It should take into account the psychopatologic context and the child's development moment to evaluate the baby alarm distress from a standardized instrument. We present the BADS questionnaire validation by its application in 90 children, from 0 to 2 years-old, obtaining a K=0.783 to p<0.01, with a Spearman coeficient of 0.866 and factorial analysis to 4 factors to 63.5% of the population studied. With these psychometrical qualities, the scale shows its importance as a screening but is important its study in others populations.


It was a hectic but immensely enjoyable week for me. Following the ICIS meeting in Paris, I flew home to Singapore for an overnight stop before heading off to the Philippines, a nation comprising of more than 7000 islands. (The exact number of islands, I was told, depends on whether it is high tide or low tide!) Anyway, it was a great honour to be invited by the Philippines CT and MRI Society to speak on Head & Neck Oncological Imaging.

When Magellan came upon the island of Homonhon in 1521, he claimed these islands in the name of King Philip II of Spain and named them Felipinas (and hence, the Philippines). Recognising the potential of these strategically located islands, the Spaniards established a colonial government in Manila in 1571 and from there, ruled the country and the galleon trade for nearly 333 years. The first nationalistic revolution took place in 1896 and after several attempts, the Philippines declared her first independence on June 12, 1898. This republic was short-lived following which the Americans took over as the new colonial master. World War II interrupted the course of events, and the Japanese captured the Philippines. The Americans liberated the islands in 1945, and recognised Philippine independence on July 4, 1946.

For a nation of about 80 million people, there are only about 850 radiologists. The CT-MRI Society is a subspecialty under the Philippine College of Radiology. The CT-MRI Society, (currently chaired by Dr Rafael Joson) was established in 1992 and there are approximately 140 members. The society decided on the theme for the 5th Scientific Meeting because of the increasing importance of cancer in the Philippines and the impact of imaging in diagnosis and follow-up. There were about 80 participants coming from all over the Philippines but, as expected, the majority came from Metro Manila.

To lower cost, the annual scientific meeting was held in the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in the Philippines. The main building in the campus dated back to 1611. Topics included advances in imaging brain tumours, PET, bronchogenic carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, gynaecological malignancies, musculoskeletal oncology, urinary tract neoplasms and soft tissue tumours. I particularly liked the open forum on Head & Neck Oncology. The panel consisted of the chief of services of head and neck surgery, radiation therapy and I. There was a constant flow of questions and comments among the panel members. The active participation from the floor made the session truly memorable.

There are no special cancer hospitals in the Philippines. The major cancer centres are located in Manila (for example, St Luke's Medical Centre, Makati Medical Centre, Asian Hospital and University of the Philippines). Facilities are also available in major cities such as Cebu and Davao City. Most hospitals have CT but MRI is only available in the major hospitals.

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for me to publicise the activities of our society and the next ICIS meeting in Venice. The society flyers and membership application forms that I brought along from Paris duly disappeared from display. I also mentioned that if Europe was too far away, Filipinos could look forward to the Hong Kong meeting in 2005. (Hong Kong is just over an hour away by plane from Manila.)

It was a great meeting and the hospitality was equally great.


This research studied the tensile properties of glass fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester with different fiber volume fraction Vf, and angle of fibers for coarse and fine woven fibers reinforcement. The composite specimens were prepared by hand lay-up technique and cutting according to (ASTM D – 638) for tensile test to obtain modulus of elasticity, ultimate tensile strength and elongation percentage of the composite specimens. Mathematical models were done by using statistical analysis which shows the tensile properties of the composite specimens as a function of volume fraction and fiber angle. The results show that the maximum value of the modulus of elasticity was (11.5 GPA) and the maximum value of ultimate tensile strength was (240 MPa) which happed at (11% VF) for fine woven fibers and for (0 o /90 o ) fibers angle, and vice versa for percentage elongation was (2.5%).


