge workers are often considered to prefer an individual rather than a collective articulation of their interests. This phenomenon is primarily explained by their individualistic orientation and power derived from possessing scarce knowledge. However, highly skilled work is a very heterogeneous field. In order to understand the diverse experiences of highly skilled employees and their attitudes towards collective action, this article proposes a model based on the juxtaposition of professional and knowledge work that entails three distinct logics of control over knowledge: professionalism, market closure and bureaucracy. The forms of collective action (i.e. intra-group solidarity, inter-group solidarity, no solidarity) are predicted to vary contingent on the prevailing position within a field. The model is illustrated by the example of university and non-university research in Austria. Professional self-control of scientific knowledge has been partly replaced by bureaucratic control of top management. This, in turn, mitigates power derived from professional knowledge. Unlike trade unions, collective action based on inter-group solidarity has been found to become more attractive. In non-university research organizations, the prevailing market logic entails employees using expertise or innovation to close a market and, hence, to refrain from acting collectively.


Weakly hydrated samples of platelet-shaped nano-particles obtained by dry-pressing suspensions of the synthetic Na fluorohectorite clay are studied. The particles consist of stacks of several tens of 1 nm-thick nanosilicate platelets. They form a compound of quasi-two-dimensional particles whose average director is aligned with the direction of the uniaxial stress applied at dehydration. Small-angle X-ray scattering images from these samples are either isotropic or anisotropic, depending on the sample orientation with respect to the X-ray beam. From anisotropic images, changes in the scattering objects' orientation distribution probability (ODP) function are investigated as the temperature is lowered, thus triggering swelling of the individual particles by water intercalation. This is done, on the one hand, by inferring the width of the ODP function from the eccentricity of quasi-elliptic iso-intensity cuts of the small-angle scattering images, and, on the other hand, by obtaining the ODP function from azimuthal profiles of the images. The decays of the scattering intensity as a function of momentum transfer along the two principal directions of the images exhibit power law behaviors. A crossover scale between two power law regimes is observed on the profiles recorded along the horizontal axis; it corresponds to the typical pore size along the direction of the initially applied load. These results are compared with a previous study of similar systems.


There are currently two ways of establishing chenopod shrubs: sowing from seed using a niche seeder, or planting nursery-raised seedlings with a tree planter. Planting seedlings is the more reliable method, but is relatively expensive (in excess of $450 per hectare). On the other hand, direct seeding using the specialised "niche seeder" is much less expensive ($100-150 per hectare), but is also less reliable. This project aimed to investigate alternative methods of direct seeding chenopod shrubs for saltland and rangeland areas by developing a greater understanding of their seed biology and agronomic requirements. Our aspiration was that shrubs should be established using more conventional farm machinery. This bulletin reports on a combination of seed biology and agronomic research to develop reliable, low-cost direct seeding options for chenopod shrubs. Experiments into the impact of changing environmental conditions on seeds were studied in the laboratory, and field experiments were conducted to test the applicability of these insights in the field using conventional modified farm seeding machinery. As a result of this work, a successful direct seeding package using farm seeding equipment (modified for wide row spacings and depth control) was developed for Atriplex nummularia (old man saltbush), the most widely planted saltbush species across southern Australia. The nine key elements of the package are: 1. Select suitable paddocks for introduction of new shrubs 2. Prepare a weed-free seedbed using two knockdown herbicide applications (4-6 weeks and 1-2 weeks before seeding) and commence control of rabbits and kangaroos 3. Sow the best seed, by ensuring: a. Large fruits, with a high proportion of viable seeds, have been selected b. Seed is of subspecies nummularia (not subsp. spathulata) c. Fruits have been harvested within the previous six months and stored in a cool, dry environment d. Bracts are retained around the seeds 4. Sow into moisture in late winter - early spring (depending on district) a. If the area to be sown is waterlogged, defer sowing until later in spring b. If insufficient soil moisture, defer sowing until the following year 5. Use a sowing rate of ~10 fruits/m (if germination rate is 15%) to provide at least one plant for every 2 m of row; use higher rates for seed of lower germination 6. Set the seeder up to sow into furrows with trailing press wheels 7. Sow to a depth of 5-10 mm (very critical) 8. Control weeds and pests (insects, mites, kangaroos and rabbits) 9. Defer grazing until seedlings are well established This establishment method has also been shown to work for Rhagodia preissii (mallee saltbush). This project was not able to develop reliable direct seeding packages for other Atriplex species, including A. amnicola and A. undulata. Further work is needed to understand the triggers for their germination, before these species can be direct-seeded with conventional machinery. Direct sowing of M. brevifolia and M. pyramidata appears to be problematic in much of southern Australia, due to their requirement for temperatures >30°C for germination, which do not occur within the normal winter growing season. An exception to this would be areas with more reliable summer rainfall, such as northern New South Wales, where sowing could be deferred until late spring-early summer. An alternative strategy for establishing M. brevifolia, is to encourage natural recruitment of seedlings from seed produced on surrounding bushes (if it is already present in the area), or to transplant a low density of nursery-raised seedlings, which could then act as a seed source for natural recruitment (if it is not already present).


