This paper examines how financial fluctuations and macroeconomic stability interact in the case of Venezuela, acknowledging that financial conditions deteriorating the macroeconomic environment can arise with both good and bad macroeconomic performance. An empirical methodology is provided that constructs two indexes, which are fully interpretable and are constructed with a minimum set of assumptions applied to a large number of financial time series. Structural interpretation of indexes is pursued using a structural VAR (SVAR) that associates macroeconomic stability with financial indexes. For Venezuela, a deterioration of procyclical financial conditions relates to financial margin reductions and expansions in banks' balance sheets, which are mostly triggered by unexpected increases in net primary money creation. Such expansions tend to appear in situations of declining macroeconomic stability. Worse countercyclical financial conditions are instead associated with situations of rising bank profitability, deleveraging and increased banking instability. In this case, fragility tends to materialize in periods of ameliorated macroeconomic stability.


Health-related Web applications have provided advanced services, such as telemedicine, to patients and doctors. However, with the creation of these applications has come the need to record, process and store medical information by following standard and lawful procedures, to protect medical data from unauthorized access, and to ensure continuity and constant availability of healthcare services.Certification and Security in Health-Related Web Applications: Concepts and Solutions aims to bridge the worlds of healthcare and information technology, increase the security awareness of professionals, students and users and highlight the recent advances in certification and security in health-related Web applications.


The western Indian Ocean supports over 6 200 000 pairs of Sooty Terns, some in very large colonies. During the past two centuries colonies have exhibited increase, stability, decline and extinction. The main drivers of these trends have been habitat change and unregulated human exploitation, especially of adults; introduced predators appear to have little effect at the population level but may have prevented re-colonisation following habitat restoration. Regulated harvesting of eggs, based on increasing knowledge of Sooty Tern demography, appears to be sustainable. Some colonies now receive protection but it will be logistically difficult to extend this to all colonies. The main future threats are likely to be climate change and over-exploitation of tuna, on which Sooty Terns depend to feed. Sooty Terns should be monitored to provide insights into these and other perturbations of the marine ecosystem.


Taking a psychosocial perspective this study analyses the com- ponents of psychological abuse in intimate adult partner violence against women. Following a review of studies on the subject the main objective that emerged was the need for a new taxonomy of psychological abuse strategies, one which should include their corresponding operational defini- tions. The proposed new classification was then evaluated by means of a Delphi study involving 32 experts from the academic and professional worlds. These experts were asked to assess the suitability of the system cat- egories and to rate the severity of the impact made by each of the strategies on the global phenomenon of psychological abuse in couples. The results show that the experts ratified the new classification of strategies and the corresponding operational definitions, thereby endorsing their content and construct validity. When rating the strategies according to the severity of their impact, those of an emotional nature were considered the most se- vere, followed by those related to the immediate context, those of a cogni- tive nature and, finally, behavioural strategies. We discuss the results and their implications.


This chapter focuses on Article 34 of the ICDR Rules, which empowers the tribunal to fix the 'costs of the arbitration' and to allocate those costs between the parties. As with most sets of arbitration rules, Article 34 identifies what kinds of costs may be recoverable but leaves the tribunal a broad discretion to decide what costs are reasonable and how recovery of those costs should be allocated between the parties. Evidently, the parties' agreement, the applicable national laws, and the legal cultures of the respective parties and the tribunal may also play a role in this determination. In considering Article 34, it is also important to bear in mind that US domestic litigation practice provides very few opportunities for any cost-shifting with respect to a party's attorney fees or otherwise. This so-called 'American Rule', at least to some extent, remains the practice in US domestic arbitration.


A new family of numerical integration formula is presented, which uses the function evaluation at the midpoint of the interval and odd derivatives at the endpoints. Because the weights for the odd derivatives sum to zero, the derivative calculations cancel out for the interior points in the composite form, so that these derivatives must only be calculated at the endpoints of the overall interval of integration. When using N subintervals, the basic rule which uses the midpoint function evaluation and the first derivative at the endpoints achieves fourth order accuracy for the cost of N/2 function evaluations and 2 derivative evaluations, whereas the three point open Newton-Cotes method uses 3N/4 function evaluations to achieve the same order of accuracy. These derivative-based midpoint quadrature methods are shown to be more computationally efficient than both the open and closed Newton-Cotes quadrature rules of the same order. This family of derivative-based midpoint quadrature rules are derived using the concept of precision, along with the error term. A theorem concerning the order of accuracy of quadrature rule using the concept of precision is provided to justify its use to determine the leading order error term.


Social demand for Landrace pigs continues to grow, and the existing farming methods cannot meet the commercialization of Landrace pigs at present. Therefore, the existing methods of culture were observed by using behavioral characteristics of Landrace pigs, in this paper. And the circle as well as large-scale breeding was conducted. Pure Landrace pigs in selected farm were monitored for 24 h without interruption. The test results are as follows: most of the behavior of the Landrace pigs can be expressed but a small part of the nature and habits can't be expressed in the circle of feeding mode. It can keep the purity of the Landrace pigs intact in this kind of farming mode, which improved the survival rate of Landrace pigs production. In addition, pig breeding was optimized and re designed, which made the species more in line with the needs of their various stages of growth and development. The sows and piglets were high bed breeding area by optimizing design in order to make the structure more reasonable distribution and make more reasonable separation of breeding pigs. The optimization and re design can guarantee the Landrace pigs offspring survival rate and purity could be improved in the large-scale feeding. The number of Landrace pigs will be expanded to provide the first experimental data for large-scale pig breeding in the future.


The computer vision courses at Ball State University has been reconstructed so that it provides the basis for a semester-long project - a project analyzed, designed, and programmed using an object-oriented (O-O) approach. One of the original goals of the course remains intact, namely, to instruct the students in the basic principles of computer vision. However, those principles are now more tightly focused so that they relate very directly to the semester-long project. An added goal is to teach O-O analysis, design, and programming at a relatively in-depth level to the students and to do this within the framework of computer vision. Another goal is to enable the students to gain some degree of expertise in an O-O language.<<ETX>>


Here we report a general route to prepare silica nanocomposite gels doped with fluorescent single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). We show that tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS) vapors can be used to gel an aqueous suspension of surfactant-wrapped SWNT while maintaining fluorescence from the semiconducting nanotubes. The vapor phase silica process is performed at room temperature and is simple, reproducible, relatively quick, and requires no dilution of SWNT dispersions. However, exposure of aqueous SWNT suspensions to TMOS vapors resulted in an acidification of the suspension prior to gelation that caused a decrease in the emission signal from sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) wrapped SWNT. We also show that although the SWNT are encapsulated in silica the emission signal from the encapsulated SWNT may be attenuated by exposing the nanocomposites to small aromatic molecules known to mitigate SWNT emission. These results demonstrate a new route for the preparation of highly luminescent SWNT/silica composite materials that are potentially useful for future sensing applications.


This article brings forward the discourse of hegemonic temporality and spatiality as challenged by Nael through his representation of the Amazon in Milton Hatoum's novel The Brothers (2002). The transitory nature of postmodernism cannot be taken for granted since the mobility of marginalised regions like the Amazon is hindered by hegemonic notions of temporal and spatial linearity; such notions aim at imposing normative systems of behaviour whose agenda is to stop conceptual deviations from emerging. Therefore, deviating subjects are gradually forced to forsake both their present and past due to a future that never comes. Nevertheless, this investigation goal is to analyse if and how hegemonic chronology is unable to prevent the attitudes and positioning of The Brothers ' marginalised characters from historicising not only the possibility of existing in the future and in the past but, more importantly, in a queer and postcolonial present.


Abstract New businesses face constraints in the form of limited access to capital and managerial expertise. Many governments have developed public venture capital programs for the purpose of easing these constraints and assisting young firms in generating growth in output and employment. The paper develops a model that incorporates occupational choice and informational asymmetries with regard to the ability of entrepreneurs and supply of effort, and determines the optimal supply of entrepreneurship, financial assistance, and managerial advice provided by a public venture capital program.


ABSTRACT Simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) use their Nef proteins to counteract the restriction factor tetherin. However, a deletion in human tetherin prevents antagonism by the Nef proteins of SIVcpz and SIVgor, which represent the ape precursors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). To promote virus release from infected cells, pandemic HIV-1 group M strains evolved Vpu as a tetherin antagonist, while the Nef protein of less widespread HIV-1 group O strains acquired the ability to target a region adjacent to this deletion. In this study, we identified an unusual HIV-1 group O strain (RBF206) that evolved Vpu as an effective antagonist of human tetherin. While both RBF206 Vpu and Nef exert anti-tetherin activity in transient-transfection assays, mainly Vpu promotes RBF206 release in infected CD4+ T cells. Although mutations distinct from the adaptive changes observed in group M Vpus (M-Vpus) were critical for the acquisition of its anti-tetherin activity, RBF206 O-Vpu potently suppresses NF-κB activation and reduces CD4 cell surface expression. Interestingly, RBF206 Vpu counteracts tetherin in a largely species-independent manner, degrading both the long and short isoforms of human tetherin. Downmodulation of CD4, but not counteraction of tetherin, by RBF206 Vpu was dependent on the cellular ubiquitin ligase machinery. Our data present the first example of an HIV-1 group O Vpu that efficiently antagonizes human tetherin and suggest that counteraction by O-Nefs may be suboptimal. IMPORTANCE Previous studies showed that HIV-1 groups M and O evolved two alternative strategies to counteract the human ortholog of the restriction factor tetherin. While HIV-1 group M switched from Nef to Vpu due to a deletion in the cytoplasmic domain of human tetherin, HIV-1 group O, which lacks Vpu-mediated anti-tetherin activity, acquired a Nef protein that is able to target a region adjacent to the deletion. Here we report an unusual exception, identifying a strain of HIV-1 group O (RBF206) whose Vpu protein evolved an effective antagonism of human tetherin. Interestingly, the adaptive changes in RBF206 Vpu are distinct from those found in M-Vpus and mediate efficient counteraction of both the long and short isoforms of this restriction factor. Our results further illustrate the enormous flexibility of HIV-1 in counteracting human defense mechanisms.