Abstract. A common task in Lagrangian oceanography is to calculate a large number of
drifter trajectories from a velocity field precalculated with an ocean model. Mathematically, this is simply numerical integration of an ordinary
differential equation (ODE), for which a wide range of different methods
exist. However, the discrete nature of the modelled ocean currents requires interpolation of the velocity field in both space and time, and the choice
of interpolation scheme has implications for the accuracy and efficiency of the different numerical ODE methods. We investigate trajectory calculation in modelled ocean currents with 800 m, 4 km, and 20 km horizontal resolution, in combination with linear, cubic and quintic spline interpolation. We use fixed-step Runge–Kutta integrators of orders 1–4, as well as three variable-step Runge–Kutta methods (Bogacki–Shampine 3(2), Dormand–Prince 5(4) and 8(7)). Additionally, we design and test modified special-purpose variants of the three variable-step integrators, which are better able to handle discontinuous derivatives in an interpolated velocity field. Our results show that the optimal choice of ODE integrator depends on the resolution of the ocean model, the degree of interpolation, and the desired
accuracy. For cubic interpolation, the commonly used Dormand–Prince 5(4) is
rarely the most efficient choice. We find that in many cases, our
special-purpose integrators can improve accuracy by many orders of magnitude over their standard counterparts, with no increase in computational effort. Equivalently, the special-purpose integrators can provide the same accuracy as standard methods at a reduced computational cost. The best results are seen for coarser resolutions (4 and 20 km),
thus the special-purpose integrators are particularly advantageous for
research using regional to global ocean models to compute large numbers of
trajectories. Our results are also applicable to trajectory computations on
data from atmospheric models.


Two diaryl crown ethers bearing methyl ester functionality on one of the aromatic components of the macrocycle have been used as templates for the cyclodimerisation of acetylenic aromatic diimides, thereby achieving assembly of several functionalised neutral π-associated [2]catenanes. Post-assembly synthetic modification of some of these interlocked structures, and of some previously reported [2]catenanes, by hydrogenation of the butadiyne linkers in the diimide macrocycle has also been achieved. In contrast to their parent systems, these modified catenanes give room temperature 1H NMR spectra which are poorly resolved; at elevated temperatures the constituent rings of the catenanes are in fast exchange on the chemical shift timescale leading to simplification of the spectra. The crystal structure of one of the ester-derivatised [2]catenanes is also presented. The ester functionality present in these interlocked systems provides options for potential chemical modification via surface attachment or metal-ion complexation.


Abstract. During the period 2018-2020 a field experiment was carried out with the winter Clearfield oilseed canola hybrid Phoenix CL (Brassica napus L). Factor A included the years of investigation. Factor B included untreated control, 2 combined herbicides: Cleranda SC and Cleravo SC; 6 herbicide tank mixtures: Electron 500 SC + Maza 4 SL, Springbok + Maza 4 SL, Tanaris + Maza 4 SL, Butisan max + Maza 4 SL, Cliofar 600 SL + Maza 4 SL and Galera super + Maza 4 SL; 6 herbicide combinations: Caliph 480 ЕC + Maza 4 SL, Caliph mega + Maza 4 SL, Bismark CS + Maza 4 SL, Nero ЕC + Maza 4 SL, Brasan 540 EC + Maza 4 SL and Colsor trio ЕC + Maza 4 SL. Herbicides Cleranda, Cleravo and Maza were used in addition with adjuvant Dash HC. Foliar-applied herbicides were treated during 2-4 leaf canola stage. Soil-applied combined herbicides were treated during after sowing before emergence period of the canola. It was found that: (i) the highest seed yields are obtained by use of combined herbicide Cleranda, followed by herbicide tank mixture Electron + Maza and combined herbicide Cleravo; (ii) the high canola yields are also obtained by herbicide tank mixtures Butizan max + Maza, Springbok + Maza, Tanaris + Maza, as well as by herbicide combinations Caliph mega + Maza, Brasan + Maza, Bismarck + Maza; (iii) technologically the most valuable are combined herbicide Cleranda, followed by herbicide tank mixture Electron + Maza and combined herbicide Cleravo; (iv) in terms of technology for growing winter Clearfield oilseed canola, herbicide tank mixtures Springbok + Maza, Butisan max + Maza and Tanaris + Maza, as well as herbicide combinations Caliph mega + Maza, Bismar + Maza and, Nero + Maza get high rating; herbicide tank mixtures Cliofar + Maza and Galera super + Maza and herbicide combinations Caliph + Maza and Colsor trio + Maza get low rating.