An interactive, point-and-click (R-Shiny) application was developed to facilitate the routine assessment of known data quality factors that compromise the integrity and timeliness of data sets used at the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD). The code (and associated documentation) for this application is being made available online so that other surveillance practitioners interested in adopting this approach can mix and match the features they are most interested in to create customized data quality assessment applications that meet their needs.


Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate uncommon before the age of 40 but occurring in most men as they age. The symptoms of BPH are generally attributed to bladder outlet obstruction from the enlarging prostate gland. However, not all men with enlarged prostates are symptomatic, and similar voiding symptoms can occur from other causes in the absence of BPH. Symptomatic BPH is a major health problem and a major expense to the healthcare system. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been the treatment of choice for over 50 years, and until recently, approximately 400,000 TURPs have been performed annually in the United States at an estimated cost of $4 billion to $5 billion per year. TURP is an effective treatment for relief of prostatic obstruction and has generally been referred to as the gold standard.


VALIDATION OF A WEARABLE SENSOR INSOLE DEVICE FOR ANALYSIS OF POSTURAL CONTROL by Frank Theodore Price Postural control is a complex system in which the nervous system regulates information from various sensory systems, leading to corrective movement via the musculoskeletal system to maintain upright stance. When one or more of these systems is impaired, a person's balance can be negatively affected. To determine the root cause of balance complications, a person may undergo clinician-supervised qualitative tests, which can be subjective in nature and may not detect small changes over time which contribute to balance issues. A new technology, the OpenGo SCIENCE (Moticon GmbH, Germany), is a pair of sensor insoles which applies wearable technology to evaluate motion. 20 subjects, aged 20-25, conducted 10 bipedal stance trials (5 eyes-open, 5 eyes-closed) wearing the OpenGo in-shoe and on a research-grade force plate simultaneously. A selection of linear, nonlinear, and frequency-domain measures of postural control were compared between the two devices to assess the validity of the OpenGo for analysis of quiet stance. It was found that COP range and RMS (AP-direction), 95% confidence ellipse area, approximate and sample entropy (ML-direction), median frequency, and low-frequency power ratio are considered valid to use for balance assessment using the sensor insole device, but special care must be taken during data post-processing. VALIDATION OF A WEARABLE SENSOR INSOLE DEVICE FOR ANALYSIS OF POSTURAL CONTROL


BACKGROUNDS
Certain chronic non-communicable diseases have been associated with the loss of all natural permanent teeth, referred to as edentulism. It has been suggested that edentulism, a chronic dental state, involving the loss of all teeth and poorer masticatory efficiency, could be associated with multiple chronic conditions as people age. In this study, we describe the association between the number of comorbidities and incident edentulism in a representative sample of older Americans.

