We study the incentives for horizontal upstream mergers in a quantity-setting vertically related industry, under bargain and endogenous contract types. We show that the contract types used could have important consequences for the equilibrium market structure and vice versa. If it is the retailers who choose contract types, they share the same preferences as the policymakers and choose to offer two-part tariff contracts, leading the suppliers not to merge. This result has some obvious policy implications. If it is the suppliers who decide contract types, they prefer to merge and offer a partial forward vertical ownership scheme. Under Bertrand competition, there is always an upstream merger, but the common manufacturer will offer a two-part tariff contract for intermediate bargain power levels. For high bargain power levels, he will choose a partial forward vertical ownership scheme, while for low bargain power will suffer from negative profits. A policymaker, considering the maximization of the social welfare should consider the upstream merger and two-part tariff contracts.


The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic factors involved in transfer of drugs into breast milk are reviewed. Passage of drugs into milk can best be viewed as a two-compartment system. Various ratios of the drug concentration values in the two compartments and ratios of maternal-to-infant intake have been described. Knowledge of the limitations of these methods is necessary to properly interpret and apply the literature on drug excretion into breast milk. Factors involved in choosing a drug for a nursing mother are listed, a stepwise approach to minimizing transfer of drug to the infant is presented, and the literature on the excretion of specific drugs into milk is reviewed. Generally, drugs given to nursing mothers reach infants in much smaller amounts than drugs given to pregnant women. Decisions about nursing during drug therapy and the choice of drug therapy in a nursing mother should be based on the dosage and duration of therapy, age of the infant, quantity of milk consumed, experience with the drug in infants, degree of oral absorption of the drug by the infant, potential long-term effects, possible interference with lactation, and non-dose-related toxicities (e.g., potential allergic reactions). Too often, the mother's need for a medication is perceived as a reason to discontinue nursing. By understanding the principles of drug passage into breast milk and systematically evaluating the mother's needs, infant factors, and the data on specific drugs, clinicians can usually devise treatment plans that allow nursing while minimizing the risks to the infant.


This paper summarizes the achieved results of microstructure analysis and mechanical testing of long-term degradation of Mn-V steel (W. Nr. 1.1133, ČSN 41 3123) frequently used in small and middle boiler pressure systems operating under creep conditions. In these systems, non-exchangeable components often limit a safety of their service operation. Therefore in view of the monitoring, non-destructive methods like replica technique, hardness testing and defectoscopy, and probabilistic approach to residual life assessment seems to be the only way how to quantitatively determine a residual life of the boiler pressure system. Achieved results of as-exposed and as-secondary aged Mn-V steel confirmed that besides NDT controlling of sheet welds due to possible cracks, the replica technique (on available component surface) accompanied by hardness measurement on each segment of weldment should be sufficient for residual life assessment of thick-walled components of boiler pressure system operating under creep conditions. Additionally as a very rough estimate, a value of limit hardness of steel for safety operation is estimated at about 150 HV.


DNA extracted from tumour biopsies obtained from 14 women undergoing radical surgery for cervical cancer, from 10 women undergoing surgery for vulval cancer and from internally matched control tissue from the myometrium in 8 cases of cervical cancer and from abdominal skin in 2 cases of vulval cancer was examined for the presence of HSV-2, HPV-6, 11, 16 and 18 DNA using Southern blot transfer and DNA-DNA hybridisation. Sequences homologous with the MTRII region of herpes simplex virus type 2 were detected in one of nine invasive cervical cancers and in one of ten invasive vulval cancers. No tumour or normal tissue showed evidence of hybridisation to HPV-6 or 11 DNA and HPV-18 DNA was detected in only 2 of 22 tumours tested. HPV-16 DNA was detected in 10 of 14 cervical tumours and in 8 of 10 vulval tumours. The copy number and integration patterns in individual tumours varied widely. HPV-16 DNA was also detected in 7 of 10 internally matched control tissue biopsies. In one case the integration pattern differed between tumour and control tissue. Long term follow up of patients demonstrated no prognostic significance in the presence or absence of viral DNA in either tumour or normal tissue. These studies did not support a definitive role for HPV-16 in either cervical or vulval cancer. To determine the function of viral DNA in these cancers, attempts were made using these and 14 other tumours to derive new continuous cell lines by a primary explant technique. These cell lines, where the state of viral DNA in the original tumour and in internally matched normal control tissue would be available, could be valuable model systems for examination of cell-viral interaction. Two continuous cervical cell lines, designated Tu 22-1 and Tu 22-2 were derived from a biopsy of a squamous cancer. These cell lines differed in their requirement for epidermal growth factor, their ability for anchorage independent growth, their production of B-HCG and in their cytogenetic characteristics although they were morphologically indistinguishable. Both cell lines contained detectable HPV-16 DM in a similar complex pattern. The original tumour also contained HPV-16 DM but internally matched control tissue for this tumour did not contain such DNA. One new cell line, Tu 31, was derived from a squamous cancer of the vulva following passage through an athymic mouse. This cell line fulfilled the requirements of an established human cell line. Single insert HPV-16 DM was detectable in this line. The original tumour biopsy also contained HPV-16 DM but in a complex configuration. Low copy single insert HPV-16 DM was present in internally matched normal tissue from this patient. As it was clear from the DM studies that the presence of viral DM alone was not sufficient to explain malignant change, complementary clinical studies of pre-invasive cervical cancer were undertaken to establish which other factors might be involved. A cross-sectional study of 200 women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN), 36 women with cervical HPV infection and 100 normal control women from the same geographical area as the DM study, demonstrated a relative risk for CIN of 2.0 for ever use of oral contraceptives and 2.57 for cigarette smoking with a trend towards a dosage effect and a possible relationship between number of cigarettes smoked and severity of histological change. Previous exposure to human cytomegalovirus imparted a small risk (1.57) for CIN in this population. A smaller prospective study of women presenting with overt genital warts confirmed that smoking was associated with an increased risk of histological cervical abnormality but contained insufficient numbers to determine if any one factor was associated with progression following exposure to HPV infection. These studies urge caution in the assumption that HPV infection plays a major role in lower genital tract cancer and emphasise that other factors may be as important. Aetiological factors implicated in cervical and vulval cancer are reviewed and the evidence for a role for HPV critically assessed.


Over 100 students taking part in mathematics bridging courses were asked in a survey about their understanding of 'assumed knowledge' for studying mathematics units at university. Further data were obtained by email from 16 students who agreed to further participation. A phenomenographic analysis was carried out on all responses to obtain categories for students' conceptions of 'assumed knowledge'. A two dimensional outcome space was proposed, with the categories increasing in complexity and expansiveness on each dimension. One dimension related to students' understandings about the purpose of 'assumed knowledge', while the other pertained to the content or substance of the 'assumed knowledge'. We termed these aspects the 'why' and 'what' of 'assumed knowledge' conceptions. The results show the diversity of student awareness about 'assumed knowledge' ranging from perceiving it as vague and pointless 'stuff' to a cohesive body of foundational knowledge for tertiary study. The study provides qualitative data relevant to the debate on prerequisites versus 'assumed knowledge' for university entry.


A persistent cloaca was found to occur in a 15‐year‐old female cynomolgus monkey. This is the first case reported in a nonhuman primate. The embryological basis of this anomaly is discussed, and pertinent anatomical findings in this animal are reported which demonstrate the embryologie defect.


1,3,4-oxadiazoles, heterocycles bearing one oxygen and two nitrogen atoms in a five membered ring have their application in the diverse areas of medicine. Enough literature is available demonstrating antibacterial, antifungal, anticonvulsant, antiviral, antidiabetic and antimalarial potential of the moiety. Owing to their wide applications, scientists across the globe are engaged in the design and development of oxadiazole derived medicinal agents. This motif can also be traced in a number of drug molecules. Most commonly adopted method for their synthesis includes he reaction between acid hydrazides and acid chorides/carboxylic acids or direct cyclization of diacylhydrazines in the presence of different dehydrating agents like phosphorus oxychloride, thionyl chloride, phosphorus pentaoxide and polyphosphoric acid. This manuscript covers different conventional and non-conventional approaches adopted for the synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives.

Keywords: 1,3,4-Oxadiazole, Synthesis, Cyclization Agent, Microwave Assisted Synthesis


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rationale: Drug-induced proarrhythmia is so tightly associated with prolongation of the QT interval that QT prolongation is an accepted surrogate marker for arrhythmia. But QT interval is too sensitive a marker and not selective, resulting in many useful drugs eliminated in drug discovery. Objective: To predict the impact of a drug from the drug chemistry on the cardiac rhythm. Methods and Results: In a new linkage, we connected atomistic scale information to protein, cell, and tissue scales by predicting drug-binding affinities and rates from simulation of ion channel and drug structure interactions and then used these values to model drug effects on the hERG channel. Model components were integrated into predictive models at the cell and tissue scales to expose fundamental arrhythmia vulnerability mechanisms and complex interactions underlying emergent behaviors. Human clinical data were used for model framework validation and showed excellent agreement, demonstrating feasibility of a new approach for cardiotoxicity prediction. Conclusions: We present a multiscale model framework to predict electrotoxicity in the heart from the atom to the rhythm. Novel mechanistic insights emerged at all scales of the system, from the specific nature of proarrhythmic drug interaction with the hERG channel, to the fundamental cellular and tissue-level arrhythmia mechanisms. Applications of machine learning indicate necessary and sufficient parameters that predict arrhythmia vulnerability. We expect that the model framework may be expanded to make an impact in drug discovery, drug safety screening for a variety of compounds and targets, and in a variety of regulatory processes.