Minimization of the rank loss or, equivalently, maximization of the AUC in bipartite ranking calls for minimizing the number of disagreements between pairs of instances. Since the complexity of this problem is inherently quadratic in the number of training examples, it is tempting to ask how much is actually lost by minimizing a simple univariate loss function, as done by standard classification methods, as a surrogate. In this paper, we first note that minimization of 0/1 loss is not an option, as it may yield an arbitrarily high rank loss. We show, however, that better results can be achieved by means of a weighted (cost-sensitive) version of 0/1 loss. Yet, the real gain is obtained through margin-based loss functions, for which we are able to derive proper bounds, not only for rank risk but, more importantly, also for rank regret. The paper is completed with an experimental study in which we address specific questions raised by our theoretical analysis.


The past years have witnessed promising clinical feedback for anti-cancer immunotherapies, which have become one of the hot research topics; however, they are limited by poor delivery kinetics, narrow patient response profiles, and systemic side effects. To the best of our knowledge, the development of cancer is highly associated with the immune system, especially the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Based on the comprehensive understanding of the complexity and diversity of TIME, drug delivery strategies focused on the modulation of TIME can be of great significance for directing and improving cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights the TIME modulation in cancer immunotherapy and summarizes the versatile TIME modulation-based cancer immunotherapeutic strategies, medicative principles and accessory biotechniques for further clinical transformation. Remarkably, the recent advances of cancer immunotherapeutic drug delivery systems and future prospects of TIME modulation-based drug delivery systems for much more controlled and precise cancer immunotherapy will be emphatically discussed.


The United Kingdom's external balance sheet currently records assets and liabilities of more than 3.5 trillion pounds. Both sides of the external balance sheet grew sharply during 2003, continuing the marked expansion that has been recorded since the early 1990s. This article examines recent trends within the balance sheet components with reference to the associated financial flows and income. There is a particular focus on data reported by monetary financial institutions. The article discusses some of the problems involved in compiling an external balance sheet, examining two key issues through the estimation of a breakdown of revaluations to outstanding stocks and a discussion of foreign direct investment data. We also report on current domestic and international initiatives aimed at further improving the quality of external statistics.


Background The trajectory of lung function decline among Indigenous patients with or without underlying chronic airway disease (COPD and concomitant bronchiectasis) and with use of inhaled pharmacotherapy, including inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), has not been reported in the past. Methods Adult Indigenous Australian patients identified to have undergone at least two or more lung function tests (LFTs) between 2012 and 2020 were assessed for changes in the lung function parameters (LFPs) between the first and last recorded LFTs. Results Of the total 1350 patients identified to have undergone LFTs, 965 were assessed to fulfil session quality, 115 (n=58 females) were eligible to be included with two or more LFTs. Among the 115 patients, 49% showed radiological evidence of airway diseases, and 77% were on airway directed inhaled pharmacotherapy. Median time between LFTs was 1.5 years (IQR 0.86,5.85), with no significant differences in LFPs noted between first and last LFT. Overall rate of change (mL/year) showed considerable variation for FVC (median −37.55 mL/year [IQR −159.88,92.67]) and FEV1 (−18.74 mL/year [−102.49,71.44]) with minimal change in FEV1/FVC (0.00 ratio/year [−0.03,0.01]). When stratified by inhaled pharmacotherapy group, however, patients using ICS showed significantly greater rate of FEV1 decline (−48.64 mL/year [−110.18,62.5]) compared to those using pharmacotherapy with no ICS (15.46 mL/year [−73.5,74.62]) and those using no pharmacotherapy (−5.76 mL/year [−63.19,67.34]) (p=0.022). Additionally, a greater proportion of these patients reached the threshold for excessive FEV1 decline (64%) compared to those using pharmacotherapy without ICS (44%) and those using no pharmacotherapy (52%). Conclusion Decline in LFPs occurs commonly among adult Indigenous population, especially, excessive so among those using inhaled pharmacotherapy containing ICS.


The authors introduce a new measure of basic-level performance (strategy length and internal practicability; SLIP). SLIP implements 2 computational constraints on the organization of categories in a taxonomy: the minimum number of feature tests required to place the input in a category (strategy length) and the ease with which these tests are performed (internal practicability). The predictive power of SLIP is compared with that of 4 other basic-level measures: context model, category feature possession, category utility, and compression measure, drawing data from other empirical work, and 3 new experiments testing the validity of the computational constraints of SLIP using computer-synthesized 3-dimensional artificial objects.


Several approaches have been introduced for modeling and prediction of nonlinear dynamics which have chaotic characteristics. Among these methods, data driven approaches such as Auto Regressive (AR) models, Nonlinear Auto Regressive (NAR) models, Radial Basis Function (RBF) networks, and Multi Layered Perceptron (MLP) neural networks have proven themselves to be powerful approaches in modeling and prediction of chaotic dynamics. However, the structure of these models should be known before the training phase, which is a very complicated problem. In this research, we introduce a co-evolutionary approach for modeling and system identification of chaotic dynamics. The proposed algorithm is composed of two co-evolving populations: candidate data driven models, and test data sets which either extract new information from the nonlinear chaotic system or elicit desirable behavior from it. The fitness of candidate models is their ability to explain behavior of the target chaotic system observed in response to tests carried out so far by predicting the future values of these data sets; the fitness of candidate test data sets is their ability to make the models disagree in their predictions. To check the performance of this algorithm, three case studies are considered. First, we apply this method to approximate a static function which has complicated behavior near zero. Then, we use this algorithm to predict two bench mark time series in chaos literature: Sunspot Number (SSN) and Mackey-Glass (MG) time series. Simulation results depict the power of proposed method in modeling and predicting complicated nonlinear systems.


This paper analyzes cooperative purchasing situations with two suppliers with limited supply capacity. In these capacity restricted cooperative purchasing (CRCP) situations we consider a group of cooperating purchasers for whom it turns out to be optimal as a group to or- der as much as possible at one supplier and the possible remainder at the other. To find suitable cost allocations of the total purchasing costs, a CRCP-situation is modeled as a cost sharing problem, in which the corresponding cost function is piecewise concave and the intervals of concavity are determined by the restricted capacity of the suppliers. It is seen that in the setting with piecewise concave cost functions, standard cost sharing mechanisms lose their axiomatic appeal, e.g. the serial cost sharing mechanism will neither satisfy unit cost monotonicity (UCM) nor monotonic vulnerability for the absence of the smallest player (MOVASP). In fact, it is shown that these two properties are incompatible now. We in- troduce a new context specific class of piecewise serial rules, in which the vector of order quantities is divided into separate vectors for the different intervals of concavity, using a bankruptcy rule and subsequently apply the serial rule to each interval. We show that the proportional rule is the only bankruptcy rule for which the corresponding piecewise serial rule satisfies UCM. Moreover, we show that the piecewise serial rule corresponding to the constrained equal losses rule satisfies MOVASP.


Objective: To find out the frequency of compliance of patients using anti-depressants prescribed at out-patient department. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the out-patient department of Institute of Psychiatry, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi from September 10, 2010 till May 10, 2011. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixteen patients aged 18 years and above, presenting with moderate depressive illness, able to understand and speak Urdu, taking treatment for at least 4 weeks and belonging to both genders were recruited from out-patient department using consecutive (non-probability) sampling technique. Patients having severe depressive illness with psychotic features and severe agitation were excluded. Antidepressant Compliance Questionnaire was translated and validated through a pilot study and then the Urdu translation was orally administered to each participant for the assessment of compliance with antidepressant medication. Results: Among the participants 74.1% were compliant and 25.9% were non-compliant with anti-depressant medications. Conclusion: This study found a high degree of patient compliance with anti-depressants. The results would help in early recognition of non-compliant patients, so that necessary changes could be made in the treatment plan to ensure better compliance.


Power delivery systems face several new challenges, including the sheer complexity that results from the introduction of new devices such as smart meters, electric and hybrid vehicles, photovoltaic arrays, and wind turbines. These challenges must be met while at the same time preserving the reliability and availability of the existing system. The grid is a ship that must be rebuilt at sea. Performance based asset management will be a powerful tool that electric utilities can use in coordination with the fundamental technologies of the Smart Grid: integrated communications, sensing and measurement, advanced control methods, and improved interfaces with decision support. While power delivery asset management concepts have been around for well over ten years, decision makers have had to settle for systems based on incomplete information and inadequate data collection systems. With the advent of the smart grid and its extensive communications infrastructure and computational capability, the asset manager will be able to determine the health and performance of specific assets as a function of system conditions. This opens up a new realm of possibility for optimizing asset management.