BackgroundThe uptake of percutaneous coronary procedures via the radial artery has increased internationally due to the decreased risk of complications and increased patient satisfaction. The increased susceptibility of the radial artery to spasm however presents a potential risk for procedural failure. Although most experts agree on the need for prophylactic medications to reduce radial artery spasm, currently there is inconsistency in literature regarding the most effective vasodilatory medication or combination of medications. Review objectiveThe objective of this study is to identify the effectiveness of vasodilatory medications on radial artery spasm in patients undergoing transradial coronary artery procedures. Inclusion criteria Types of participantsThis review considered studies that included participants aged 18 years and over undergoing non-emergent transradial percutaneous coronary artery procedures. Types of intervention(s)This review considered studies that used vasodilating intravenous and intra-arterial medications or combinations of medications prior to commencing and during transradial coronary approaches to reduce radial artery spasm. OutcomesThe outcomes of interest were the incidence of radial artery spasm during percutaneous coronary procedure using objective and/or subjective measures and its effect on the successful completion of the procedure. Types of studiesRandomized controlled trials published in the English language between 1989 to date were considered for inclusion. Search strategyThe search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies. A three-step search strategy was utilized in this review. An initial search of MEDLINE, CINAHL and Scopus was undertaken, followed by a search for unpublished studies. Assessment of methodological qualityPapers selected for retrieval were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments. Any disagreements that arose between the reviewers were resolved through discussion. Data extractionQuantitative data was extracted from papers included in the review using the standardized data extraction tool from RevMan5 (Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane). Data synthesisQuantitative data, where possible, was pooled in statistical meta-analysis using RevMan5. All results were subject to double data entry. Effect sizes expressed as risk ratio (for categorical data) and weighted mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for analysis. ResultsNine trials involving 3614 patients were included in the final review. Pooled data involving 992 patients on the effect of calcium channel blockers demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of vasospasm in patients who received verapamil 5 mg compared to those who received a placebo (OR 0.33; 95%CI 0.19, 0.58). Similarly patients who received verapamil 2.5 mg or 1.25 mg had significantly fewer incidences of vasospasm when compared to those who received a placebo. Nitroglycerine 100mcg was demonstrated to be associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of vasospasm. ConclusionThe evidence demonstrates a benefit in the use of vasodilatory medications for the reduction of vasospasm in patients having radial coronary procedures. Further large-scale multi-center trials are needed to determine the preferred medication.


Bismuth telluride material was fabricated using hot extrusion. The crystal structure was identified by X-ray diffraction and Scanning electron microscopy. The oriented texture in extrusion direction was formed. All the samples showed high mechanical strength. The thermoelectric properties were determined by measuring electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity. The influence of extrusion temperature on the thermoelectric performence was studied. The variation of figure with temperature was also studied. The oriented texture seems promising to improve thermoelectric properties and mechanical strength.


Surgical site infections are a devastating complication of orthopaedic procedures and result in increased morbidity and mortality as well as higher costs. Universally, patients with surgical site infections have a worse outcome than uninfected patients. Payers of health care and regulatory organizations, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission, are demanding both accountability and a reduction in the occurrence of surgical site infections. To effectively prevent such infections, the clinician must address preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, along with interventions. In the areas where evidence-based literature demonstrates a clear best practice, such as prophylactic antibiotic use and surgical scrub techniques, physicians and health care professionals will be held accountable for compliance with these standards. This accountability will be quantified and will be made available to the public. It is also evident that payers will reward and/or penalize physicians for failure to comply with established standards of care. For the health and safety of patients, surgeons are obligated to become familiar with the known best practices and standards of care with respect to the reduction of surgical site infections.