We apply tiling groups and height functions to tilings of regions in the plane by Wang tiles, which are squares with colored boundaries where the colors of shared edges must match. We define a set of tiles as unambiguous if it contains all tiles equivalent to the identity in its tiling group. For all but one set of unambiguous tiles with two colors, we give efficient algorithms that tell whether a given region with colored boundary is tileable, show how to sample random tilings, and how to calculate the number of local moves or "flips" required to transform one tiling into another. We also analyze the lattice structure of the set of tilings, and study several examples with three and four colors as well.


Objectives: Pleural fluid metastasis occurs often secondary to a known primary tumor. We aim to identify the percentage of adenocarcinomas metastatic to pleural effusion in women and the frequency of another primary tumor being the origin of the effusion using morphology and immunostains. Study Design: One hundred and thirty-one cases from our archives were reviewed. Results: Ninety-four percent had a documented primary. The breast was the most common site (34%); less common were the lung and ovary, and 7.9% had two different primaries. Seven cases proved to be secondary to an adenocarcinoma other than the one on record. Lung tumors were the most common overlooked tumors (5/7 cases). Six percent remained of inconclusive origin due to an occult primary, absent cells on cell blocks, or discordance with radiology or cytology of a known primary. Morphology in association with a small panel of immunostains including thyroid transcription factor 1, estrogen receptor, mammaglobin, Wilms tumor antigen 1, CA125 and CDX2 proved helpful in identifying the primary origin in 94% of cases. Conclusion: After a morphological comparison with previously available material, and due to major implications in the therapeutic strategy, a small panel of immunostains is advised on available cell block material to verify the origin of the metastatic effusion.


The accumulated secondary metabolites in medicinal mushrooms have been widely accepted as sources of safe and effective nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Medicinal and edible mushrooms are foods appreciated for their exquisite flavor and medicinal properties. The nutritional values and biologically active compounds in mushrooms have immense potentials for producing new drugs of great health benefits to mankind. In recent times, medicinal mushrooms are being exploited for new and natural compounds that could modulate immune cell's response, and possess antimicrobial, antioxidants, and anticancer properties. In Nigeria, where there is vegetation that supports the luxuriant growth of varieties of naturally occurring macrofungi, some of the wild macrofungi have not been properly identified, adequately studied, and fully harnessed for their potentials as food and medicine. It is therefore pertinent to bring to limelight the nutraceutical potentials of some of these wild macrofungi that are currently underutilized.


A thorough analysis of the initiation stage of fatigue cracks in carbon black filled natural rubber is conducted. This study is based on interrupted tests: fatigued samples are observed with scanning electron microscope and analyzed with energy dispersive spectrometry of x-rays, in order to characterize the morphol- ogy and the chemical composition of the microstructural defects leading to the initiation of fatigue cracks. This procedure allows to quantify the spatial distribution and the evolution of crack initiation sites for differ- ent strain levels. It also reveals that inclusions such as carbon black agglomerates or ZnO are generally re- sponsible for the initiation. However, those two types of inclusions correspond to different crack initiation mechanisms and, most of the time, only the initiations on carbon black agglomerates are followed by crack propagation that leads to failure. The carbon black agglomerates appear to have a stronger cohesion than ZnO inclusions and a stronger adhesion to the matrix. Consequently, two kinds of initiation mechanisms are pro- posed considering the nature of the inclusions, their cohesion and their interface properties with the matrix.


Say Pavlov and most people think of bells ringing and dogs salivating. Ivan Pavlov is firmly associated in many people's minds with the idea that animals and, to some extent humans, automatically respond to certain stimuli. Internal thought processes are over-rated. But, as Naomi Alderman's story of selectively drooling dogs reveals, our Pavlovian response to Pavlov himself,is often wrong. For starters, he never used bells. Using metronomes and harmoniums, he noticed that dogs could distinguish between beats played at different speeds and identify individual notes from an A minor chord. He trained dogs to recognize precise time intervals: to expect food in precisely half an hour, for example. He wanted to understand how dogs learn and treated the brain as a black box because he had no way of getting inside it. He analysed what he could, principally the arrival of saliva; but he never thought free will was an illusion. In fact, he said "it would be stupid to reject the subjective world".


Retirement provision is an important aspect of financial decision making that can influence the financial quality of life experienced by individuals in old age, regardless of their ethnic group. However, individuals belonging to the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) group are more financially vulnerable in retirement than other groups, such as the White British. Previous research indicates that labour market disadvantages, low socio-economic status, and the inadequate access to financial resources are contributing factors that limit their ability to save effectively for retirement. This thesis investigates these issues further by examining the economic position of the BME group and the socio-cultural factors that positively influence or inhibit their retirement provision. This investigation is essential as many of the first generation of BME migrants, some of whom have provided migrant labour to the British economy since the Second World War, are entering the retirement stage, and are at a risk of financial difficulty due to low pension income. Although there are variations in the migration pattern and age structure of the BME group, individuals within this group are less likely to have occupational and private pension coverage. The term 'BME group' is used throughout this thesis to refer to individuals from African, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, since they represent the largest numbers of BME individuals in the UK.

With increased individual responsibility for pension provision, this thesis explores the retirement phenomena of the BME group in three interrelated empirical chapters. The first empirical chapter uses secondary data to examine the labour market characteristics and income of the BME group at the aggregate level. With the access to retirement resources being significantly dependent on income and labour market position, these characteristics of the BME group are explored in relation to those of the White British group. The findings in this chapter substantiates much of the existing debate regarding the homogeneity of BME individuals based on their low level of income, under-representation in full-time employment and low levels of occupation. As a result, the ability of some BME individuals to save in the new workplace pension scheme may be compromised. The second empirical chapter uses secondary data to investigate further the socio-economic characteristics of the BME group at the dis-aggregated level. With limited research highlighting the relative importance of heterogeneity among BME sub-samples, the findings in the second chapter raises important implications in terms of the ability of some BME sub-samples to make provisions for their retirement given the significant levels of heterogeneity that exists in the socio-economic characteristics of the BME group. This indicates that stratified approaches to retirement provision may exist due to the possession of different levels of economic, social and cultural capital. The third empirical chapter utilises primary data to explore the retirement strategies of the five BME sub-samples at the dis-aggregated level. It provides an alternative perspective on the issues faced by the BME group and aids in further explanation of the findings in the two previous empirical chapters. The findings in the third chapter present new evidence in the form of various interrelated factors that inhibit the ability of BME individuals to make provisions for retirement.

The findings presented throughout the thesis have generated a better understanding of the ways in which social structures and various forms of social, economic and cultural capital contribute to social stratification within the BME group, thus influencing their disposition towards certain retirement provision. The findings indicate that while some BME individuals have adequate retirement provisions, there are others who face financial difficulty in old age. By highlighting the socially constructed nature of 'retirement provision' and the economic, social and cultural factors inhibiting effective retirement provisions, from the perspective of the BME people, this thesis contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the characteristics and circumstances of BME individuals in the UK. Based on the findings presented, policy implementations may be developed to promote social inclusion, social equity and better retirement saving among this group.


The operational domain for active control of type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) with an n = 1 external magnetic perturbation field induced by the ex-vessel error field correction coils on JET has been developed towards more ITER-relevant regimes with high plasma triangularity, up to 0.45, high normalized beta, up to 3.0, plasma current up to 2.0 MA and q95 varied between 3.0 and 4.8. The results of ELM mitigation in high triangularity plasmas show that the frequency of type-I ELMs increased by a factor of 4 during the application of the n = 1 fields, while the energy loss per ELM, ΔW/W, decreased from 6% to below the noise level of the diamagnetic measurement (<2%). No reduction of confinement quality (H98Y) during the ELM mitigation phase has been observed. The minimum n = 1 perturbation field amplitude above which the ELMs were mitigated increased with a lower q95 but always remained below the n = 1 locked mode threshold. The first results of ELM mitigation with n = 2 magnetic perturbations on JET demonstrate that the frequency of ELMs increased from 10 to 35 Hz and a wide operational window of q95 from 4.5 to 3.1 has been found.


Puberty problems are problems that arise in times of change and growth in children occurs various psychological changes that lead to various problems, pressures, feelings and shock the soul, then the offended person will be heavily influenced by the situation of family life and social environment. For children who left dipanti upbringing, social environment the child was different, different rules, procedures of the family environment and linbgkungan orphanage puberty often causes children to be, anxious, confused, shocked his mind, and anxious. Not infrequently they have a stubborn, rebellious, or even become a morose, withdrawn from social interaction (introvert), of course this depends on personal preference of each individual. This research was conducted to know the description of the problem of puberty in the orphanage. The sample used in this study were children who experienced puberty at an orphanage girls' Aisyiyah Malang. Data were collected using a questionnaire which is closed and open. Pnelitian was conducted on May 25, 2005. Based on qualitative descriptive analysis using the highest percentage of the problems experienced by foster children in the orphanage at puberty puberty is a problem related to theprimary sex by 54, 16%, secondary sexrelated problems 48, 61%, problems associated with the attitudes and prolaku by 29, 41%.


Recent analyses indicate a historic loss of equity in the shift in India's drinking water policy from a welfarebased, free supply mode to a market-oriented demandled approach. However, a complex entwining of caste and gender has consistently defined water allocation and access among users and entrenched fractures in the structure and culture of the policy-implementing and regulatory institutions. Contrary to popular assumptions, both official welfare-based supply and recent neo-liberal policies and interventions hinge on a tokenistic, segregated and apolitical mention of gender and/or caste concerns which, when translated into action, have often reinforced existing inequities. Based on the above observations, this paper argues that subsequent changes in domestic water policies have only served to exacerbate an enduring unequal social order around water in India


Shallow lakes, the most prevalent type of freshwater ecosystems, can shift between clear states with macrophyte dominance and turbid, phytoplankton-dominated states. Such transformations, commonly termed regime shifts, have gained increasing attention in recent decades. Of 1084 studies documenting regime shifts, only 28% investigated the consequences for ecosystem functions and services such as habitat (13%), carbon processing (4%), or nutrient retention (4%). Although there is general consensus that a clear macrophyte state supports a higher diversity of aquatic organisms than a turbid one, the effects of shifts on primary production, carbon burial, greenhouse-gas emissions, and nutrient retention remain ambiguous. Shifts between the two states also affect drinking-water quality and the recreational value of lakes, leading to conflicting management measures and potentially deteriorating natural functions. We call for more comprehensive studies on the effects of regime shifts on ecosystem functions in shallow lakes to guide their sustainable management.