In connection with a supposition concerning the role of nucleases in the production of chromosome breaks in the herpes simplex virus-infected cells, the stability of DNA of the infected cultured cells was studied. It was established that the infection of cells with herpes simplex virus resulted in a partial degradation of cellular DNA of permissive and non-permissive cells. In human embryo fibroblast culture products of hydrolysis of cellular DNA may be reutilized by the synthetising virus. In cells of clone M15, in which no mature virus is produced, products of hydrolysis of DNA are revealed in acid-soluble pool. The observed degradation of DNA apparently is not associated with the cell death. It cannot be excluded that a partial degradation of DNA in the cell due to viral infection may bring about a production of visible chromosome breaks.


We present an information theoretic proof of the nonsignalling multiprover parallel repetition theorem, a recent extension of its two-prover variant that underlies many hardness of approximation results. The original proofs used de Finetti type decomposition for strategies. We present a new proof that is based on a technique we introduced recently for proving strong converse results in multiuser information theory and entails a change of measure after replacing hard information constraints with soft ones.


The introduction of multispectral imaging in pathology problems such as the identification of prostatic cancer is recent. Unlike conventional RGB color space, it allows the acquisition of a large number of spectral bands within the visible spectrum. This results in a feature vector of size greater than 100. For such a high dimensionality, pattern recognition techniques suffer from the well-known curse of dimensionality problem. The two well-known techniques to solve this problem are feature extraction and feature selection. In this paper, a novel feature selection technique using tabu search with an intermediate-term memory is proposed. The cost of a feature subset is measured by leave-one-out correct-classification rate of a nearest-neighbor (1-NN) classifier. The experiments have been carried out on the prostate cancer textured multispectral images and the results have been compared with a reported classical feature extraction technique. The results have indicated a significant boost in the performance both in terms of minimizing features and maximizing classification accuracy.


Many theoretical models have been proposed to explain the relationship between severe mental illness (SMI) and substance use. Because many of these are contradictory quantitative American studies, a qualitative, exploratory study of a Scandinavian sample may offer a new perspective. The aim of the study is to explore reasons for substance use through analysis of the participants' experiences. A qualitative study with semistructured interviews was used. Purposeful sampling (N=11) of patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and SMI, who were included in assertive community treatment teams, was completed. Inclusion criteria are increased quality of life or increased general functioning, and decreased substance use, after a minimum of 12 months in treatment. Reasons given for using substances were categorized as (a) controlling the symptoms of mental illness, (b) counteracting medication side effects, or (c) balancing the ambiguity. The conclusion is that the study findings mainly support secondary substance use models in explaining the comorbidity of SMI and substance use. However, there is some support for the traditional self-medication hypothesis (SMH), iatrogenic vulnerability, and the supersensitivity model. This may be because the majority of the study participants reported having a mental illness with subsequent substance use. The expressed ambivalence to substance use also lends some support to bidirectional models.


CASE. Jose is a 4-year-old Puerto Rican boy diagnosed with high-functioning autism. His mother, who speaks Spanish and knows little English, has brought him in to see you, his new bilingual pediatrician. She felt that Jose's former pediatrician did not provide her son with adequate treatment and services because the doctor doesn't speak my language and didn't seem to understand my culture. Jose's mother also is concerned because she believes he is in a regular, English-only mainstream classroom at school and worries that he is not receiving appropriate services in the school. Jose's mother brought copies of her son's medical records to the office visit. They reveal that Jose was born at term after an uncomplicated pregnancy. He had normal developmental milestones at all of his health supervision visits through 9 months of age. During an acute care visit for gastroenteritis when Jose was 10 months old, his mother noted that she thought Jose was suffering from empacho, which she treated with a special powder. At 12- and 18-month-old well-child visits, Jose's only words were Mama and Papa. Between 13 and 20 months of age, he had seven episodes of bilateral otitis media, which were treated with antibiotics; the last three episodes occurred with antibiotic prophylaxis. During this period, tympanometry demonstrated flat tympanic membranes bilaterally. Jose was uncooperative during two attempts at audiometry. He underwent bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement at 20 months old. The former pediatrician was not concerned about Jose's language delay because, as documented in his notes, it is expected that children who are trying to learn two languages at the same time will have more speech problems and language delay. Because of other areas of developmental delay noted on the 2-year-old well-child visit, Jose's former pediatrician referred him to the Developmental Assessment Clinic (DAC), where a severe delay in cognition (12- to 15-month-old range) and expressive and receptive language were observed, associated with appropriate social interactions. At this time, Jose's mother was not concerned about his language development, but was worried that he still was not toilet trained. He was referred to an early intervention program, where he received weekly speech therapy (in English), occupational therapy, and applied behavioral analysis. At the follow-up DAC visit at 3 years of age, Jose demonstrated marked delays in all areas on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, and mild deficits were seen on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. He was able to indicate yes and no with gestures only, and he understood fewer than 10 words. His mother reported that at times he would not use words for hours at home, and she felt that he was actually losing some of the improvements in speech that he had previously made. His diagnosis was now global developmental delay with possible autistic spectrum disorder. Subsequent evaluations were negative, including a neurological assessment and genetics consultation, an MRI of the brain, a Fragile X DNA molecular probe, and high resolution chromosome analysis. Jose is now attending an early childhood special education classroom, but the program is held only in English. Jose's mother told the pediatrician that she is worried because his speech therapy is in English, and she was told that there are no school programs for special-needs children in Spanish. She is also worried because he rarely makes eye contact with her or anyone else, and he often screams or bangs his head when frustrated. As Jose's new pediatrician, four major issues confront you. (1) How can you provide the most culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate pediatric care to this family, both in your office and in his specialist visits? (2) How can you arrange for appropriate bilingual treatment and services at Jose's school? (3) Are children raised in bilingual environments at higher risk for language


Between July 30 and August 09, 2012, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from Estero Bay, San Luis Obispo, California, under PCMSC Field Activity ID S-05-12-SC. The survey was conducted using the R/V Parke Snavely outfitted with a multibeam sonar system for swath mapping and inertially-aided real-time kinematic navigation equipment for accurate georeferencing. This report provides these data in a number of different formats, as well as a summary of the mapping mission, maps of bathymetry and backscatter, and Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.


The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions attendees have of Professional Development meetings. In addition, attendees were asked to state their preferences for PD follow-up. Data were analyzed in terms of attendee assignment, and career stage (based on Huberman, 1989).Results indicated that both assignment and career stage were not significantly related to perception. Follow-up preferences were varied, indicating individual needs.This information is important for PD providers, who must be kept accountable to attendees for relevant information.


This research aim to determine the effect of brand equity to decision of purchasing and the effect of price, product quality, and brand equity to decision of buying. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. In this research the sample amounted to 100 respondent with characteristic that consumer of Waroeng Makan "Spesial Sambal" that have bought minimal twice in six month late, able and want to be interviewed. Data was analyzed with validity and  reliability, the coefficient of determination test, and test of significance with the t test and F test with program SPSS version 16.0 for windows. The result of research showed that there is a positive effect and significant between price and decision of purchasing amount 12,8%. Product quality have a positive effect and significant to decision of purchasing amount 8%. Brand equity have a positive effect and significant to decision of purchasing amount 33,5%.


This study describes the human resources management along several dimensions, based on administrative data (DADS and tax data): wage schedule both in terms of level but also dispersion, stability of the workforce, proportion of different qualifications and age, share of subsidized jobs ... A typology of these companies is available from these dimensions. Then we compare these wage structures with the performance. We observe that the most productive firms are also those who pay the highest wages, even after taking into account their specific characteristics (size, sector) and those of their employees. The link between wage dispersion and the productivity is more difficult to characterize: the estimate parameters are very sensitive to the empirical specification.


In this paper, the algorithms for calculating the eigenvalues, the eigenvectors, and the singular value decompositions (SVD) of a reduced biquaternion (RB) matrix are developed. We use the SVD to approximate an RB matrix in the least square sense and define the pseudoinverse matrix of an RB matrix. Moreover, the RB SVD is employed to implement the SVD of a color image. The computational complexity for the SVD of an RB matrix is only one-fourth of that for the SVD of conventional quaternion matrices. Therefore, many useful image-processing methods using the SVD can be extended to a color image without separating the color image into three channels. The numbers of the eigenvalues of an n times n RB matrix, the nth roots of an RB, and the zeros of an RB polynomial with degree n are all finite and equal to n2 , not infinite as those of conventional quaternions.


The design of the present study enabled the authors to distinguish between the possible effects of movement displacement and trajectory length on the pattern of final positions of planar reaching movements. With their eyes closed, 9 subjects performed series of fast and accurate movements from different initial positions to the same target. For some series, the movements were unconstrained and were therefore performed along an approximately straight vertical line. For other series, an obstacle was positioned so that trajectory length was increased because of an increase in movement curvature. Ellipses of variability obtained by means of principal component analysis applied to the scatter of movement final positions enabled the authors to assess the pattern of movement variable errors. The results showed that the orientation of the ellipses was not affected by movement displacement or by trajectory length, whereas variable errors increased with movement displacement. An increase in trajectory length as a consequence of increased curvature caused no change in variable error. From the perspective of current motor control theory, that finding was quite unexpected. Further studies are required so that one can distinguish among the possible effects of various kinematics, kinetics, and other variables that could affect the pattern of variable errors of reaching movements.