Background Patients with long-standing psoriasis who are not treated with conventional medicine seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The biological revolution in the field of psoriasis since the late 2000s has progressed, expecting clearance or almost clearance of the disease. The frequency and type of CAM usage may have changed after these advances. We aimed to investigate changes in CAM use in Korean patients with psoriasis before and after the prevalent use of biologics. Methods Patients with psoriasis who visited Pusan National University Hospitals (Busan and Yangsan) between March 2020 and June 2022 were made to complete a face-to-face structured questionnaire. These results were compared with our previous study conducted approximately 10 years ago. Results In total, 207 patients were included. Compared with the previous results, the frequency of CAM use (67.6%) increased (P < 0.001). Oriental medicine (67.1%) has most commonly been used, followed by health supplements and bath therapy. The biggest reason for using CAM was "to try all the potential treatments." Meanwhile, negative concerns about conventional medicine (13.5%) significantly decreased during the 10-year period (P < 0.001). Conclusion Although treatment efficacy has increased with biologics development, CAM usage remains prevalent among Korean patients with psoriasis. Therefore, dermatologists need more efforts to improve patients' understanding of conventional medicine, including biologics.


Current industrial robot-programming methods require, depending on the task to be developed, an elevated degree of technical ability and time from a human operator, in order to obtain a precise, nonoptimal result. This correspondence paper presents a methodology used to generate an optimal sequence of robot configurations that enable a precise point-allocating task applicable, for instance, to spot-welding, drilling, or electronic component placement maneuvers. The optimization process starts from a nonoptimal, initial sequence designated intuitively by a human operator using an easy-to-use interface. In this correspondence paper, intuitive programming is considered as the process of defining, in a computer graphics environment and with a limited user knowledge of robotics or the industrial task, the sequence of motions that enable the execution of a complex industrial robotic maneuver. Such an initial sequence is later followed by a robot, very precisely, using a vision-based, calibration-free, robot control method. Further robot path optimization is performed with a genetic algorithm approach. An industrial robot, which is part of the experimental setup, was used in order to validate the proposed procedure.


A micrografting technique was developed for Ceratonia Siliqua using in vitro germinated seedlings as root- stocks and apex or shoot cultures (established from mature female tree source) as microscions. In vitro germinated seed- lings were decapitated and used as rootstock. Mature explants were initiated on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 30 g/l sucrose, and 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine, then transferred on the multiplication medium (Murashige and Skoog + 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine + 0.1 mg/l gibberellic acid + 0.1 mg/l indol-3- butyric acid). Micrografts could be easily cultured on the same medium and developed after one month. Grafting success has been dependent on the method of grafting. The micrografting on hypocotyl (central grafting) method was significantly more successful (92, 50%) than the other grafts methods. The compatible graft union was observed one month after grafting. The histological cuttings showed that the graft union formation was initiated by the development of the callus bridge at the interface between scion and rootstock, after that, new vascular elements including vessels and tracheids were seen across the interface zone.


Multiple description coding (MDC) is one of source coding techniques to encode realtime application source into multiple bitstreams. MDC supports multiple quality levels of decoding when transmitted over lossy channels such as packet networks. An MDC source encoder provides different representations of the source such that; when all descriptions are available at the receiver, an high-quality reconstruction of the source is possible, while if only a small number of descriptions is available, a reconstruction is still possible even though a lower quality, but acceptable is obtained. Therefore, this coding technique is expected to apply applications which prefer accepting error of data to retransmitting the lost or erroneous data over multipath noisy network. Multiple Description Correlating Transforms coding (MDCTC) is a method to realize MDC with a matrix. Based on this method, this paper proposes the three ratio configuration method for Multiple Description Correlating Transforms coding (RMDCTC), which can control the volume ratio of descriptions to source data. Therefore, RMDCTC can adjust the data size ratio among descriptions to fit the ratio of channel bandwidths and is suitable to apply error allowable communicating applications over asymmetric multipath noisy network. In addition, each three ratio configuration method has different feature. Therefore, it is possible to select suitable method as the situation demands. As a result, the proposed methods are more practical method than traditional MDCTC.