A simultaneous arterial and venous approach has been widely described for the endovascular treatment of dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVFs) and recently for arteriovenous malformation (AVMs). Conventional venous approaches are performed by direct internal jugular puncture or by femoral access. Although complication rates are low, there are potential life-threatening complications that should be avoided. The advantages of radial artery access have been widely proven, nevertheless the use of upper limb veins in neurointervention are rarely reported. We present five cases of the simultaneous arteriovenous approach through the radial artery and superficial veins of the forearm for the treatment of intracranial neurovascular diseases.


As benchmarking robotics research is inherently difficult, robot competitions are increasingly popular. They bring together researchers, students, and enthusiasts who are in the pursuit of a technological challenge. Prominent examples for such competitions include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Grand and Urban Challenges [1], the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) [2], the European Land-Robot Trial (ELROB) [3], and, last but not least, RoboCup [4], [5].


Gauss's law or Poisson's equation is conventionally used to calculate solvation free energy. However, the near‐solute dielectric polarization from Gauss's law or Poisson's equation differs from that obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To mimic the near‐solute dielectric polarization from MD simulations, the first‐shell water was treated as two layers of surface charges, the densities of which are proportional to the electric field at the solvent molecule that is modeled as a hard sphere. The intermediate water was treated as a bulk solvent. An equation describing the solvation free energy of ions using this solvent scheme was derived using the TIP3P water model. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The cost of the energy extracted by ocean surface waves depends on many technological-physical factors like conversion principle, wave energy potential, water depth, shore distance, and ocean floor characteristics. Economic factors, like assumed discount rate, cost reduction due to technological improvement and fiscal incentives, are extremely important too. The Mediterranean Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in particular, possess an interesting energy potential. At some locations offshore Sardinia and Sicily the wave energy density is of the order of 10kW/m. In this paper the energy production has been computed for three different wave energy converters (AquaBuOY AWS and Pelamis), at two promising locations in the western Italian seas.. The energy cost has also been computed for the Pelamis device at Alghero site which has the highest wave energy potential. The results indicate that the existing Pelamis converter is oversized with respect to the typical wavelength of the investigated sites After proper scaling of the device, the performance in the energy conversion could become economically attractive also for Italian seas.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


This paper proposes a cyber-physical cooperative recovery framework to maintain critical power supply, enhancing power systems resilience under extreme events such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Extreme events can possibly damage critical infrastructure in terms of power supply, on both cyber and physical layers. Microgrid (MG) has been widely recognised as the physical-side response to such blackouts, however, the recovery of cyber side is yet fully investigated, especially the cooperatively recovery of cyber-physical power supply. Therefore, a centralised-to-distributed resilient control framework is designed to maintain the power supply of critical loads. In such resilient control, controller-to-controller (C2C) wireless network is utilised to form the emergency distributed communication without a centralised base station. Owing to the limited reliable bandwidth that can be employed in C2C networks, the inevitable delay is considered in designing a discrete control framework, and the corresponding stability criteria are given quantitatively. Finally, the cyber-physical recovery framework is demonstrated effectively through simulations in MATLAB/Simulink.


Using 448.0 x 10(6) psi(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector, an amplitude analysis is performed for psi(3686) -> gamma chi(c1), chi(c1) ->eta pi(+)pi(-) decays. The most dominant two- body structure observed is a(0)(980)(+/-) pi(-/+); a(0)(980)(+/-) -> eta pi(+/-.) line shape is modeled using a dispersion relation, and a significant nonzero a(0) (980) coupling to the eta'pi channel is measured. We observe chi(c1) -> a(2)(1700)pi production for the first time, with a significance larger than 17 sigma. The production of mesons with exotic quantum numbers, J(PC) = 1(-+), is investigated, and upper limits for the branching fractions chi(c1) -> pi(1)(1400)(+/-)pi(-/+) , chi(c1) -> pi(1)(1600)(+/-)pi(-/+) and chi(c1) -> pi 1(2015)(+/-)pi(-/+) with subsequent pi(1)(X)(+/-) -> eta pi(+/-) decay, are determined.


Introduction The preparation of a presidential address is always attended by difficulties, inherent in such addresses or imposed on them by time-honored custom. The work with which we are most familiar and on which we are most competent to write is usually so limited in scope that it is ill adapted to the present object. On the other hand, those broad presentations that custom has approved for presidential addresses rest on a general knowledge of all phases of the subject or on an intimate acquaintance with some particular law or theory. Realizing my inability to treat adequately any of the broad aspects of our science, I venture to present certain reflections on the relationships and philosophical aspects of paleontology, and I beg that these reflections will not be regarded as mature convictions, but rather as suggestions that may possiby serve as subjects for discussion. It has been my good fortune . . .


PURPOSE
This study was undertaken to compare the pathoclinical findings in gastric adenocarcinoma with serum IgG antibody to Helicobacter pylori.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We examined 185 patients with histologically established gastric cancer. The presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody in the high molecular cell-associated antigen of H. pylori was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pepsinogens I and II were measured by radioimmunoassay. The distribution of H. pylori on the gastric mucosa was assessed by the Campylobacter-like organism test and phenol red dye spraying.

RESULTS
H. pylori IgG antibody was detected in 93.1% of patients with gastric cancer (mean age 61.7 years), 94.3% of patients with early gastric cancer and 91.2% with advanced gastric cancer. No statistical difference in serology was observed between type of gastric cancer, depth of cancer invasion, tumor size or histology. Only in patients with diffuse-type cancer of the cardia was there a lower percentage of positive results (80.0%). The ratio of pepsinogen I to pepsinogen II was higher in the patients who exhibited no H. pylori antibodies.

CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori antibodies were common in patients with gastric cancer, and were not correlated with histological type nor stage of cancer. In the Niigata district, a higher percentage of patients with gastric carcinoma displayed H. pylori antibodies compared with other districts in Japan.


We are often told that we should be drinking more water, but the rationale for this remains unclear and no recommendations currently exist for a healthy fluid intake supported by rigorous scientific evidence. Crucially, the same lack of evidence precludes the claim that a high fluid intake has no clinical benefit. The aim of this study is to describe the mechanisms by which chronic low fluid intake may play a crucial role in the pathologies of four key diseases of the urinary system: urolithiasis, urinary tract infection, chronic kidney disease and bladder cancer. Although primary and secondary intervention studies evaluating the impact of fluid intake are lacking, published data from observational studies appears to suggest that chronic low fluid intake may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of these diseases.


A two-electrode capacitively coupled plasma jet discharge operating at a 13.56 MHz symmetrical sinusoidal frequency carrier wave in a continuous mode and in a pulsed mode is described in this paper. The Internally pulsed mode was realised by the frequency modulation using a symmetrical rectangular frequency of 22 kHz with a duty cycle of 90%. The pulsed mode has an effect on the electron number densities ranging from 1 × 1014 to 1.2 × 1015 in the pulsed mode and from 1.7 × 1014 to 1.0 × 1015 cm−3 in the continuous mode, gas temperatures 670–950 K in the pulsed and 630–880 K in the continuous mode, excitation temperatures 3100–4250 K in the pulsed and 3500–4280 K in the continuous mode, slopes and intercepts of the calibration lines and limits of detection and a weak effect on the coefficients of determination. All these parameters were measured at three different positions from the sample inlet of the plasma pencil. Most line intensities and the excitation temperature decreased while calcium lines and gas temperature calculated from OH radicals increased in the pulsed mode. These results indicate a strong interaction between calcium species and OH radicals. Analysis of real low mineralized water samples showed similarity of the yielded results to those obtained by reference ICP-OES.


This is the final report of the evaluation of the Work Related Learning Project. The project was funded by the Learning and Skills Council (West of England) and sought to contribute to raising the levels of 14-16 year olds' participation, achievement and progression through high quality work-related learning. It commenced in September 2007 and was initially focused on three Local Area Partnerships in Bristol. The project extended in a second phase from September 2008 to support activity in South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset. Evaluation fieldwork concluded in November 2009, by which time most project-funded activity had taken place. The project was successful in meeting its goals, and it produces some clear pointers for further development and innovation. The evaluation shows that the Project succeeded in generating excitement in learning, in harnessing the enthusiasm of teachers, in providing new opportunities to learners bringing them into close engagement with workplaces and work related tasks, and in contributing to learners' scope to build evidence of their learning. Whilst the design of the Project and the evaluation would not permit the measurement and demonstration of direct causality, it is also likely that the Project made a contribution to a rise in recorded achievement in the Bristol area. This report provides a description of the Project and how it was evaluated. It notes some important contextual factors and also unintended consequences that must be taken into account when weighing up what the Project teaches us about effective curricular and pedagogic intervention. The report concludes with a number of recommendations.


Gainesville, Florida, 10 March 2 012. Today, the Mobile Location- Based Services Summit hosted a panel entitled "What Was Wrong with First-Generation Location-Based Services?" The panel chair, Sumi Helal of the University of Florida, invited two world-class experts in LBS history and technology to discuss the topic: Paolo Bellavista of the University of Bologna and Axel Kupper of the University of Munich. The panel discussed the popularity of today's LBSs and analyzed their distinguishing aspects in comparison with first-generation LBSs. The panel was anything but controversial, with all panelists in total agreement on what initially went wrong and why today's LBSs work. They analyzed how the failure unfolded to set the stage for a major paradigm shift in LBS business and technology and noted the milestones that shaped today's LBSs.