Abstract In Finance and Actuarial Science, the multivariate elliptical family of distributions is a famous and well-used model for continuous risks. However, it has an essential shortcoming: all its univariate marginal distributions are the same, up to location and scale transformations. For example, all marginals of the multivariate Student's t-distribution, an important member of the elliptical family, have the same number of degrees of freedom. We introduce a new approach to generate a multivariate distribution whose marginals are elliptical random variables, while in general, each of the risks has different elliptical distribution, which is important when dealing with insurance and financial data. The proposal is an alternative to the elliptical copula distribution where, in many cases, it is very difficult to calculate its risk measures and risk capital allocation. We study the main characteristics of the proposed model: characteristic and density functions, expectations, covariance matrices and expectation of the linear regression vector. We calculate important risk measures for the introduced distributions, such as the value at risk and tail value at risk, and the risk capital allocation of the aggregated risks.


Objectives To test whether older drug users (aged 40 and over) could be recruited to an exercise referral (ER) scheme, to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability and measure the impact of participation on health. Design Observational pilot. Setting Liverpool, UK. Participants (1) 12 men and 5 women recruited to ER. (2) 7 specialist gym instructors. Outcome measures Logistic feasibility and acceptability of ER and associated research, rate of recruitment, level of participation over 8 weeks and changes in health. Results 22 gym inductions were arranged (recruitment time: 5 weeks), 17 inductions were completed and 14 participants began exercising. Attendance at the gym fluctuated with people missing weeks then re-engaging; in week 8, seven participants were in contact with the project and five of these attended the gym. Illness and caring responsibilities affected participation. Participants and gym instructors found the intervention and associated research processes acceptable. In general, participants enjoyed exercising and felt fitter, but would have welcomed more support and the offer of a wider range of activities. Non-significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate and improvements in metabolic equivalents (METs; a measure of fitness) and general well-being were observed for eight participants who completed baseline and follow-up assessments. The number of weeks of gym attendance was significantly associated with a positive change in METs. Conclusions It is feasible to recruit older drug users into a gym-based ER scheme, but multiple health and social challenges affect their ability to participate regularly. The observed changes in health measures, particularly the association between improvements in METs and attendance, suggest further investigation of ER for older drug users is worthwhile. Measures to improve the intervention and its evaluation include: better screening, refined inclusion/exclusion criteria, broader monitoring of physical activity levels, closer tailored support, more flexible exercise options and the use of incentives.


This research tends to highlight the symbolic and philosophic values of Purwo shadow puppets. Most of the study themes though emphasize its exhibition. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the process of ongoing cultural art value of carving decoration in Wonogiri, in an effort to preserve the presence of Purwo shadow puppets. This case study was conducted in Kepuhsari village, Manyaran, Wonogiri, a village considered as the Purwo shadow puppets center long since generations before until now. This research uses a qualitative approach based a fixed distinct strategy. Data were collected through open interviews, observations and analysis of the documents/record contents. Then, they were analyzed using an interactive model starting from its collection, reduction process, then presentation and verification cycle. The results showed that the art value of carving decoration of Purwo shadow puppet in Wonogiri remains indelible and continues to exist until today since it has harmoniously been nurtured / cultured in a continuous way, whether in formal or non-formal education. Informal education implies learning activities undertaken at the master"s, who is very knowledgeable in carving decoration, which tends to be social and freely performed at his home. Whereas formal ones, regarding civilizing value of carving decoration, take place at schools, where its materials are technically integrated at local culture programs and extra-curricular activities which are contracted in a planned but scheduled as well as cultivated by appointed instructors.


Although a growing number of innovations have emerged in the fields of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine, new engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with novel physicochemical properties are posing novel challenges to understand the full spectrum of interactions at the nano-bio interface. Because these could include potentially hazardous interactions, researchers need a comprehensive understanding of toxicological properties of nanomaterials and their safer design. In depth research is needed to understand how nanomaterial properties influence bioavailability, transport, fate, cellular uptake, and catalysis of injurious biological responses. Toxicity of ENMs differ with their size and surface properties, and those connections hold true across a spectrum of in vitro to in vivo nano-bio interfaces. In addition, the in vitro results provide a basis for modeling the biokinetics and in vivo behavior of ENMs. Nonetheless, we must use caution in interpreting in vitro toxicity results too literally because of dosimetry differences between in vitro and in vivo systems as well the increased complexity of an in vivo environment. In this Account, we describe the impact of ENM physicochemical properties on cellular bioprocessing based on the research performed in our groups. Organic, inorganic, and hybrid ENMs can be produced in various sizes, shapes and surface modifications and a range of tunable compositions that can be dynamically modified under different biological and environmental conditions. Accordingly, we cover how ENM chemical properties such as hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, material composition, surface functionalization and charge, dispersal state, and adsorption of proteins on the surface determine ENM cellular uptake, intracellular biotransformation, and bioelimination versus bioaccumulation. We review how physical properties such as size, aspect ratio, and surface area of ENMs influence the interactions of these materials with biological systems, thereby affecting their hazard potential. We discuss our actual experimental findings and show how these properties can be tuned to control the uptake, biotransformation, fate, and hazard of ENMs. This Account provides specific information about ENM biological behavior and safety issues. This research also assists the development of safer nanotherapeutics and guides the design of new materials that can execute novel functions at the nano-bio interface.


In the past thirty years, Sub-Saharan African countries have made remarkable improvements in health conditions and status. However, they still suffer from some of the worst health problems in the world, and AIDS is making conditions much worse than they will be otherwise. This study, health expenditures, services, and outcomes in Africa considers 48 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and outlines broad patterns of health spending, service delivery, mortality, fertility and nutrition in the early to mid-1990s. The study focuses on how to better monitor progress and use information to identify problems and improve health outcomes within and among different African countries. Good information about inputs, processes and results in the health sector is vital for policymakers to make intelligent choices about health strategies and investments, and often is simply not available. For purposes of the study, countries were classified as lowest-income, low-income and middle-income categories. Over three quarters of the African countries are low income or even lowest income countries, and nearly all have weak health management systems.


Objective: Advancements in technology (insulin pumps, CGMs) for youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) hold promise for better outcomes, but multiple barriers to access exist, especially for underserved and underrepresented populations. Novel Interventions in Children's Healthcare (NICH), was designed to improve health for youth with T1D and social vulnerabilities. NICH is associated with improvements in glycemic control and reductions in complications (DKA), but less is known regarding technology access for participating youth. This study aims to 1) identify prevalence of technology use prior to and after NICH initiation and 2) examine the relationship between technology access and NICH outcomes. Methods: Youth with T1D served by NICH (n=65) across three distinct geographical sites were included. EHR review included T1D complications (DKA), HbA1c values, and presence of T1D technology one year prior and two years following initiation of NICH services. Mean age was 15.0 years (SD=3.5); 52% female; 73% non-Hispanic White. Results: Ten percent of youth had access to technology prior to NICH (pump=8%; CGM=2%), and 22% had access to technology 2 years post NICH initiation (pump=17%; CGM=14%). Youth were significantly more likely to gain access to CGMs (p Conclusion: With rates of access hovering around 40% for CGMs and 50% for pumps, this study demonstrates that 1) youth referred to NICH experience substantial barriers to accessing T1D technology, 2) NICH participation is associated with increased access to T1D technology for socially vulnerable youth, and 3) despite program involvement, technology access inequities persist. Disclosure J. Lely: None. M. A. Harris: None. D. Naranjo: None. C. Jenisch: None. W. C. Cadiz: None. R. Bensen: None. J. Viana: None. D. V. Wagner: None. Funding The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust; BUILD EXITO Foundation; Central Oregon Health Council


The present research work approaches the accumulation of fluoride ions from contaminated water using an aquatic plant Monochoria hastate L. in hydroponic culture. A design of experiment (DOE) has been adopted and an analysis of variance has been conducted to establish the statistical significance of various process parameters. The different experimental factors are root and shoot (Factor A), fluoride concentration (Factor B), and experimental days (Factor C) largely influence the output response. Plants treated with 5 mg/L of fluoride solutions accumulated the highest concentration in root biomass 1.23 mg/gm, and shoot biomass 0.820 mg/gm, dry weight after 21 days' experimentation. The accumulation mechanism and potentiality of treated plants depend on root cells of the plasma membrane and energy-capturing molecules of adenosine triphosphate. Monochoria hastate L. root biomass was characterized to confirm the accumulation of fluoride ions in the experimented plants using scanning electron micrographs-energy dispersive spectrum (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transforms infrared analysis (FTIR) analysis.


This study contributes to the growing literature on the politicisation of European integration in EU member states, and the United Kingdom in particular. Existing studies have shown that political identities are closely related to the levels of support held by citizens for European integration, and that citizen opposition to the EU is mobilised by political parties who activate the tension between identity and jurisdictional reforms. This study argues that existing theories of integration do not adequately acknowledge the role of the media in national debates about European integration, in light of the media's role as the main source of information on the EU for citizens. It builds upon Liesbet Hooghe and Gary Marks' (2009) postfunctionalist theory of European integration, to examine the process by which European integration is politicised in member states, and argues that the media should be theorised as a substantive actor in this process. It presents a new model – Media Augmented Postfunctionalism – that conceptualises the politicisation process and the role of the mass media within it. A discourse analysis of nine UK national daily newspapers and of political party discourses is deployed alongside a quantitative analysis of media positions to explore the linkages between the press, party discourses, and public opinion in the UK between 1997 and 2010.
The thesis presents evidence to suggest that the structure of newspaper positions on European integration is similar to that of parties. It goes on to explore the content and character of newspaper discourses, and shows that there is a strong association between the position of newspapers on the 'new politics' dimension and their discursive construction of the EU: those newspapers that have a strongly traditional-authoritarian- nationalist position are more likely to oppose European integration. It demonstrates that while there is a strong and cohesive anti-European discourse in the UK press, there is not a corresponding coherent pro-European discourse. This thesis finally shows that newspapers play an important role in mediating party discourses and that they substantively (re-)frame public debates on European integration, determining their character. These findings suggest that the mass media can alter the outcomes of the politicisation and contestation of the EU in member states.