The existence of market power in the electricity market is a recurrent issue. Measuring and understanding market power practices in the Iberian electricity market turn out to be interesting: though a liberalized market, two integrated firms control 80% of total demand and there is a strong - often direct - intervention of government in the market. For various reasons, among which the difficulty in obtaining reliable, extensive data stands out, market power in the Iberian electricity market has rarely been measured. This work aims to contribute to a better knowledge of the way market power occurs. We calculate the elasticity of residual demand to evaluate the two dominant firm's market power, using hourly bides in the Spanish spot market for the period July-August 2004 to 2006. Although our approach was highlighted by Frank Wolak work on the electricity sector, we extend it and discuss its constraints. We discuss the results obtained in the light of the evolution of the electricity sector during that period.


Reinforcement learning (RL) is a machine learning method that can learn an optimal strategy for a system without knowing the mathematical model of the system. Many RL algorithms are successfully applied in various fields. However, each algorithm has its advantages and disadvantages. With the increasing complexity of environments and tasks, it is difficult for a single learning algorithm to cope with complicated learning problems with high performance. This motivated us to combine some learning algorithms to improve the learning quality. This paper proposes a new multiple learning architecture, "aggregated multiple reinforcement learning system (AMRLS)". AMRLS adopts three different learning algorithms to learn individually and then combines their results with aggregation methods. To evaluate its performance, AMRLS is tested on two different environments: a cart-pole system and a maze environment. The presented simulation results reveal that aggregation not only provides robustness and fault tolerance ability, but also produces more smooth learning curves and needs fewer learning steps than individual learning algorithms.


The effect of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the pitting corrosion resistance of Al (AA1100) and Al-Mg (AA5052) alloy with anodization and without was investigated by means of polarization curves in solutions containing 300 ppm or 0.6 mol/L of Cl- and by surface analysis. In Al and Al-Mg alloy without anodization, the potentials for pitting corrosion were evidently shifted to the noble direction by ECAP process, indicating that this process improves resistance to pitting corrosion. SEM observation revealed that the pitting corrosion occurred near the impurity precipitates and the size of impurity precipitated decreased with ECAP process. The time-dependence of corrosion potential and the polarization resistance determined by AC impedance technique suggested that the formation rate of Al oxide films was increased with ECAP process. The improvement in pitting corrosion resistance of Al and Al-Mg by ECAP seems to be attributable to the decrease in the size of impurity precipitates and the increase in the formation rate of Al oxide films. On the other hand, the time required for initiating pitting corrosion of anodised Al was longer with ECAP than without, indicating improvement in the pitting corrosion resistance by application of ECAP. However, the pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Mg alloy occurred earlier with ECAP than without, showing that the corrosion resistance was worse with ECAP than without. In anodized Al-Mg alloy, cracks occurred in the anodic oxide films during initial corrosion and the cracks were larger with ECAP than without. It is assumed that the pitting corrosion was promoted by the cracks due to the higher internal stress resulting from ECAP.


Customizability is a key feature of the Android operating system that differentiates it from Apple's iOS. One concrete feature that gaining popularity is called "app virtualization''. This feature allows multiple copies of the same app to be installed and opened simultaneously (e.g., with multiple accounts logged in). Virtualization frameworks are used by more than 100 million users worldwide. As with any new system features, we are interested in two aspects: (1) whether the feature itself introduces security risks and (2) whether the feature is abused for unintended purposes. This paper conducts a systematic study on the two aspects of the app virtualization techniques. With a thorough study of 32 popular virtualization frameworks from Google Play, we identify seven areas of potential attack vectors and find that most of the frameworks are susceptible to them. By deeply investigating their ecosystem, we show, with demonstrations, that attackers can easily distribute malware that takes advantage of these attack vectors. In addition, we show that the same virtualization techniques are also abused by malware as an alternative and easy-to-use repackaging mechanism. To this end, we design and implement a new app repackage detector. After scanning 250,145 apps from app markets, it finds 164 repackaged apps that attempt to steal user credentials and private data.