Constitutive models based on dominant mechanisms in hot forming are proposed. These models consider inter-granular deformation, grain boundary sliding, grain boundary diffusion and grain growth. New stress-strain rate relationships are proposed to predict deformation due to grain boundary sliding and grain boundary diffusion. Beside a Taylor type polycrystalline constitutive model, a visco-plastic relation in conjunction with a yield function is used to predict inter-granular deformation with much less computational costs. The proposed models are calibrated with tensile test data of AA5083 at . The calibrated models closely fit simple tension experimental data for various strain rates and strains. Then as an example the models are used to simulate a tray forming experiment. Dome heights and tray thicknesses at various positions during forming time can well predict experimental observations.


Background: Anxiety involved panic attacks either having or not having social fear, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder as well as separation anxiety disorder is known to be marked mental diseases. It is related to high medical cost and a significant load of disease. Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) is a mushroom and possesses immunemodulating and antimicrobial effects both in-vivo and in-vitro and as well as it has been used to treat cancer, hepatitis, dermatitis, and hyperlipidemia traditionally. Method: In this experiment evaluation of anxiolytic effect of AbM on mice has been done by using Elevated Plus Maze test, open field test and motor co-ordination test by rotarod. Mice (Mus musculus) weighing 22-25 grams, were divided into 4 groups (n=6). Oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM was utilized in 2 doses i.e. 136.5 mg/kg and 273 mg/kg. Group, I received vehicle (distilled water 10 ml/kg), p.o. Group II received standard (diazepam 1 mg/kg), i.p. Group III and IV orally received hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.5 mg/kg and 273 mg/kg, respectively). Result: In Elevated Plus Maze test, oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.5 mg/kg and 273 mg/kg, respectively) exhibited significant (p<0.01) elevation in the percentage of number of open arm entries (48.0 ± 1.1% and 48.93 ± 2.1% respectively) and time spent in open arm (14.92 ± 1.9% and 84.17 ± 2.4%). Conclusion: Hence it is concluded that hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM can be a new therapeutic agent to treat anxiety.


Women with high androgen levels appear to be at increased risk for breast cancer. The 5-reductase type 2 enzyme (SRD5A2) is an important mediator of local androgen actions. The SRD5A2 gene contains a polymorphism leading to a valine to leucine change in codon 89 (V89L). The Leu allele has been associated with lower SRD5A2 activity and might be protective for breast cancer. At the same time, among breast cancer patients, the Leu allele has been associated with lower prostatespecific antigen expression, indicating poor prognosis. Within a cohort of breast cancer screening participants in the Netherlands (DOM-cohort) we examined whether the V89L polymorphism is associated with the risk and prognosis of breast cancer. We studied 295 postmenopausal breast cancer cases and a randomly selected reference group from the baseline cohort (n 382). The genotype distribution in the reference group was: VV 52%; VL 40%; and LL 8%. Compared with women with the VV genotype, adjusted breast cancer rate ratios for women with VL and LL genotypes were 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.0–2.2) and 1.1 (95% confidence interval 0.5–2.1), respectively. Compared with breast cancer patients with VV or VL genotypes, those with the LL genotype showed larger tumors (proportion with size > 2 cm is 26 versus 55%, respectively; P 0.07), a higher frequency of positive lymph nodes (28 versus 55%, respectively; P 0.09), and a higher tumor-node-metastasis stage (proportion with stage III/IV: 6 versus 25%, respectively; P 0.04). The LL genotype is also associated with shorter survival than the VV and VL genotypes (P 0.10). In conclusion, our findings do not provide evidence for an important role of the V89L polymorphism in the etiology of breast cancer. However, in breast cancer patients, the LL genotype may be associated with unfavorable prognosis.


We report on two applications of Maximum Entropy-based ranking models to problems of relevance to automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis. The first is stress prediction in Russian, a language with notoriously complex mor-phology and stress rules. The second is the classification of alphabetic non-standard words, which may be read as words ( NATO ), as letter sequences USA , or as a mixed ( mymsn ). For this second task we report results on English, and five other European languages. ranking for application. we report results English, and five other European languages.


An interactive exhibition brought to you by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM),
the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, and Mayo Clinic. Comments and stories from Native Americans at Mayo Clinic


We use a locally excitatory globally inhibitory oscillator network (LEGION) as a framework for range image segmentation. Each oscillator in the LEGION network has excitatory lateral connections to the oscillators in its neighborhood as well as a connection with a global inhibitor. The lateral connection between two oscillators is established based on the similarity between their feature vectors which consist of the surface normal and curvature at the corresponding pixel locations. The emergent behavior of the LEGION network gives rise to the segmentation result. Unlike other methods, our scheme needs no assumption about the underlying structures in image data and no prior knowledge regarding the number of regions. Experimental results for real range images are presented.


Breast cancer is one of the commonest cancers affecting women and oncoplastic breast sur - gery has been firmly established as the mainstay of modern surgical treatment, replacing the traditional two-operation approach. Careful patient selection, relevance of effective com - munication, patient education and navigating the complex decision-making process, are some of the topics covered in this chapter. Preoperative planning, implant selection, patient marking, importance of scar placement, marking and measuring the patient preoperatively, good theatre practice, technical tips for good cosmesis, and after care; are also discussed. A brief section on revision surgery following implant reconstruction, lipomodelling and a brief overview about breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and multidisciplinary approach to modern management of breast cancer. It aims to serve as a guide to surgeons on current practice and achieving the ideal balance between oncological clearance of the cancer combined with good cosmesis and high levels of patient satisfaction.


We present a point of view concerning HOAS(Higher-Order Abstract Syntax) and an extensive exercise in HOAS along this point of view. The point of view is that HOAS can be soundly and fruitfully regarded as a definitional extension on top of FOAS (First-Order Abstract Syntax). As such, HOAS is not only an encoding technique, but also a higher-order view of a first-order reality. A rich collection of concepts and proof principles is developed inside the standard mathematical universe to give technical life to this point of view. The exercise consists of a new proof of Strong Normalization for System F. The concepts and results presented here have been formalized in the theorem prover Isabelle/HOL.


Abstract Querying over disjunctive ASP with functions is a highly undecidable task in general. In this paper we focus on disjunctive logic programs with stratified negation and functions under the stable model semantics (ASPfs). We show that query answering in this setting is decidable, if the query is finitely recursive (ASPfsfr). Our proof yields also an effective method for query evaluation. It is done by extending the magic set technique to ASPfsfr. We show that the magic-set rewritten program is query equivalent to the original one (under both brave and cautious reasoning). Moreover, we prove that the rewritten program is also finitely ground, implying that it is decidable. Importantly, finitely ground programs are evaluable using existing ASP solvers, making the class of ASPfsfr queries usable in practice.


"The lapidary style" suggests a manner of writing that runs close to working a material—carving lettering into rock, cutting a gem into fine facets. Poised between the properties of the stone and of the jewel, this term holds the tensions of stone's solidity and light's refraction. This discussion will range over the curious nature of this style, its virtues of concision and incisiveness, and what it might say about the "materiality" of language. The "lapidary" shows us the profound implication of a gestural style with meaning.


This paper examines how Japanese manufacturing multinational enterprises (MNEs) adjust to exchange rate changes. Using the micro-data of Japanese manufacturing MNEs from 1994 to 2010, we find that exports tend to respond to exchange rate changes, in particular when wholly or majority-owned affiliates are dominant among their foreign affiliates and when intra-firm trade ratios are higher. Moreover, the responsiveness to exchange rate changes is higher for intra-firm exports than for total exports. The results suggest that Japanese manufacturing MNEs with greater foreign operations under their own corporate control would more fully absorb shocks of exchange rate movements by adjusting intra-firm transactions. We do not find such tendencies for imports, however. Our results also show that, among all manufacturing sectors, the exporting/importing responsiveness is lower in the electric machinery sectors and higher in the transport equipment sectors due to different types of international division of labor. Furthermore, our results show that the size of the firm does not matter in terms of the responsiveness for total exports, although it does for intra-firm exports only.


It is possible to use Fourier optical pattern recognition to gather the data needed to make a fuzzy comparison of the description of an ideal object. Such an approach allows for changes in scale, location, and distortion.


In this thesis, I examine a selection of Australian novels set in South East Asia, and especially Indonesia, with a view to identifying ways in which these texts reflect changes that have taken place in Australia's relationship to Indonesia over the last twenty years. I also use a number of Indonesian texts that contribute to an understanding of this process. I draw predominantly upon novels and short stories by the Australian writers Christopher Koch, Blanche d'Alpuget, Gerard Lee and Inez Baranay and the Indonesian writers Umar Kayam, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Achdiat Mihardja, Gerson Poyk and Dewi Angraenni.

In order to identify and map these changes in attitude as they are exposed in the texts, I will adopt a postcolonial approach, with an emphasis on constructions of otherness, using the work of a range of theorists including Immanuel Levinas, Homi Bhabha, Michel Foucault, Frederic Jameson, Mikhail Bakhtin and Wilson Harris.

In these last decades of the century, there has been evidence in the Australian public sphere of an increasing openness to, and understanding of, Indonesian culture and values, both in national foreign policy and in artistic production. I argue, however, that this apparent improvement in cross cultural relations is at best superficial and that there is a continuing undercurrent of racism that is increasingly masked by discursive strategies of tolerance. It is my contention in this thesis that most of the changes in approach to Asian otherness reflected in Australian fiction in the 1980s are actually changes in discursive techniques for the concealment of the cross-cultural suspicion and racism which continue to underlie these narratives and Austrahan culture in general in the 'postcolonial' period.