Smart scheduling in the dental office can help staff use their time and resources more efficiently and increase the practice's profitability. Communication among staff members is key to achieving this goal.


Objective The reasons that doctors may refuse or be reluctant to treat have not been widely explored in the medical literature. To understand the ethical implications of reluctance to treat there is a need to recognise the constraints of doctors working in complex systems and to consider how these constraints may influence reluctance. The aim of this paper is to illustrate these constraints using the case of compensable injury in the Australian context. Design Between September and December 2012, a qualitative investigation involving face-to-face semistructured interviews examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners (GPs) facilitating return to work in people with compensable injuries. Setting Compensable injury management in general practice in Melbourne, Australia. Participants 25 GPs who were treating, or had treated a patient with compensable injury. Results The practice of clinicians refusing treatment was described by all participants. While most GPs reported refusal to treat among their colleagues in primary and specialist care, many participants also described their own reluctance to treat people with compensable injuries. Reasons offered included time and financial burdens, in addition to the clinical complexities involved in compensable injury management. Conclusions In the case of compensable injury management, reluctance and refusal to treat is likely to have a domino effect by increasing the time and financial burden of clinically complex patients on the remaining clinicians. This may present a significant challenge to an effective, sustainable compensation system. Urgent research is needed to understand the extent and implications of reluctance and refusal to treat and to identify strategies to engage clinicians in treating people with compensable injuries.


Lithium abundances are presented for 91 dwarf and subgiant stars in the Galactic bulge. The analysis is based on line synthesis of the 7Li line at 6707 Å in high-resolution spectra obtained during gravitational microlensing events, when the brightnesses of the targets were highly magnified. Our main finding is that bulge stars at sub-solar metallicities that are older than about eight billion years do not show any sign of Li production; that is, the Li trend with metallicity is flat or even slightly declining. This indicates that no lithium was produced during the first few billion years in the history of the bulge. This finding is essentially identical to what is seen for the (old) thick disk stars in the solar neighbourhood, and adds another piece of evidence for a tight connection between the metal-poor bulge and the Galactic thick disk. For the bulge stars younger than about eight billion years, the sample contains a group of stars at very high metallicities at [Fe/H] ≈ +0.4 that have lithium abundances in the range A(Li) = 2.6 − 2.8. In the solar neighbourhood the lithium abundances have been found to peak at A(Li) ≈ 3.3 at [Fe/H] ≈ +0.1 and then decrease by 0.4–0.5 dex when reaching [Fe/H] ≈ +0.4. The few bulge stars that we have at these metallicities seem to support this declining A(Li) trend. This could indeed support the recent claim that the low A(Li) abundances at the highest metallicities seen in the solar neighbourhood could be due to stars from the inner disk, or the bulge region, that have migrated to the solar neighbourhood.


Notable among the biological changes of the middle part of the Maastrichtian Age was a major pulse of extinction among inoceramid bivalves. Analysis of the distribution of inoceramid shell fragments suggests that the population of burrowing organisms increased across the same stratigraphic interval that the bivalve population decreased. A global reorganization of ocean circulation that resulted in cooler, better oxygenated bottom waters is proposed as an explanation for the observed changes in the deep sea. Other observations regarding the mid-Maastrichtian are consistent with this hypothesis.


physical illness (p<001) were independently associated with mortality, but the effect ofdementia was no longer significant. It thus seems that, at least as far as acute mortality in the ill elderly is concerned, delirium has an independent predictive effect, but the increased mortality in demented subjects is secondary to their physical morbidity. We are currently performing follow up ofour cohort at one year to assess the independent predictive value of delirium and dementia on longer term mortality and change in dependency level. It is clearly important in community studies as well as in hospital based studies to differentiate between the major causes of cognitive impairment in the elderly and to establish the independence of any increase in relative risk of death.


Eager to grow through innovation, companies are looking to customers to guide them toward unmet needs. But these entities often end up with vague, unusable ? or even misleading ? customer input. Why?

The authors studied 10,000 customer need statements from many industries and discovered that companies have not even established a definition of what a customer need is or how user input should be standardized in terms of structure and format. Too often, companies ask customers to react to potential solutions, rather than zeroing in on their expertise: the ?job? they need to accomplish with the product or service, and at which steps that experience could use improvement. By deconstructing the job, companies can identify opportunities that are universal and long-standing.

In addition, the authors say, companies can collect data that fits their innovation strategy. What the authors propose is a disciplined process for gathering customer requirements that will then be addressed by innovative ideas. They outline the six characteristics that a useful customer statement must possess, including measuring value strictly from a user?s perspective ? and not from the factors the company believes should form the basis for the customer?s evaluation. The most helpful statements also prompt a clear course of action, specifying what dimensions of the ?job? need improvement, such as its sluggish pace or inconsistent quality.

The authors set forth six rules for eliciting feedback that will yield the right raw data to craft customer statements that resonate across company functions, so that departments can unite around a single growth strategy.

Finally, they define the two broad categories of customer requirements ? job statements and desired-outcome statements ? and link which type works best for different innovation strategies.

For CEOs, the authors? message is forthright: Successful innovation is about process, not just the result of brainstorming good ideas.


Recently, e-cigarette usage has been increasing rapidly. Previous research has found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are correlated to cigarette usage. However, there is limited data exploring if ACEs affect vaping. Therefore, in this work, we investigated the effects of ACEs on e-cigarette usage. More specifically, we investigated the effects of different types of ACEs, as well as education on vaping risks and exposure to vaping in the household on the likelihood of e-cigarette usage. We hypothesized that witnessing vaping in the household and facing ACEs such as loss of a parent and violence or substance abuse in the household or neighborhood would independently increase e-cigarette usage, and an education on the dangers of vaping would decrease e-cigarette usage. Seventy-four participants of all genders, ages 18–30, from the USA completed a nine question survey. Participants answered questions about basic background information, ACEs, and vaping habits. We found that 92.00% of respondents who never faced an ACE have never used an e-cigarette. 93.33% of respondents who have never been exposed to vaping in the household also have never used an e-cigarette. 61.92% of respondents who have been educated on the dangers of vaping never used e-cigarettes. Our results indicate that being educated on the dangers of vaping had no effect on e-cigarette usage. Experiencing ACEs or witnessing use of e-cigarettes in the household was associated with an increased use of e-cigarettes. As hypothesized, we found that different types of ACEs had different correlations with e-cigarette usage. Further research is recommended to determine the significance of the type of ACE in terms of e-cigarette usage risk.


This study aims to examine, in the context of North Eastern England, two types of retailing, distinct in their methods of organisation and scale of operations - multiple retailing and small-scale independent retailing. They are viewed primarily with regard to the functional relationships which they have with other parts of the distributive system, as expressed in the concept of channels of distribution. The basic difference in channel usage can be described in terms of the nature of the retailer's suppliers. The multiple retailers with branches in the region has been found to deal direct with the manufacturer/ primary producer for the vast majority of his goods, whilst the wholesaler plays a dominant part in the channel serving the small independent retailer. The essential reason behind such differences is to be found in the contrasting scales of retailing, which in turn are seen to be the result of various factors, including the nature of the products sold, the past retailing structure and the scale of other components of the distributive system. Thus the study is primarily concerned with the processes which link the retailer to the general system of distribution for consumer goods, and not with the spatial aspects of retailing nor with the relationships between that activity and the domestic consumer. The structure of retailing in the region is described according to main trade types, but the channel concept is applied also to specific products.\


: According to nuclear size, fibroblast-like cells adjacent to bone surfaces in the periodontal ligament (PDL) and tibial primary spongiosa (PS) were classified as less differentiated progenitors and committed osteoprogenitors (A/A'), nonosteogenic cells (B), or preosteoblasts (C/D). The ratio of A/A' to C/D cells reflects osteogenic status of bone lining tissue. When 83-day-old rats were subjected to simulated weightlessness (S-W) for 17 d and examined for changes in osteoblast histogenesis, PDL and PS cell populations increased in A/A' cells (p less than 0.01; less than 0.05) but decreased in C/D cells (p less than 0.01; less than 0.05) compared to controls. These data indicate that the nuclear volume method, originally developed in PDL, can also be used to assess osteoblast histogenesis in PS of long bones, and that simulated weightlessness in the present experimental context interferes with osteoblast histogenesis. Since the surfaces of both weightbearing (PS) and nonweightbearing (PDL) bones were affected, systemic factors appear important in the gravity-related mechanism of osteoblast histogenesis. Although unloading of the tibia and cephalad fluid shifts occur during S-W, the data attained in this experiment could also be explained by stress and/or cessation of growth in the S-W rats.