Analytical methods were developed or refined to link the composition and structure of man-made and natural materials down to the nanoscale dimensions to their functional behaviour at the macroscopic scale. Most of the techniques now available are based the interaction of the sample with electromagnetic radiation or particles. In these techniques, the ability for observation and analysis expanded over the last 50 years from rather straightforward measurements in the narrow wavelength range in, or near to, the visible region, to large portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and complex higher-order interactions in multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging methods. With imaging analysis and other analytical methodologies that produce massive amounts of data, analytical chemistry is increasingly transformed into a discovery-driven, shotgun methodology, instead of a hypothesis-driven, targeted methodology. In such conditions, standard metrological concepts (uncertainty, validation, and/or traceability to fundamental standards…) lose their central guiding role.


One-photon and two-photon absorption properties of a double-conjugated-segment molecule (BSBAB) composed of two single-conjugated-segment molecules are studied by using density functional theory at ab initio level. The optimized geometrical structure shows that the two single-conjugated-segment parts in molecule BSBAB retain their own coplanarity and are nearly perpendicular to each other, which seems to indicate that the molecule BSBAB contains optical characteristics of both parts. The molecule BSBAB is found to have three two-photon absorption peaks in lowest energy region which are contributed respectively the two single-conjugated-segment parts respectively and the coupling between them. This also demonstrates that the molecule BSBAB is a broadband strong two-photon absorption chromophore. The response theory approach at Hatree-Fock level is used to prove the convergence of results given by the state summation method with truncated approximation. The charge-transfer process between the charge-transfer states is visualized. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the measurements.


h-Caldesmon is considered a novel specific marker for tumors with smooth muscle differentiation. To reassess its diagnostic use, the authors evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of h-caldesmon and other myogenic markers (calponin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, HHF35, and desmin) in 30 leiomyosarcomas (external soft tissues [15], retroperitoneum [8], uterus [5], other sites [2]), 26 myofibroblastic lesions, and 26 fibrohistiocytic tumors of varying biologic potential and histology. In contrast with previous data, h-caldesmon was expressed only in 11 (36%) of the 30 leiomyosarcomas analyzed, whereas they consistently expressed actins and frequently expressed calponin (86%) and desmin (76%). Leiomyosarcomas with the expression of h-caldesmon were well or moderately differentiated and primarily confined to the retroperitoneum or uterus. All but one leiomyosarcomas in the external soft tissues examined were negative for h-caldesmon, and the h-caldesmon-negative tumors showed moderately to poorly differentiated morphology. All myofibroblastic lesions examined were negative for h-caldesmon despite their constant expressions of at least one of the other markers. h-Caldesmon was not expressed in fibrohistiocytic tumors either, although focal positivity for the other markers was seen in subsets of the tumors. Thus, h-caldesmon can be regarded as a specific myogenic marker. However, one should be aware that the expression of h-caldesmon in leiomyosarcomas can be more variable according to their locations and/or extent of smooth muscle differentiation than considered previously.


In the mouse retina, there are two distinct groups of direction‐selective ganglion cells, ON and ON–OFF, that detect movement of visual images. To understand the roles of these cells in controlling eye movements, we studied the optokinetic responses (OKRs) of mutant mice with dysfunctional ON‐bipolar cells that have a functional obstruction of transmission to ON direction‐selective ganglion cells. Experiments were carried out to examine the initial and late phases of OKRs. The initial phase was examined by measurement of eye velocity using stimuli of sinusoidal grating patterns of various spatiotemporal frequencies that moved for 0.5 s. The mutant mice showed significant initial OKRs, although the range of spatiotemporal frequencies that elicited these OKRs was limited and the response magnitude was weaker than that in wild‐type mice. To examine the late phase of the OKRs, the same visual patterns were moved for 30 s to induce alternating slow and quick eye movements (optokinetic nystagmus) and the slow‐phase eye velocity was measured. Wild‐type mice showed significant late OKRs with a stimulus in an appropriate range of spatiotemporal frequencies (0.0625–0.25 cycles/°, 0.75–3.0 Hz, 3–48°/s), but mutant mice did not show late OKRs in response to the same visual stimuli. The results suggest that two groups of direction‐selective ganglion cells play different roles in OKRs: ON direction‐selective ganglion cells contribute to both initial and late OKRs, whereas ON–OFF direction‐selective ganglion cells contribute to OKRs only transiently.