In addition I assert that the novelistic attempts to aesthetically resolve the contradictory nature of postcolonial hegemony (often through the application of liberal / humanist notions of tolerance and equality) generate a split in Australian literary discourse which is representative of a broader contradiction at the heart of Australian attitudes to Asian alterity at the end of the millennium. The attack made on 'political correctness', multiculturalism, and migration over the last few year in Australia (and the surprising level of support it has received in the community) is, I suggest, a consequence of the immense difficulty of attempting to hold together the contradiction that exists at the heart of Australian discourse concerning the other.

More recent shifts in the Australian fictional construction of Indonesian identity, examined in the last chapter of the thesis, suggest the emergence of something more than the mere re-deployment of Western strategies of control. In these later novels we see the beginnings of a negotiation of cultural alterity which reflects both the immense difficulties and possibilities that lie ahead for Australia as it attempts to grapple with its unique geographical context - as a Western culture located in Asia.

I have also attempted to identify several prerequisites to the development of genuine and productive cross-cultural dialogue and, through the reading of Australian literary texts, have indicated the degree to which shifts in Australian discourse have taken us closer to, or further from, their achievement.

The inclusion and analysis of several Indonesian novels and short stories reflects the methodological indebtedness of this project to Bakhtin's theory of dialogism. Drawing also upon Bhabha's conception of enunciative presence I argue that genuine dialogue can only be achieved with Australia's near-neighbours through direct contact with, and metonymic displacement at the edges of, cross-cultural otherness.

My argument suggests that no matter how ideologically acceptable the Western tradition of imposing orientalist conceptions may have become in recent years (in terms of its commitment to tolerance and egalitarianism), it is no substitute for the process of agonistic dialogue between dissimilar identities. In fact, such a liberal / humanist approach to the construction of cross-cultural identity plays a role in preventing effective dialogue because of the appearance of respect for otherness that it generates. In keeping with this conception of the importance of direct engagement in the cross-cultural process I have included and analysed several Indonesian novels and short stories as dialogic responses to Australia's largely monologic production of the Indonesian subject.


An architecture based on optical technology is presented for constructing parallel computers. The architecture uses optics for its ultrahigh speed, massive parallelism, and dense connectivity. The processing is based on a technique called 2-D symbolic substitution that can be implemented with very fast optical components. Two-dimensional symbolic substitution algorithms are developed for arithmetic/logic operations as well as for complex scientific computations such as matrix algebra and fast Fourier transforms (FFTs). The predicted performance of the system is compared with the performance of existing electronic array processors and is shown to be potentially superior. The bit-plane architecture is shown to be both feasible and economical based on state-of-the-art optical and electrooptical technologies.<<ETX>>


The need for information web-searching is needed by many users nowadays. They use the search engines to input their query or question and wait for the answer or best search results. As results to user query the search engines many times may be return irrelevant pages or not related to information need. This paper presents   a proposed model to provide the user with efficient and effective result through search engine, based on modified chicken swarm algorithm  and cosine similarity    to eliminate and delete irrelevant pages(outliers) from the ranked list results, and to improve the results of the user's query   . The proposed model is applied to Arabic dataset and use the ZAD corpus dataset for 27300 document.  The experimental result shows that the proposed model improves the precision, recall,   and accuracy. Thus the result produced by this method improves accuracy.


Transversely pumped dye-laser systems are investigated theoretically and experimentally. A set of coupled rate equations for the excited-state population densities and for the photon fluxes in both directions, at all wavelengths, is presented. Both the temporal and spatial dependence of these quantities are accounted for. The equations are solved numerically for a variety of practical situations, and analytical approximations for some limiting cases are discussed. The results describe the dependence of the amplified-spontaneous-emission (ASE) output flux on pumping rate, the spectral narrowing process, and the effects of gain saturation. It is found that under practical laboratory conditions the gain of such dye systems saturates rapidly. Consequently, at high pumping rates the output varies linearly with pump intensity, and the conversion efficiency from pump to ASE photons approaches unity. The performance of dyedaser amplifiers is described by the same set of equations, and the gain characteristics of such systems are analyzed as a function of input signal intensity and pumping rate. The theoretical calculations are compared with the results of a set of experiments, and good agreement is found. The operation characteristics of a dye-laser amplifier are evaluated and utilized in the design of a narrow-band oscillator-amplifier system.


Objective: To examine Teen Oral Health-related Quality of Life (TOQL) for use in adults receiving orthodontic treatment and assess validity and reliability by age-group. Methods: Teenagers ages 10-18 years and adults 18 years and over completed surveys at the Orthodontic Clinic at Boston University. The survey consisted of sociodemographic information, dental behavior questions, and the TOQL instrument. (Wright, Spiro, Jones, & Rich, n.d.) Malocclusion severity was assessed using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Results: 161 teens and 146 adults participated; teens had a mean age of 13 years and adults 32 years. Subjects represented both genders and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In general, scores overall and by domains were higher for adults than for teens, signifying a greater effect on the quality of life. Mean TOQL scores were worse (17.55) in adults than in teens (11.92, p<0.01); emotional and social domains scores were higher for adults (p<0.001).Construct validity was supported by strong association of TOQL scores with self-reported oral health (p<0.0001). Cronbach's alpha was higher in adults (0.75 in adults compared to 0.68 in teens) and for all the domains. Conclusion: Adults who come for orthodontic treatment report that they are more affected by their malocclusion as compared to teens. Total TOQL score and the emotional and social domains are significantly higher for adults than teens. The project suggests that TOQL is a valid and reliable way to measure impact of malocclusion in quality of life in both adults and teens.


1. Brinkmeyer MK, David SS. Distinct functional consequences of MUTYH variants associated with colorectal cancer: damaged DNA affinity, glycosylase activity and interaction with PCNA and Hus1. DNA Repair (Amst) 2015; 34: 39-51. 2. Adam R, Spier I, Zhao B, et al. Exome sequencing identifies biallelic MSH3 germline mutations as a recessive subtype of colorectal adenomatous polyposis. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 99: 337-51. 3. Kwiatkowski D, Czarny P, Galecki P, et al. Variants of base excision repair genes MUTYH, PARP1 and XRCC1 in Alzheimer's disease risk. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 71: 176-86. 4. Zhang S, Wang XB, Han YD, et al. Polymorphism in ERCC1 confers susceptibility of coronary artery disease and severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis in a Chinese Han population. Sci Rep 2017; 7: 6407.


During the Second World War the diversity of the population in Britain by nationality and ethnicity was unprecedented, multiplying British women's opportunities for relationships that crossed ethnic and national boundaries. This article uses evidence from Home Intelligence, Mass-Observation and official policy making to explore the gendered nature of anxieties about a wide range of British women's relationships—with white and black allies and with white enemies. In considering popular and official attitudes to mixing across national and ethnic difference and British women who flouted the rules of sexual patriotism, the article argues that the history of transnational and transethnic relationships in wartime Britain is an important episode in the shift towards a multiethnic and multinational society, commonly dated to the post-war period.


PURPOSES
To evaluate in primary molars (1) the adaptation of three compomers in Class I and V cavities at the cavosurface margins and inside the cavity, and (2) the effect of cavity etching on such adaptation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The three compomers used were Compoglass, Dyract and Hytac. Sixty exfoliated primary molars were divided for the three compomers, which were subdivided into Class I and V (10 each) and subdivided again into etched and non-etched (5 each). Standard Class I and Class V cavities with the gingival margins at cementum were prepared. The cavities were restored with the three compomers used with or without etching the cavity. The restored cavities were finished and polished. The cavosurface margins were inspected under the light microscope. Then the restored teeth were sectioned into two halves. The cut halves were fixed in glutaraldehyde and the cut surfaces smoothed, polished and inspected under the light microscope for adaptation of the restorative material inside the cavities. One halve of each molar was prepared for SEM.

RESULTS
The three compomers showed good adaptation at the cavosurface margin except the non-etched Class V cavities restored with Dyract. Compoglass and Dyract were well adapted inside the cavity better than Hytac. Cavity angles were common sites for adhesive pooling for all materials. SEM examination showed good adaptation of the restorative at enamel and cementum interface especially in etched cavities. The dentin-restorative interface showed consistent hybrid layer with resin tags in the etched cavities. However this layer was inconsistent in the non-etched cavities.


PURPOSE
To evaluate whether pretherapeutic serum soluble E-cadherin is an independent factor predicting long-term survival in gastric cancer. Gastric cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, but a satisfactory tumor marker is currently unavailable for gastric cancer. Soluble E-cadherin has recently been found to have prognostic value in gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred sixteen patients with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma were included in the trial. Pretherapeutic serum was collected, and soluble E-cadherin was assayed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The patients were followed up prospectively at the outpatient clinic.

RESULTS
There were 75 men and 41 women, with a mean (+/- SD) age of 66 +/- 14 years. Forty-eight percent of tumors were located in the gastric antrum. The median survival time was 11 months. The mean pretherapeutic value of soluble E-cadherin was 9,159 ng/mL (range, 6,002 to 10,025 ng/mL), and the mean pretherapeutic level of carcinoembryonic antigen was 11 ng/mL (range, 0.3 to 4,895 ng/mL). On multivariate analysis, soluble E-cadherin is an independent factor predicting long-term survival. Ninety percent of patients with a serum level of E-cadherin greater than 10,000 ng/mL had a survival time of less than 3 years (P =.009).

CONCLUSION
Soluble E-cadherin is a potentially valuable pretherapeutic prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer.