Parallel and monolithic three-dimensional (3-D) integration directions realize 3-D integrated circuits (ICs) by utilizing layer-by-layer implementations, with each functional layer being composed in 2-D. In contrast, vertically composed 3-D CMOS has eluded us likely due to the seemingly insurmountable requirement of highly customized complex routing and regional 3-D doping to form and connect CMOS pull-up and pull-down networks in 3-D. In the current layer-by-layer directions, routing can be worse than 2D CMOS because of the limited pin access. In this paper, we propose Skybridge-3D-CMOS (S3DC), an IC fabric that shows for the first time a pathway to achieve fine-grained static CMOS circuit implementations using the vertical direction while also solving 3-D routability. It employs a new fabric assembly scheme based on predoped vertical nanowire bundles. It implements circuits in and across nanowires. It utilizes unique connectivity features to achieve CMOS connectivity in 3-D with excellent routability. As compared to the usually severely congested monolithic 3-D implementations, S3DC eliminates the routing congestions in all benchmarks studied. Further results, for the implemented benchmarks, show 56–77% reductions in power consumption, 4X–90X increases in density, and 20% loss to 9% benefit in best operating frequencies compared with the transistor-level monolithic 3-D technology.


Paracetamol and piroxicam are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), widely used in pain and inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of biofield treatment on spectral properties of paracetamol and piroxicam. The study was performed in two groups (control and treatment) of each drug. The control groups remained as untreated, and biofield treatment was given to treatment groups. Subsequently, spectral properties of both drugs before and after biofield treatment were characterized using FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. FT-IR data of paracetamol showed N-H amide II bending peak in biofield treated paracetamol, which was shifted to lower wavenumber (1565 to 1555 cm-1) as compared to control. Further, the intensity of vibrational peaks in the range of 1171-965 cm -1 (C-O and C-N stretching) were increased in treated sample of paracetamol as compared to control. Similarly, the FT-IR data of piroxicam (treated) showed increased intensity of vibrational peaks at 1628 (amide C=O stretching), 1576-1560 cm -1 (C=C stretching) with respect to control peaks. Furthermore, vibrational peak of C=N stretching (1467 cm -1 ) was observed in biofield treated piroxicam. This peak was not observed in control sample, possibly due to its low intensity. Based on FT-IR data, it is speculated that bond length and dipole moment of some bonds like N-H (amide), C-O, and C-N in paracetamol and C=O (amide), C=N, and C=C in piroxicam might be changed due to biofield treatment. The UV spectrum of biofield treated paracetamol showed the shifting in wavelength of UV absorption as 243→248.2 nm and 200→203.4 nm as compared to control. Likely, the lambda max (λ max ) of treated piroxicam was also shifted as 328 →345.6 nm, 241→252.2 nm, and 205.2→203.2 nm as compared to control. Overall results showed an impact of biofield treatment on the spectral properties of paracetamol and piroxicam.


We investigate propagation of light pulses in photonic crystals in the vicinity of the zero-diffraction point. We show that Gaussian pulses due to nonzero width of their spectrum spread weakly in space and time during the propagation. We also find the family of nonspreading pulses, propagating invariantly in the vicinity of the zero diffraction point of photonic crystals.


This paper presents a switched-capacitor Sigma-Delta modulator designed in 90-nm CMOS technology, operating at 1.2-V supply voltage. The modulator targets healthcare and medical diagnostic applications where the readout of small-bandwidth signals is required. The design of the proposed A/D converter was optimized to achieve the minimum power consumption and area. A remarkable performance improvement is obtained through the integration of a low-noise amplifier with modified Miller compensation and rail-to-rail output stage. The manuscript also presents a set of design equations, from the small-signal analysis of the amplifier, for an easy design of the modulator in different technology nodes. The Sigma-Delta converter achieves a measured 96-dB dynamic range, over a 250-Hz signal bandwidth, with an oversampling ratio of 500. The power consumption is $30~\mu \text{W}$ , with a silicon area of 0.39 mm2.


When the normal microbiota-host interactions are altered, the commensal microbial community evolves to a dysbiotic status resulting in some species becoming pathogenic and acting synergistically in the development of local and systemic diseases, including cancer. Advances in genetics, immunology and microbiology during the last years have made it possible to gather information on the oral and gastrointestinal microbiome and its interaction with the host, which has led to a better understanding of the interrelationship between microbiota and cancer. There is growing evidence in support for the role of some species in the development, progression and responses to treatment of various types of cancer. Accordingly, the number of studies investigating the association between oral microbiota and oral and gastrointestinal cancers has increased significantly during the last years. Here, we review the literature documenting associations of oral microbiota with oral and gastroenteric cancers.


Sheila C Vir, MSc, PhD, is a senior nutrition consultant and Director of Public Health Nutrition and Development Centre, New Delhi. Following MSc (Food and Nutrition) from University of Delhi, Dr Vir was awarded PhD by the Queen's University of Belfast, United Kingdom. Dr. Vir, a past secretary of the Nutrition Society of India, is a recipient of the fellowship of the Department of Health and Social Services, UK, and Commonwealth Van den Bergh Nutrition Award.Dr Vir worked briefly with the Aga Khan Foundation (India) and later with UNICEF. As a Nutrition Programme Officer with UNICEF for twenty years, Dr. Vir provided strategic and technical leadership for policy formulation and implementation of nutrition programmes in India.


One of the responses to the attacks upon the contemporary university, particularly upon the humanities, has been to encourage faculty to engage in so-called 'public intellectualism.' In this paper I urge (some) philosophers to embrace this turn, but only if the academy can effectively address how to credit such work in the tenure and promotion process. Currently, public philosophy is typically placed under 'service', even though the work is often more intellectually and philosophically rigorous than committee work, even sometimes more than publications. I address this problem by providing an analysis of what is academically valuable about good scholarship and then showing how much of public philosophy achieves those goods. From this I argue that the academy should abandon the traditional categories of teaching/research/service and replace them with a holistic and qualitative single category of "teacher-scholar." I then recommend that evaluation criteria should be very inclusive, giving credit to the wide range of activities in which faculty participate and I provide some suggestions for how those criteria should read.


Due to the rise of music streaming platforms, huge collections of music are now available to users on various devices. Within these collections, users aim to find and explore songs based on certain criteria reflecting their current and context-specific preferences. Currently, users are limited to either using search facilities or relying on recommender systems that suggest suitable tracks or artists. Using search facilities requires the user to have some idea about the targeted music and to formulate a query that accurately describes this music, whereas recommender systems are traditionally geared towards long-term shifts of user preferences in contrast to ad-hoc and interactive preference elicitation. To bridge this gap, we propose geMsearch, an approach for personalized, explorative music search based on graph embedding techniques. As the ecosystem of a music collection can be represented as a heterogeneous graph containing nodes describing e.g., tracks, artists, genres or users, we employ graph embedding techniques to learn lowdimensional vector representations for all nodes within the graph. This allows for efficient approximate querying of the collection and, more importantly, for employing visualization strategies that allow the user to explore the music collection in a 3D-space. ACM Classification


Objective: The study was carried out to assess the dental caries pattern of first and second permanent molars and treatment needs among adolescent Nigerians in Lagos.
Method: Examinations for dental caries and treatment needs in accordance with the criteria of the World Health Organization Basic Methods for oral health surveys were carried out among six hundred 11-16 year-old urban Nigerians (307 boys and 293 girls) from six schools in Lagos.
Results: A low caries prevalence rate and severity was found in this study. Only 421(2.5%) teeth were carious in 143(23.8%) subjects. First permanent molars had the highest caries prevalence rate (9.3%), followed by second permanent molars (7.8%), while premolars (0.13%), incisors (0.08%) and canines (0%) had the lowest rates. Pit and fissure caries on occlusal surfaces was the most prevalent lesion as evidenced by the fact that one-surface filling was the commonest restoration need among the subjects. Caries prevalence rate was higher in the lower jaw than upper jaw but similar on left and right sides of each jaw.
Conclusion: There was a higher caries prevalence rate in the first permanent molars compared to the second permanent molars in this study contrary to previous Nigerian studies. This suggests a change in lifestyle and diet towards consumption of sugars at an earlier age when these teeth are still very susceptible to caries.
 Keywords : Caries pattern, permanent molars, urban adolescents Nigerian Dental Journal Vol. 15 (2) 2007: pp. 78-82


Summary: We report the findings in a patient with a midbasilar artery stenosis in whom reversible ischemic neurologic deficits developed during cerebral blood flow imaging with acetazolamide challenge. The potential for ischemic complications from acet-azolamide challenge is discussed.


The phenomenon of springback of thin-walled sheet metal parts after forming is a well known problem of forming technology in general, but particularly since the finite element simulation offers the opportunity to predict geometrical and material properties after forming. Irrespective of the intensive efforts in the previous years, a reliable and accurate prediction of springback deviations by use of the finite element simulation is still not possible. This paper deals with the numerical and experimental analysis of the springback effect itself, which dependents on the final stress states of a part after the forming process. Experimental investigations have been carried out to analyze geometrical accuracy in loaded and unloaded conditions to isolate the springback effect. Additional finite element simulations have been conducted in order to compare the experimental and numerical results and to determine the geometrical differences and their reasons. Two experimental set-ups are being discussed: Air bending on the one hand, which offers good access to the specimen in the testing equipment, and draw bending on the other hand, which is characterized by a simple strain state, but also by strain reversal within the tests. Both experiments were carried out using DP600 and X5CrNi18.10 with three different sheet thicknesses and bend radii and were compared with according FE-models. An additional shear test experiment has been developed to characterize the material behavior of the tested sheet metals for strain reversal. Furthermore, the importance of the Bauschinger effect and usable hardening models were analyzed. This study intended to investigate reasons for insufficient form and dimensional accuracy between simulations and experiments after springback and to propose modeling methods to improve the accuracy.