This paper reviews recent empirical evidence to assess the implications of alliance formation and increasing merger and acquisition activity of multinationals in the context of the eclectic paradigm. Specifically, the paper will concentrate on the performance implications of international expansion via alliances and mergers, and their relationship to the so-called asset-augmenting foreign direct investment. It has been argued in the literature that the way in which multinationals are able to build on their existing advantages and to add to them by virtue of their international activities confers specific benefits to multinationality. We argue that the growth of cross-border acquisitions and alliances as modalities for international expansion has resulted from the continuing convergence of value-adding capabilities within the Triad, and while such activity can help to augment the asset base of the investing firms, it also has potentially anti-competitive implications.


Objective: To evaluate risk factors for HIV encephalopathy and whether Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and coinfection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) protect against this disease in a cohort of HIV seroconverters. Methods: Individuals with known dates of HIV seroconversion belonging to different HIV exposure categories (intravenous drug users, homosexual men, heterosexual contacts) were recruited by 17 clinical centers throughout Italy. Antibodies to HHV-8 lytic antigens were detected in a subgroup of participants using an immunofluorescence assay. Risk factors for HIV encephalopathy were evaluated using Cox proportional models. The association between KS or HHV-8 infection and HIV encephalopathy was evaluated using standard statistical techniques. Results: During the study period, 485 of the 1,520 participants developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, 38 of whom developed HIV encephalopathy. HHV-8 serologic status was determined for 390 participants. Male gender, injecting drug use, and low CD4 T-cell count were associated with HIV encephalopathy; none of the 63 participants with KS developed this disease. The risk of HIV encephalopathy did not differ significantly by HHV-8 serologic status. Conclusions: HIV encephalopathy was found to be associated with male gender and intravenous drug use. The risk increased at lower CD4 T-cell counts. Although HIV encephalopathy occurred less frequently in patients with KS, no association with HHV-8 infection was found.


Examples of spatio-temporal data that can be represented as sets of points (called dot patterns) are pervasive in many applications, for example when tracking herds of migrating animals, ships in busy shipping channels and crowds of people in everyday life. The use of this type of data extends beyond the standard remit of Geographic Information Science (GISc), as classification and optimisation problems can often be visualised in the same manner. A common task within these fields is the assignment of a region (called a footprint) that is representative of the underlying pattern. The ways in which this footprint can be generated has been the subject of much research with many algorithms having been produced. Much of this research has focused on the dot patterns and footprints as static entities, however for many of the applications the data is prone to change. This thesis proposes that the footprint need not necessarily be updated each time the dot pattern changes; that the footprint can remain an appropriate representation of the pattern if the amount of change is slight. To ascertain the appropriate times at which to update the footprint, and when to leave it as it is, this thesis introduces the concept of change identifiers as simple measures of change between two dot patterns. Underlying the change identifiers is an in-depth examination of the data inherent in the dot pattern and the creation of descriptors that represent this data. The experimentation performed by this thesis shows that change identifiers are able to distinguish between di↵erent types of change across dot patterns from di↵erent sources. In doing so the change identifiers reduce the number of updates of the footprint while maintaining a measurably good representation of the dot pattern.