Partial and total splenectomies are associated with a high risk of substantial blood loss. Lasers operating at wavelengths strongly absorbed by water have the potential to improve hemostasis and cut while providing a narrow zone of thermal damage. The aim of this study is to compare a thulium-doped fiber laser (TDFL) emitting a wavelength of 1940 nm and a diode laser (DL) operating at 1470 nm for spleen surgery in a pig model. A partial splenectomy and spleen incisions were made in 12 animals using the two laser devices. The hemostasis was evaluated visually during surgeries. Post-mortem and histopathological evaluations were done on days 0, 7, and 14 following surgery. Neither TDFL nor DL caused bleeding on day 0 or delayed bleeding. On day 14, pale streaks at the site of incision were slightly wider after cutting with DL than with TDFL. Histological analysis revealed a carbonized zone with exudation and a deeper zone of thermal tissue damage on day 0. The width of the thermal changes was 655.26 ± 107.70 μm for TDFL and 1413.37 ± 111.85 μm for DL. On day 7, a proliferation of fibroblasts and splenocytes was visible, as well as a formation of multinucleated giant cells adjacent to the residues of carbonization. The zone of thermal damage was broader for DL (1157.5 ± 262.77 μm) than for TDFL (682.22 ± 116.58 μm). On day 14, cutting sites were filled with connective and granulation tissues with the residues of carbonization. The zone of thermal damage was narrower for TDFL (761.65 ± 34.3 μm) than for DL (1609.82 ± 202.22 μm). Thus, both lasers are efficient in spleen surgery, providing good hemostasis. However, TDFL produces a narrower zone of thermal damage, which suggests its better efficiency for spleen surgery, especially when performing more precise procedures.


OBJECTIVE
The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine produced by hepatic stellate cells and implicated in liver regeneration and fibrosis. Serum levels of HGF vary in liver diseases, reflecting hepatic damage and hepatocellular dysfunction. In this study, serum levels of HGF and the relationship between HGF and biochemical, histological and virological data, have been analysed in patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Serum HGF concentration was measured by ELISA in sandwich in 45 patients with CHC. Correlation between HGF levels and histological (necroinflammatory activity and fibrosis score) and biochemical (transaminases, prothrombin activity, albumin, bilirubin), or virological (hepatitis C virus load) parameters was analyzed. Serum HGF concentration was also studied in a subgroup of the original sample treated with interferon and ribavirin.

RESULTS
Sserum HGF concentrations of patients with CHC were significantly higher than those detected in healthy controls. Patients with significant fibrosis (F > or = 2) had a significantly older age, lower count of platelets and higher values of AST, GGT and HGF, than those patients with a fibrosis score F < 2. HGF concentration was identified by multivariate analysis as the only independent factor associated with significant fibrosis. Moreover, area under receiver operating curve, using HCG levels, showed similar values to those of previously validated non-invasive indexes of fibrosis. However, levels of HGF did not show a significant decrease in patients with a sustained response to anti-virus C therapy.

CONCLUSION
Serum HGF concentration correlates with fibrosis score in patients with CHC, but is insensitive to monitor changes induced by anti-virus C therapy.


. We study quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) integration of smooth functions defined over 5 the multi-dimensional unit cube. Inspired by a recent work of Pan and Owen, we study a new 6 construction-free median QMC rule which can exploit the smoothness and the weights of function 7 spaces adaptively. For weighted Korobov spaces, we draw a sample of r independent generating 8 vectors of rank-1 lattice rules, compute the integral estimate for each, and approximate the true 9 integral by the median of these r estimates. For weighted Sobolev spaces, we use the same approach 10 but with the rank-1 lattice rules replaced by high-order polynomial lattice rules. A major advantage 11 over the existing approaches is that we do not need to construct good generating vectors by a 12 computer search algorithm, while our median QMC rule achieves almost the optimal worst-case 13 error rate for the respective function space with any smoothness and weights , with a probability that 14 converges to 1 exponentially fast as r increases. Numerical experiments illustrate and support our 15 theoretical findings. 16


Background: It is unknown whether the height of a heel-rise performed in the single-leg standing heel-rise test 1 year after an Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) correlates with ankle biomechanics during walking, jogging, and jumping in the long-term. Purpose: To explore the differences in ankle biomechanics, tendon length, calf muscle recovery, and patient-reported outcomes at a mean of 6 years after ATR between 2 groups that, at 1-year follow-up, had less than 15% versus greater than 30% differences in heel-rise height. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Seventeen patients with less than 15% (<15% group) and 17 patients with greater than 30% (>30% group) side-to-side difference in heel-rise height at 1 year after ATR were evaluated at a mean (SD) 6.1 (2.0) years after their ATR. Ankle kinematics and kinetics were sampled via standard motion capture procedures during walking, jogging, and jumping. Patient-reported outcome was evaluated with Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS), Physical Activity Scale (PAS), and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Tendon length was evaluated by ultrasonography. The Limb Symmetry Index (LSI = [Injured Side ÷ Healthy Side] × 100) was calculated for side differences. Results: The >30% group had significantly more deficits in ankle kinetics during all activities compared with patients in the <15% group at a mean of 6 years after ATR (LSI, 70%-149% and 84%-106%, respectively; P = .010-.024). The >30% group, compared with the <15% group, also had significantly lower values in heel-rise height (LSI, 72% and 95%, respectively; P < .001) and heel-rise work (LSI, 58% and 91%, respectively; P < .001) and significantly larger side-to-side difference in tendon length (114% and 106%, respectively; P = .012). Achilles tendon length correlated with ankle kinematic variables (r = 0.38-0.44; P = .015-.027) whereas heel-rise work correlated with kinetic variables (r = −0.57 to 0.56; P = .001-.047). LSI tendon length correlated negatively with LSI heel-rise height (r = −0.41; P = .018). No differences were found between groups in patient-reported outcome (P = .143-.852). Conclusion: Height obtained during the single-leg standing heel-rise test performed 1 year after ATR related to the long-term ability to regain normal ankle biomechanics. Minimizing tendon elongation and regaining heel-rise height may be important for the long-term recovery of ankle biomechanics, particularly during more demanding activities such as jumping.


Dental caries is a multifactorial disease. The prevalence and incidence of it in a population is influenced by various risk factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, sugar exposures and oral hygiene habits. Hence, the present study was designed to assess the prevalence of dental caries in school going children in urban and rural areas of mahabubnagar district between 5 to 12 year age groups. Material and Methods: A total of 1000 children aged 5-12 years were selected from 8 schools located in different geographic areas of mahabubnagar. Children were divided into two age groups, Group I – 5-8 years, Group II – 9-12 years. A trained dental surgeon using DMFT/deft index to diagnose dental caries performed the clinical examinations. Results: Among the two groups, Group I, showed high mean values (1.90) for dental caries in primary dentition and Group II, showed high mean values (1.48) in permanent dentition. In both the groups, decayed teeth accounted for the greatest percentage. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries was high in permanent dentition in group II and in group I, it was high in primary dentition. Rural areas of Mahabubnagar district were affected more with caries compared to urban areas.


Objective: To examine how baseline and change of volumetric MRI relate to cognitive decline in older individuals. Background: Memory is associated with hippocampal integrity, whereas executive function has been linked to impaired frontal lobe function. Previous studies have shown that hippocampal and cortical atrophy are more strongly related to cognition than are measures of subcortical cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The authors hypothesized that memory (MEM) decline would be related to change in hippocampal volume (HC), whereas decline in executive function (EXEC) would be related to change of cortical gray matter volume (CGM) and measures of subcortical CVD. Methods: Subjects from a multicenter study (n = 103) included cognitively normal, mildly impaired, and demented cases with and without subcortical lacunes. All had longitudinal cognitive evaluation (mean = 4.8 years) and two or more MRI scans at least one year apart (mean = 3.4 years). MRI measures included HC, CGM, total lacune volume (LAC), and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMH). Random effects modeling of longitudinal data assessed effects of MRI baseline and MRI change on baseline and change of psychometrically matched measures of MEM and EXEC. Results: Change in MEM was related to HC baseline and HC change. Change in EXEC was related to baseline CGM and to change in CGM, HC, and LAC. Results were unchanged when demented cases were excluded. WMH was not associated with change in MEM or EXEC independent of HC, CGM, and LAC. Conclusion: Hippocampal volume was the primary determinant of memory decline, whereas executive function (EXEC) decline was related to multiple brain components. Results support a hypothesis that MEM decline is strongly influenced by Alzheimer disease (AD), whereas EXEC decline may be complexly determined by cerebrovascular disease and AD.


This guide provides histories of minority communities in Charlotte, some of which have disappeared or been gentrified, but many are very much alive.


The effects of glucose on phosphorylase and glycogen synthase were investigated in hepatocytes isolated from acutely (40 h) and chronically (90 h) alloxan-diabetic rats. The glucose-induced inactivation of phosphorylase proceeded normally in all conditions. The ensuing activation of glycogen synthase was slightly blunted in acute diabetes, but became virtually absent in 72 h diabetes of similar severity. In hepatocytes from rats with various degrees of chronic diabetes, the maximal activation of glycogen synthase (at 60 mM-glucose) was inversely correlated with the plasma glucose concentration.


To date, only two species are known in the laophontid genus Tapholeon Wells, 1967 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). In the present contribution, a redescription of the type species T. ornatus Wells, 1967, based on the type material, is provided. Furthermore, two new species are described from the coast of Kenya, T. inconspicuus sp. nov. and T. tenuis sp. nov. Two species, formerly attributed to Asellopsis Brady and Robertson, 1873 (namely A. arenicola Chappuis, 1954 and A. chappuisius Krishnaswamy, 1957), are allocated to Tapholeon based on the absence of sexual dimorphism in the swimming legs P2–P4. The former of the two species is redescribed based on additional material from the Comoros. An updated generic diagnosis and a key to the six species of Tapholeon are included.