The authors present two methods for optimizing the topology of given power/ground networks on VLSI chips. The cycle-reduction-method removes cycles and root paths (paths between two pads) in a general power/ground graph. The node-reduction-method removes branching nodes (nodes incident to more than two branches) in a power/ground tree. Both methods yield a reduction of the power/ground routing area and do not degrade the reliability of the power/ground network. Small examples to explain the procedures are included and experimental results for benchmark circuits are presented.<<ETX>>


A population assessment of the western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was conducted using photoidentification data collected off Sakhalin Island under the joint Russia-U.S. programme from 1994 to 2006. This is an update of the assessments by Reeves et al (2005) and Cooke et al. (2006) which used data up to 2003 and 2005 respectively, fitted to the same, individually-based population model. New median estimates of key population parameters (with 90% Bayesian confidence intervals) are 0.982 (0.972 0.991) for the noncalf annual survival rate; 0.76 (0.66 0.85) for the survival rate from calf to yearling; 2.9% per annum (1.9% – 4.0%) for the average annual rate of population increase over 1994-2006; 0.45 (0.37 0.52) for the female sex ratio and 121 whales (112 130) for the 1+ (non-calf) population size in 2007. The updated assessment is more optimistic than the Reeves et al (2005) mainly because of the reduced calving intervals observed in recent years, implying a higher reproductive rate. The modal calving interval has shortened from 3 years up to 2002 to 2 years post-2002. This is consistent with reduced disturbance from industrial activity during 200204. Forward projections of the population model to 2050, assuming no additional mortality or disturbance to reproduction, indicate a high probability (>99%) of population increase. Four whales (all female) have been killed in fishing nets on the Pacific coast of Japan during the past 24 months. Projections of the female population incorporating this level of extra mortality indicate a high (>25%) probability of population decline and a substantial (>10%) risk of extirpation by 2050. It is important to avoid any further human-caused deaths in this depleted population.


Two-photon absorption occurring in photoreceptors of human eye is responsible for perception of pulsed infrared laser beams. Color of perceived light corresponds to about half of wavelength of stimulating beam. This recently discovered phenomenon is called two-photon vision. However it is yet not clear how such phenomena could impact an ophthalmic diagnosis and therefore further studies are required. In this paper we present the system that enables future psychophysical experiments to extend knowledge about two-photon vision and its diagnostic value by identifying differences between two-photon and single-photon vision. Full Text: PDF ReferencesD. A. Atchison, G. Smith, Optics of the human eye (Butterworth-Heinemann 2000) CrossRef G. Palczewska et al. "Human infrared vision is triggered by two-photon chromophore isomerization", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, 1428 (2014). CrossRef P. Artal, S. Manzanera, K. Komar, A. Gambín-Regadera, M. Wojtkowski, "Visual acuity in two-photon infrared vision", Optica 4, 1488 (2017). CrossRef K. Komar et al. "Posterior Eye Shape Measurement With Retinal OCT Compared to MRI", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 57, 196 (2016). CrossRef K. Komar et al. "Two-photon visual sensitivity of human cones - a psychophysical study", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 59, 4049 (2018). DirectLink S. A. Burns,R.H. Webb, Handbook of optics 28 (New York, McGraw Hill 1994) DirectLink R. W. Nygaard, T. E. Frumkes, "Calibration of the retinal illuminance provided by maxwellian views", Vision Research (1982) CrossRef P. Melillo et al. "Pupillometric analysis for assessment of gene therapy in Leber Congenital Amaurosis patients", Biomedical engineering online 11, 40 (2012) CrossRef P. A. Stanley, A. K. Davies, "The effect of field of view size on steady-state pupil diameter", Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 15, 601 (1995) CrossRef S. Mathôt, "Pupil mimicry is the result of brightness perception of the iris and pupil" Journal of Cognition 1 (2018) CrossRef M. M. Thomas, T. D. Lamb, "Light adaptation and dark adaptation of human rod photoreceptors measured from the a‐wave of the electroretinogram", The Journal of physiology 518, 479 (1999) CrossRef


SUMMARY The base temperature and thermal time for different development stages of spring wheat cultivars were calculated using a linear relation between the rate of development and the mean temperature. The results show that germination, emergence, tillering and leaf elongation (the vegetative phase) have a base temperature around 2°C but the elongation of the culm and the reproductive phase (tillering-maturity) have a base temperature over 6°C. A general model to describe the time to maturity of spring wheats, which takes account of these different phases, is proposed.


Recent divergence in analysing the magnetization processes in isolated particles between analytical micromagnetics and numerical micromagnetics has focused on whether it is necessary to use nucleation theory in the analysis. Complete saturation is the necessary condition for using nucleation theory. A ferromagnetic elliptical particle can be uniformly magnetized in a large field. As the field decreases, there exists a nucleation field at which the magnetization deviates from uniform magnetization. On the contrary, a ferromagnetic cube can never be saturatedly magnetized in any finite homogeneous field. It is difficult to apply the theory of a nucleation field of an elliptical particle to a cubic particle. One practical way to discuss the 'nucleation' in a cubic particle is to supervise the magnetization changes from a positive quasisaturation state to a negative quasisaturation state, and find what kind of reversal modes appear. In this paper, a three-dimensional micromagnetics model is implemented to analyse the magnetization reversal processes in cubic particles at a field (1.1 × 106 Oe) where the quasisaturation is well developed in a cubic particle. The sizes of particles vary from 400–1000 Å. A fine mesh with 10 × 10 × 10 and a small decreasing step of applied field 10 Oe are used in the calculations. The 'nucleation' in a cubic particle starts from the quasiquantization state (flower state). For a particle whose size is smaller than 1000 Å, the equilibrium magnetization states during magnetization reversal processes are a flower state and an anti-flower state, and a coherent rotation happens when the magnetization state changes from a flower state to an anti-flower state. For a larger particle with a size of 1000 Å, there exist rather complicated equilibrium magnetization states i.e. a flower state, anticlockwise vortex state, intermediate state, clockwise vortex state, and anti-flower state all appear during the reversal processes.


This thesis seeks to consider Thai students and their reasons for choosing to study in United Kingdom universities. The numbers of overseas students studying at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom is rising, with a notable increase in the number of students from South-East Asia. The advantages of overseas degrees to individuals, include a facility with English language, enhanced employment and promotion prospects, and increased social status. A study of Thai students studying in the United Kingdom has been used to explore the reality of these advantages for individual students and the resulting social and cultural tensions


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiovascular disease (CVD), and most existing algorithms are usually designed for the diagnosis (i.e., feature classification) or prediction of AF. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms integrate the diagnosis of AF electrocardiogram (ECG) and predict the possibility that AF will occur in the future. In this paper, we utilized the MIT-BIH AF Database (AFDB), which is composed of data from normal people and patients with AF and onset characteristics, and the AFPDB database (i.e., PAF Prediction Challenge Database), which consists of data from patients with Paroxysmal AF (PAF; the records contain the ECG preceding an episode of PAF), and subjects who do not have documented AF. We extracted the respective characteristics of the databases and used them in modeling diagnosis and prediction. In the aspect of model construction, we regarded diagnosis and prediction as two classification problems, adopted the traditional support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, and combined them. The improved quantum particle swarm optimization support vector machine (IQPSO-SVM) algorithm was used to speed the training time. During the verification process, the clinical FZU-FPH database created by Fuzhou University and Fujian Provincial Hospital was used for hybrid model testing. The data were obtained from the Holter monitor of the hospital and encrypted. We proposed an algorithm for transforming the PDF ECG waveform images of hospital examination reports into digital data. For the diagnosis model and prediction model trained using the training set of the AFDB and AFPDB databases, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy measures were 99.2% and 99.2%, 99.2% and 93.3%, and 91.7% and 92.5% for the test set of the AFDB and AFPDB databases, respectively. Moreover, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 94.2%, 79.7%, and 87.0%, respectively, when tested using the FZU-FPH database with 138 samples of the ECG composed of two labels. The composite classification and prediction model using a new water-fall ensemble method had a total accuracy of approximately 91% for the test set of the FZU-FPH database with 80 samples with 120 segments of ECG with three labels.


Beam hardening artefacts arise in tomography and microtomography with polychromatic sources. Typically, specimens appear to be less dense in the center of reconstructions because as the path length through the specimen increases, so the X-ray spectrum is shifted towards higher energies due to the preferential absorption of low energy photons. Various approaches have been taken to reduce or correct for these artefacts. Pre-filtering the X-ray beam with a thin metal sheet will reduce soft energy X-rays and thus narrow the spectrum. Correction curves can be applied to the projections prior to reconstruction which transform measured attenuation with polychromatic radiation to predicted attenuation with monochromatic radiation. These correction curves can be manually selected, iteratively derived from reconstructions (this generally works where density is assumed to be constant) or derived from a priori information about the X-ray spectrum and specimen composition. For hard tissue specimens, the latter approach works well if the composition is reasonably homogeneous. In the case of an immersed or embedded specimen (e.g., tooth or bone) the relative proportions of mineral and "organic" (including medium and plastic container) species varies considerably for different ray paths and simple beam hardening correction does not give accurate results. By performing an initial reconstruction, the total path length through the container can be determined. By modelling the X-ray properties of the specimen, a 2D correction transform can then be created such that the predicted monochromatic attenuation can be derived as a function of both the measured polychromatic attenuation and the container path length.