METHODS
We took data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Dentate participants aged 50 or older at the baseline of 2006 (N = 13 221) and 2012 (N = 13 938) were linked to their dentate and survival status at the follow-up interviews in 2012 and 2018, respectively. The association between the number of comorbidities and incident edentulism was investigated by using multinomial logistic regression models.

RESULTS
Over the two observation periods, the number of selected chronic conditions was predictive of edentulism 6 years later. A 10% higher chance of becoming edentulous by 2012 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.20) was found for every additional comorbid condition to those who remained dentate in 2012. A similar association was identified for the 2012-2018 period.

CONCLUSION
Among older adults, the number of comorbidities was predictive of incident edentulism, and the same association pattern was found across two longitudinal study periods. Older adults with an increase in the number of comorbidities may experience a higher chance of tooth loss later in time.


Background: Every passing day brings new innovations to medical science and Thoracic Surgery is no exception to it. We have witnessed gradual evolution in VATS from multiple ports to single port over the last two decades. Objective: To evaluate whether this evolution is worth in terms of minimizing the postoperative complication. Study Design: Prospective randomized observational trial. Settings: Aseer Central Hospital, Abha-Saudi Arabia. Duration: Two years and 6 months from September 15, 2017 to March 15, 2020. Methodology: A total of 68 patients were studied who were operated by same surgical team under identical operative environment. Both diagnostic and therapeutic VATS procedures were included in our study. Histologically proven Bronchogenic Carcinoma resection in order to exclude stage to stage bias. Results: Different variables including Anesthesia and operative times, blood loss and post-operative surgical complications were found to be same in both operative procedures. However, patients with Uni-portal VATS experienced much less pain post operatively, their chest drains were removed earlier and consequently they had shorter hospital stay over all. Conclusion: Uni-portal VATS has similar efficacy and safety as Multi-portal VATS yet it results in faster recovery and shorter hospital stay.


In this paper, we study multirate transversal adaptive digital filters (ADF's) based on the block least-mean-square (BLMS) algorithms. These include an ADF with decimation (ADFD) and an ADF with interpolation (ADFI). We first formulate these filters based on the block mean-squared error (BMSE) criterion and derive BLMS multi-rate weight-adjustment algorithms, and then study efficient realization of those filters. It is shown that the BLMS ADFD can be realized efficiently in the direct form or in the filter-bank structure both using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and an appropriate sectioning procedure. According to our analysis of computational complexity, the FFT realization of the BLMS ADFD in the filter-bank structure is more efficient than in the direct form, and the two structures using the FFT become more efficient in comparison to the LMS ADFD as the number of weights increases. Unlike the direct form realization, the filter-bank realization of the BLMS ADFD using the FFT becomes more efficient as the decimation ratio increases. Similar results have been obtained for the BLMS ADFI. Finally, we investigate by computer simulation the effects of different weight-adjustment algorithms and several system parameters on the performances of ADFD's. The results of simulation indicate that, as expected, the convergence speed of the BLMS ADFD can be significantly improved by self-orthogonalization of weight adjustment in the frequency domain. Furthermore, the convergence factor of the self-orthogonalizing BLMS ADFD can be chosen such that the steady-state performance of the new ADFD is the same as that of the existing LMS ADFD.


Shareholders' rights to appoint directors in widely-held companies are effectively held by the incumbent board as 'agents'. This article advocates for the adoption of an integrated instrument designed to enhance accountability for the composition of the board, which sits at the apex of the board's autonomous corporate control. Formulated as a focused numbered checklist, the instrument was developed through textual and statistical analytical techniques, drawing on empirical evidence from director skills matrices disclosed by large listed Australian companies. The instrument acts as an expression of the legal duty of care and diligence that the directors discharge in selecting board members, and relies on disclosure to make the market for corporate control more efficient: if the board is more accountable, shareholders are better able to monitor and discipline the directors.