Na2Ti3O7 nanotubes (NTs) with a uniform diameter of 10 nm and Na2Ti3O7 nanorods (NRs) with a diameter of 100–500 nm were synthesized via a hydrothermal method and a solid-state method, respectively, and then introduced into MgH2 by ball milling to catalyze the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation process. The MgH2–Na2Ti3O7 NT and MgH2–Na2Ti3O7 NR composites can desorb 6.5 wt% H2 within 6 min and 16 min at 300 °C, respectively, while the bulk MgH2 hardly releases any hydrogen even over a much longer time. In addition, isothermal rehydrogenation measurements show that the MgH2–Na2Ti3O7 NT composite can absorb 6.0 wt% H2 within 60 s at 275 °C and can even absorb 1.5 wt% H2 within 30 min at a temperature as low as 50 °C. TEM and HRTEM analyses indicate that the Na2Ti3O7 NTs are homogeneously distributed in MgH2, which catalyze the de-/rehydrogenation of MgH2 and meanwhile offer numerous diffusion channels to significantly accelerate the transportation of hydrogen atoms. Moreover, compared with bulk MgH2 and the MgH2–Na2Ti3O7 NR composite, the activation energy of the MgH2–Na2Ti3O7 NT composite is significantly decreased to 70.43 kJ mol−1. Such Na2Ti3O7 NTs with a unique morphology of the catalyst being distributed as nanotubes in MgH2 are believed to pave the way for the future design of hydrogen storage materials with excellent hydrogen storage performances.


Most university-level engineering studies produce technically skilled engineers. However, typically students face several difficulties when working in multidisciplinary teams when they initiate their industrial careers. In a globalised world, it becomes increasingly important that engineers are capable of collaborating across disciplinary boundaries and exhibit soft competencies, like communication, interpersonal and social skills, time planning, creativity, initiative, and reflection. To prepare a group of engineering and industrial design students to acquire those capabilities, an international summer school that combined industrial design with different kinds of engineering disciplines was organised on the site of Bang & Olufsen (B&O) in Denmark. This multidisciplinary engineering summer school was attended by students from six European university-level teaching institutions and was supervised by teachers from those institutions and industrial experts from B&O. The main aim of the summer school was to allow students to work in teams, composed of students from different knowledge disciplines and with different cultural backgrounds, with the purpose of developing innovative concepts and products, within a strong industrial perspective.


A single flexible filament can be actuated to escape from the scallop theorem and generate net propulsion at low Reynolds number. In this work, we study the dynamics of a simple boundary-driven multi-filament swimmer, a two-arm clamshell actuated at the hinged point, using a nonlocal slender body approximation with hydrodynamic interactions. We first consider an elastic clamshell consisted of flexible filaments with intrinsic curvature, and then build segmental models consisted of rigid segments connected by different mechanical joints with different forms of response torques. The simplicity of the system allows us to fully explore the effect of various parameters on the swimming performance. Optimal included angles and elastoviscous numbers are identified. The segmental models capture the characteristic dynamics of the elastic clamshell. We further demonstrate how the swimming performance can be significantly enhanced by the asymmetric beating patterns induced by biased torques.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical outcomes of engraftment, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and survival in the patients with AML1-ETO positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT).

METHODS
Forty-Five patients with high-risk refractory AML1-ETO positive AML were treated with a single UCBT in a single center from July 2010 to April 2018. All the patients underwent a myeloablative preconditioning regimen,and cyclosporine A (CSA) combined with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was used to prevent GVHD.

RESULTS
The median value of total nucleated cells (TNC) in cord blood was 5.21 (1.96-12.68)×107/kg recipient body weight, and that of CD34+ cells was 5.61 (0.56-15.4)×105/kg recipient weight. The implantation rate of neutrophil at 42 d and that of platelet at 120 d were 95.6% and 86.7%, respectively. The median time of absolute neutrophil count (ANC)>0.5×109/L and platelet 20×109/L were 16 (12-18) d and 37 (17-140) d after transplantation, respectively. The cumulative incidence of Ⅰ -Ⅳ grade acute GVHD (aGVHD) at 100 d after transplantation was 48.9% (95% CI 33.5%-62.6%), Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD occurred in 12 cases (33.3%) (95% CI 20%-47.2%) , and Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade a GVHD in 8 cases (20%) (95% CI 9.8% -32.8%). In 5 cases of 40 patients survived over 100 days, the chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurred after transplantation, among which 4 were localized, and 1 was extensive. 3 patients relapsed, and the 2-year cumulative relapse rate was 9.5% (95% CI 2.4%-22.8%). The median follow-up time was 23.5 (0.9-89.67) months, 10 patients died, 2-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) was 72.7%, and overall survival rate (OS) was 75.5%. Multivariate analysis showed that Ⅲ-Ⅳ. acute GVHD (aGVHD) affected overall survival.

CONCLUSION
UCBT is an effective rescue treatment for patients with high-risk refractory AML1-ETO positive AML.


Detailed analysis of five gas emission craters (GEC) found in the north of West Siberia is presented. Remote sensing data used in the study is verified by field surveys. Previous studies show that all of the GECs were preceded by mounds 2 to 6 m high and 20 to 55 m in diameter. GECs initially were 20–25 m in diameter, which increased in the first years of their existence. GECs are found in various environmental (shrublands or moss-grass tundra) and geomorphic (river valley, terrace, slopes) conditions. The objective of the paper is to identify common and differing geomorphologic and environmental characteristics of all the five GEC, and their mound-predecessors. The study is based on a compilation of DSMs before and after the GEC formation using very high-resolution satellite imagery stereo pairs compared to ArcticDEM project data. Diversity of terrain and environmental settings along with rather a narrow range of GEC and mound-predecessor morphometric parameters allows concluding that the mechanism of GEC formation is most likely similar for all the GEC and is controlled rather by internal geologic and cryolithologic structure than by any surface properties.


The littoral and demersal ichthyofaunal community structure in the freshwater-deprived, permanently open Kariega Estuary was investigated following heavy rain in November 2006 and was compared to low-flow condition data from 1991 and 1996. All surveys took place during the spring months and allowed for a comparison of a wet and a dry spring period. The 2006 freshwater pulse generated a strong horizontal salinity gradient within the estuary. In the absence of freshwater inflow, the ichthyofaunal community in the littoral zone was numerically dominated by estuarine resident species, whilst after the freshwater pulse an increased contribution of marine migrant species was observed. Within the demersal zone, marine straggler species dominated during the dry spring period and estuarine residents during the wet spring period. Numerical analyses of the littoral and demersal fish assemblages indicated the presence of three distinct groupings — corresponding to the upper and middle reaches during separate wet and dry periods, and a community associated with the lower reaches of the estuary. It is suggested that the shift in community structure between the dry and wet spring periods could be related to altered physico-chemical and trophic conditions within the estuary, as well as the increased presence of freshwater and estuarine olfactory cues within the coastal zone, which would have resulted in the recruitment of 0+ estuary-associated marine species into the Kariega system.


The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of crystallite preferred orientation on the mechanical strength of TiCN thin films in highly compressive residual stress. TiCN thin films were deposited by PVD on JIS-SKH55 (AISI M35) steel. The applied substrate bias voltages were set for –50, -80, -100, -120 and –150V. Subsequently, residual stress and crystalline preferred orientation of these specimens were investigated by X-ray diffraction methodology. The crystalline preferred orientation in thin films was evaluated by the ODF calculated from pole figures. On the other hand, dynamic hardness test (DH) and scratch test were executed to evaluate the mechanical strength of thin films. In our study, it was observed that negative bias voltages had an effect on the preferred orientation. The orientation density at –120V was the highest of all specimens. In addition, the value of scratch section area at –120V was the largest of all specimens. As a conclusion, the relation between the scratch area and the negative bias voltages corresponded to the relation between the preferred orientation and the bias voltages.


The visual interpretation of images is at the core of most medical diagnostic procedures and the final decision for many diseases, including cancer, is based on microscopic examination of cells and tissues. Through screening of cell samples the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer have been reduced significantly. The visual interpretation is, however, tedious and in many cases error-prone. Therefore many attempts have been made at using the computer to supplement or replace the human visual inspection by computer analysis and to automate some of the more tedious visual screening tasks. The computers and computer networks have also been used to manage, store, transmit and display images of cells and tissues making it possible to visually analyze cells from remote locations. In this presentation these developments are traced from their very beginning through the present situation and into the future.


The role governance structures play in economic growth and development cannot be over emphasised. According to the World Bank, indicators that define governance include; Government effectiveness, control of corruption, political stability and absence of violence/terrorism, regulatory quality, rule of law, and voice and accountability. Regrettably, there has been limited attention to how governance indicators influence the flow of foreign direct investments. Therefore, this paper presents results from an extensive study on governance and foreign direct investments into 12 eastern Africa countries for the periods 2002 through 2016. By the use of generalized least squares on panel data, the study established that governance indicators do not have any significant relationship with the flow of foreign direct investments into the eastern Africa region, but when this relationship is controlled by availability of natural resources, exports, imports and labour force, the relationship turn significant. It is therefore, obligatory for countries to ensure a stable political environment which promotes security for both life and property. Additionally, institutions that promote public service delivery should be free from political patronage, align policy making and implementation to the development of the private sector and preventing corruption of all forms.