The last few years have seen an increase of both free trade agreements (FTAs) and social provisions therein, such as the standards from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The US and the European Union (EU) are two of the biggest proponents of the trade-labour linkage. While the US practice is characterized by a 'conditional' approach, the EU's approach is seen as 'promotional'. Nonetheless, both foresee the possibility for civil society – such as unions, business organisations and academics - to monitor the implementation of social provisions. By focusing on the trade agreements of the US and the EU with South Korea, this paper assesses to what extent these civil society monitoring mechanisms differ and to what extent they can be effective in the long run. Methodologically the paper combines an analysis of the legislative texts of the trade agreement and of official documents produced by the mechanisms on the one hand and expert interviews on the other hand. The explorative study shows that the following factors are important for long term impact: fixed participants, funding, feedback of the governments on the advice of the mechanisms and strong institutionalisation.


OBJECTIVES
Self-rated function is a new global measure. Previous findings suggest that self-rated function predicts future functional decline and is strongly associated with all-cause mortality. We hypothesized that the strength of the relationship of self-rated function to all-cause mortality was in part due to functional decline, such as would occur with brain infarcts.

METHODS
Self-ratings of function and health (on a 5-point scale, ranging from excellent to poor) were assessed annually on 630 participants in the Nun Study. Mortality surveillance extended from October 31, 1991 to March 1, 1998, and, among those who died, neuropathological examination determined postmortem evidence of brain infarcts. Cox regression modeling with self-rated function and health as time-dependent covariates and stratification by assessment period were used in these analyses.

RESULTS
Self-rated function and health ratings of good, fair, and poor were significantly associated with doubling of the risk of mortality, compared with ratings of very good and excellent. Self-rated function ratings of fair or poor were associated with a threefold increase in the risk of mortality with brain infarcts, but self-rated function and health ratings of fair and poor were comparable in their association with all-cause mortality and mortality without brain infarcts.

DISCUSSION
Self-rated function was significantly associated with mortality with brain infarcts, suggesting that brain infarcts may be experienced as functional loss but not recognized or labeled as disease. Our results suggest that self-rated function and health should be explored simultaneously in future research.


Liquid bridges between two solid surfaces have applications in low gravity, such as the solidification of floating zones. Long bridges naturally become unstable to a symmetric mode by bulging near one end while the opposite end thins. For a cylindrical bridge of radius R and length L, the slenderness S=L/2R has a natural (Rayleigh) limit of π beyond which the bridge breaks. Using acoustic radiation pressure in simulated low gravity as described previously [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 99, 2540 (1996)], stable bridges significantly beyond the Rayleigh limit can be produced. Improvements in the acoustics, optics, and electronics have enabled stabilization of bridges with S as large as 4.3. To be useful in low gravity, this technique will have to be modified to work on liquid bridges in air. Currently, acoustic resonators in air that have the required property that the sound amplitude can be spatially redistributed rapidly are being investigated. The laboratory experiments with simulated low gravity have made it poss...


Xanthine oxidase (XO) has been proposed as an important source of free radicals during ischemia. This enzyme normally exists as a dehydrogenase (XD), but it is converted to XO in some ischemic tissues. Recently, treatment of animals with the XD and XO inhibitor allopurinol or with free radical scavengers before cerebral ischemia has been shown to reduce brain injury. Therefore, we studied conversion of XD to XO in three ischemic and nonischemic brain regions during focal cerebral ischemia resulting from permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) in anesthetized rats. In nonischemic brain, 16-22% of the enzyme was in the XO form. After 24 h of ischemia this value was not significantly different (10-15%). Neither the total activity of XO nor that of XD changed, indicating that there was no irreversible conversion of XD to XO. To further explore the possible role of XO, we examined the effect of various doses of allopurinol (5, 20, or 100 mg/kg given 1 h before MCAO or 100 mg/kg given 48, 24, and 1 h before MCAO) on uric acid accumulation, brain edema formation, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) 24 h after MCAO. All but the lowest dose of allopurinol greatly reduced the appearance of uric acid in the ischemic brain; however, only the highest dose of allopurinol had any beneficial effect on brain edema. This reduction in brain edema occurred without a significant improvement in CBF. Thus XO is probably not an important source of free radicals in this model of focal cerebral ischemia.


The Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Biochemistry of Exercise are centered on the effects of long lasting exercise and training. In the years following the first symposium which was held in Brussels in 1968, biochem- istry of exercise has gained more importance in view of the increasing number of labora- tories and scientific papers which are dealing with this field. From the topic of the first symposium - humoral modifications occurring during physical activity - our points of interest have been turned to a more limited area, namely long term exercise and training, It was important to investigate these subjects because everyone knows that in to-day's sport a good performance means hours of weekly or even daily training. Therefore, it was of considerable interest to stimulate discussions and to clarify ideas in this particular field of human activity. Our knowledge of biochemistry of exercise at the cellular level has highly progressed during the last five years. Researchers have focused their interests on the sequential uti- lization of fuels, the adaptative responses of the enzyme machinery, the different types of muscle fibers. The topics of the Proceedings include: general subjects, metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, hormonal regulations, electrolytes, ultrastructure and fiber types of muscle, cellular enzymes. In the symposium, the current knowledge was summarized as an introductory lecture to each of these topics by prominent authors, namely: J. KEuL (Freiburg i. Br. ), M. ScHERRER (Bern), B. SAL TIN (Copenhagen), P.


New Russian virosomal split vaccine against influenza "Grifor" was developed. The vaccine is represented by mix of highly purified protective external and internal antigens of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and B viruses. Developed technology of manufacture allowed to provide presentation of external antigens of influenza virus in the form of virosomes, and presentation of internal antigens in the form of micelles with maximal preservation of their antigenic activity. Using electron microscopy, electrophoresis in 10% polyacrilamide gel with sodium dodecyl sulfate, and polymerase chain reaction, morphologic and biochemical properties of the vaccine were studied. Preclinical study, including assessment of antigenic characteristics of "Grifor" vaccine compared to vaccine "Vaxigrip" (France), was performed. It was established that administration of the vaccine did not result in death of experimental animals, decrease of body mass, development of pathologic (including inflammatory, dystrophic and necrobiotic) changes in viscera or render adverse effects on blood hematologic and biochemical parameters and on the immune system. The vaccine was not pyrogenic and allergenic, did not have local irritating effects. Obtained results supported the appropriateness of conducting the clinical trials of "Grifor" vaccine on limited number of volunteers.


Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition, intergenic transformation efficiency, and DNA hybridization were used to determine the relatedness of a variety of established or proposed species of Neisseria and Branhamella. These studies indicated that these bacteria form three genetic groupings. Group I, comprised of N. meningitidis, N. gonorrhoeae, N. subflava, N. flava, N. perflava, N. sicca, N. mucosa, N. cinerea, N. flavescens, N. lactamica, N. elongata, N. canis, and N. denitrificans, was characterized by DNA base compositions ranging between 49.3 and 55.6 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Group II, comprised of N. cuniculi, N. caviae, and N. ovis, was characterized by DNA base compositions ranging between 45.3 and 47.3 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Group III, comprised of one species, B. catarrhalis, was characterized by DNA base compositions between 41 and 42 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Transformation and DNA hybridization results revealed that members of each group, with few exceptions, exhibited high DNA homology with other members of the same group but most often distinctly lower levels of homology with members of a different group. These data suggest that N. ovis, N. caviae, and N. cuniculi may be significantly different from other neisseriae and from branhamellae to warrant their separation in a distinct genus.


Hodgkin's disease is one of the most common childhood malignancies that with correct diagnosis and effective treatment is curable and without treatment is leading to death. The survival of patients with Hodgkin's disease has dramatically improved over the past 30 years because of advances in treatment. However, concern for the risk of long tern complications has resulted in a number of trials to evaluate reduction of therapy. Causes of second malignancy are related to therapies (radiotherapy-chemotherapyradiotherapy with chemotherapy), age of patients in the first treatment, sex and immunological deficits associated with Hodgkin's disease. Two third of second malignancies are solid tumors and 1/3 are hematologic and lymphatic system cancer. In patients that treated first with radiotherapy, solid tumors appears higher and in patients treated first with chemotherapy leukemia appears higher. With this reuslts in childhood malignancies radiotherapy sholud be reduced and when patients treated with chemotherapy the cycles of treatment should be reduced too, and all patients should have follow up for second malignancy for several years. In 228 patients with Hodgkin's disease in ten years in Hazrat Ali-Asghar Hospital, 4 second malignancies were occurred. Three cases presented with solid tumor and one case with leukemia (AML). Three cases that first treated with radiotherapy after 8, 18 and 19 years later (respectively) presented with solid tumor, one case died from brain tumor and two cases presented with thyroid cancer, had thyroidectomy and are alive. One case after 6 years of repeated chemotherapy for recurrent disease developed leukemia and finally died. Because in this center, radiotherapy is restricted, the incidence of second malignancy is less than other centers.