Tasmania is a highly decentralised State with almost 60% of its population living outside the greater Hobart region. Farming is a primary pursuit for many Tasmanians, with approximately 17,000 employed in the farming sector. Whilst the global financial crisis has had significant impact on the agricultural sector, the outlook for the dairy industry in Tasmania is very positive. The Tasmanian dairy industry comprises 450 farms which directly employ 1,900 people in the farm sector and an additional 800 people in the processing sector. In 2009 -10 the University of Tasmania conducted a Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) pilot study with dairy farmers in the Circular Head region of North West Tasmania. Findings from the study reaffirmed the importance of strong community based partnerships in the design and delivery of effective farmer health promotion programs. The paper draws on the findings from the Circular Head pilot SFF study with particular reference to the partnership approach. The findings are used to explore the potential application of a knowledge partnering approach for working with place-based farming communities to enable improved health and wellbeing. Knowledge partnering is a methodology for regional and community development which has been developed and piloted by the Institute for Regional Development at the University of Tasmania. The methodology offers a structured way to work with placed based communities and regions to recognise and mobilise knowledge from the "ground up" and to co-produce new knowledge for desired futures. This paper will explore the potential of knowledge partnering as an innovative framework for developing sustainable partnerships with the farming community and building local capacity for improved farmer health and wellbeing.


In recent years, newly emerging photovoltaic (PV) devices based on silicon nanowire solar cells (SiNW-SCs) have attracted considerable research attention. This is due to their efficient light-trapping capability and large carrier transportation and collection with compact size. However, there is a strong desire to find effective strategies to provide high and wideband optical absorption. In this paper, a modified circular nanowire (NW) with a nanocrescent hole is newly introduced and analyzed for solar cell applications. The crescent hole can strongly improve the light absorption through the NW due to the excitation of numbers of modes that can be coupled with the incident light. The material index, volume, and position of the nanohole are studied to significantly increase the optical absorption efficiency and hence the power conversion efficiency (PCE). The absorption performance can be further preserved by using a silicon substrate due to the coupling between the supported modes by the NW, and that of the substrate. The optical and electrical characteristics of the suggested design are investigated using finite difference time domain and finite element methods via Lumerical software packages. The reported asymmetric design offers higher optical and electrical efficiencies compared to the conventional NW counterpart. The proposed NW offers a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 33.85 (34.35) mA/cm2 and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.78 (17.05) % with an enhancement of 16.3 (16.8) % and 17.3 (18.4) % for transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) polarizations, respectively, compared to the conventional cylindrical counterpart.


Gene expression analyses of microglia, the tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), led to the identification of homeostatic as well as neurological disease-specific gene signatures of microglial phenotypes. Upon alterations in the neural microenvironment, either caused by local insults from within the CNS (during neurodegenerative diseases) or by macroenvironmental incidents, such as social stress, microglia can switch phenotypes—generally referred to as "microglial activation." The interplay between the microenvironment and its influence on microglial phenotypes, regulated by (epi)genetic mechanisms, can be imagined as the different colorful crystal formations (microglial phenotypes) that change upon rotation (microenvironmental changes) of a kaleidoscope. In this review, we will discuss microglial phenotypes in relation to neurodevelopment, homeostasis, in vitro conditions, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases based on transcriptome studies. By overlaying these disease-specific microglial signatures, recent publications have identified a specific set of genes that is differentially expressed in all investigated diseases, called a microglial core gene signature with multiple diseases. We will conclude this review with a discussion about the complexity of this microglial core gene signature associated with multiple diseases.


Experimental studies show an increased vulnerability to atrial fibrillation (AF) in acutely dilated atria. By application of a stretch-activated channel (SAC) blocker, vulnerability to AF decreases significantly, indicating a role for SACs in the initiation of AF. Using a computer model of cardiac electromechanics, we investigate the hypothesis that increased vulnerability to AF may be attributed to SACs.In our model, the human atria are represented by a triangular mesh obtained from MRI data. Electrophysiology is modeled by thirteen ionic membrane currents, including the stretch-activated current Isac and intracellular calcium handling. Mechanical behavior is modeled by a series elastic, a contractile, and a parallel elastic element. The contractile force is related to the intracellular concentration of free calcium as well as to the sarcomere length. To mimic acute dilatation, overall stretch is applied to the atria. Due to contraction of some areas, stretch increases in other areas, leading to a variation in Isac conductance. In the presence of Isac, the membrane potential depolarizes, which causes inactivation of the sodium channels and results in conduction slowing or block. Inducibility of AF increases under stretch, which is explained by an increased dispersion in atrial effective refractory period (AERP), conduction slowing and local conduction block. Our observations explain the large differences in intra- atrial conduction measured in experiments and provide insight in the vulnerability to AF in dilated atria.


Context. Analysis of all-sky Planck submillimetre observations and the IRAS 100 μm data has led to the detection of a population of Galactic cold clumps. The clumps can be used to study star formation and dust properties in a wide range of Galactic environments.
Aims. Our aim is to measure dust spectral energy distribution (SED) variations as a function of the spatial scale and the wavelength.
Methods. We examined the SEDs at large scales using IRAS, Planck, and Herschel data. At smaller scales, we compared JCMT/SCUBA-2 850 μm maps with Herschel data that were filtered using the SCUBA-2 pipeline. Clumps were extracted using the Fellwalker method, and their spectra were modelled as modified blackbody functions.
Results. According to IRAS and Planck data, most fields have dust colour temperatures TC ~ 14–18 K and opacity spectral index values of β = 1.5–1.9. The clumps and cores identified in SCUBA-2 maps have T ~ 13 K and similar β values. There are some indications of the dust emission spectrum becoming flatter at wavelengths longer than 500 μm. In fits involving Planck data, the significance is limited by the uncertainty of the corrections for CO line contamination. The fits to the SPIRE data give a median β value that is slightly above 1.8. In the joint SPIRE and SCUBA-2 850 μm fits, the value decreases to β ~ 1.6. Most of the observed T-β anticorrelation can be explained by noise.
Conclusions. The typical submillimetre opacity spectral index β of cold clumps is found to be ~1.7. This is above the values of diffuse clouds, but lower than in some previous studies of dense clumps. There is only tentative evidence of a T-β anticorrelation and β decreasing at millimetre wavelengths.


We analyze the technique for reducing the complexity of entropy coding consisting of the a priori grouping of the source alphabet symbols, and in dividing the coding process in two stages: first coding the number of the symbol's group with a more complex method, followed by coding the symbol's rank inside its group using a less complex method, or simply using its binary representation. Because this method proved to be quite effective it is widely used in practice, and is an important part in standards like MPEG and JPEG. However, a theory to fully exploit its effectiveness had not been sufficiently developed. In this work, we study methods for optimizing the alphabet decomposition, and prove that a necessary optimality condition eliminates most of the possible solutions, and guarantees that dynamic programming solutions are optimal. In addition, we show that the data used for optimization have useful mathematical properties, which greatly reduce the complexity of finding optimal partitions. Finally, we extend the analysis, and propose efficient algorithms, for finding min-max optimal partitions for multiple data sources. Numerical results show the difference in redundancy for single and multiple sources.


The topic of multibeam antenna constructed using Butler Matrix as a beamforming network (BFN) has received much attention due to its simplicity and low cost of implementation. It becomes more popular nowadays, as it is capable to reduce co-channel interference and then increase the channel capacity of a system. Co-channel interference could be reduced using multibeam antenna by focusing directional beams to the desired user direction, and be null to undesired user directions. In fact, there are few popular methods of constructing a multibeam antenna such as using digital beamformer, Blass Matrix and lens based beamformer, but the simplest one is by integrating linear antenna array with Butler Matrix. Butler Matrix is a well known BFN where it has a capability of producing multiple independent beams that directed at different directions. The number of generated beams, the beams angle directions, HPBW of each beams and total coverage angle of multibeam antenna could be varied dependent on the antenna array design configuration itself. The radiation patterns characteristics of the multibeam antenna could be analyzed through pattern multiplication theorem of antenna array.


The amount of zinc in breast milk is generally regarded as sufficient to cover the increasing zinc demands of most infants. However, this is not well investigated where stores zinc may be compromised in babies with low birth weight (LBW) who are born with low stores of zinc. In Morocco, this is the first time that the amount of zinc transferred in breast milk has been estimated. This study included 32 mother-baby pairs. In our case study, we aimed to measure The quantity of zinc in mothers' breast milk with normal birth weight (NBW) and LBW babies who were exclusively or not exclusively breast fed at 1,3 and 6 month after birth. The results showed that the majority of mothers have a BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 this means that all mothers are overweight during 6 months after birth. Zinc concentration (mg/l) in mothers' breast milk decreased from first month to six month. p- value showed that for mothers with NBW babies, there is a significant difference between the 1 and 6 month (p=0.0003) and between 3 and 6 month after birth (p=0.0007). For mothers with LBW babies, p-value showed a significant difference between the zinc concentration in breast milk in the 1 st and 3 rd month (p=0.0007), 1 and 6 month (p< 0.0001) and between 3 rd and 6 th month after birth (p=0.0056). The rate of NBW babies who were exclusively breastfed was 36.67%, 30.25% and 10% successively in 1 st , 3 rd and 6 th month after birth. For LBW babies, the rate of exclusively breastfed was 15.38%, 7.69% and 2.69% successively in 1 st , 3 rd and 6 th month after birth. Based on the K. Brown study in 2009, we can develop a mathematical equation to our own population using our data: Ln [Zinc] = 0.960 – 0.161*Ln(âge) – 0.187*Ln(âge) 2 . In conclusion the zinc concentration in milk is within normal range and decreases with the age of the babies. The predicted model of zinc concentration in breast milk was developed and tested.


Over 40 leaders in the field were consulted to help shape the content of this 6th edition of "Emans, Laufer, Goldstein's Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology". Using 700 images and more than 100 case examples, this latest edition covers the medical and surgical approaches to common pediatric and adolescent gynecologic problems. Completely updated and expanded, this edition now includes chapters on Interviewing the Adolescent, Vulvar Dermatology, Gynecologic Trauma, Radiologic Imaging, Gynecologic Issues and Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients/survivors, and Patient Safety in Office Gynecology. Features: discusses the importance of the history and physical examination and the physiology of puberty and its associated disorders and complications; and companion website with fully searchable text, image bank, and surgical videos.