The paper examines the behaviour of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) under balanced/unbalanced supply voltage sag condition, and restricted DVR injection capability (e.g. limited to 50% of the supply voltage injection). Sequence components of the supply voltage are extracted to generate the reference injected voltage for the DVR. The control determines the maximum possible positive sequence injection within the capacity of the compensator to achieve balanced voltage conditions at the load terminals. The control is verified through simulation and experimentation. The control algorithm has been implemented in a TI320F2812 fixed point DSP and the effectiveness of the controller is verified in a three-phase, 10kVA DVR laboratory prototype. In a three-phase, 240 V system, balanced sag and sag with magnitude and phase unbalance have been created, which is successfully compensated by the DVR with the proposed controller.


A binary mixture theory with microstructure is constructed for unidirectionally fiber-reinforced elastic composites. Model construction is based on an asymptotic scheme with multiple scales and the application of Reissner's new mixed variational principle (1984). In order to assess the accuracy of the model, comparison of the mixture model predictions with available experimental data on dispersion of harmonic waves is made for boron/epoxy and tungusten/aluminum composites. Formulas for the effective moduli are also presented, and the results are compared with test data and other available predictions.


Background The prevalence of pulmonary disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is reportedly on the rise in the world. Some of the species are resistant to various antibiotics; hence, limited treatment options are available. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of NTM and to determine the effect of d-cycloserine against Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium abscessus isolated from clinical specimens to find out the synergistic effect of d-cycloserine and clarithromycin. Methods A total of 95 nonduplicate pulmonary isolates of NTM were collected from three major Regional Tuberculosis (TB) Centers. NTM isolates were identified by conventional tests and PCR sequence analysis of the rpoB gene. PCR sequencing of erm-41 was performed for detecting the inducible resistance to macrolides. In vitro susceptibilities and activities of d-cycloserine-clarithromycin combinations were accessed using the broth microdilution method. Results Among 714-positive acid-fast bacilli from TB-suspected cases, 95 isolates were identified as NTM (13.3%). The prevalence of identified isolates was as follows: M. fortuitum 46 (48.4%), Mycobacterium simiae 16 (16.8%), Mycobacterium kansasii 15 (15.7%), M. abscessus 7 (7.3%), Mycobacterium thermoresistibile 4 (4.2%), Mycobacterium elephantis 3 (3.2%), Mycobacterium porcinum 2 (2.1%), and Mycobacterium chimaera 2 (2.1%). In addition, rpoB sequence analysis could identify all NTM isolates. The effect of d-cycloserine was better than that of clarithromycin. The synergistic effect of d-cycloserine with clarithromycin was observed for six (100%) and five (71.5%) strains of M. fortuitum and M. abscessus, respectively. Conclusion In the present study, we demonstrated a wide range of NTM in processed samples from different provinces of Iran. Our observations indicated that d-cycloserine was very active against M. abscessus and M. fortuitum; hence, d-cycloserine, either alone or in combination with clarithromycin, may be promising for the treatment of M. abscessus- and M. fortuitum-associated diseases.


Recent studies show that lexical bundles in English are pervasively found in academic discourse. In addition, the characteristics of lexical bundles found vary and differ across registers and genres. Nevertheless, it is still interesting to carry out in languages other than English. This study aims to discover the characteristics of Indonesian lexical bundles that cover frequency, structure, and function in research articles. This study adopted a mixed-method. Identification of the lexical bundle was carried out using WordSmith 7.0 on a corpus comprising 3,125,546 words, taken from 1126 texts, and consisting of six disciplines. With a frequency threshold of 40 per million words and a minimum distribution of 5 texts, 197 lexical bundles have been obtained, consisting of threeto six-word bundles with a total occurrence of 51,813 times. In terms of structure, the incomplete structure is dominating the bundles by 78.7%, with a total frequency of occurrence 38,749 times. This research finds that the pattern of lexical bundles can be classified into five types: noun-based, prepositional-based, verb-based, adjective-based, and clause-based bundles. Lexical bundles in research articles are generally clause-based (49.2%). This indicates that Indonesian lexical bundles vary in structure. The use of clause fragments and passive verbs are the main features in this genre. In terms of the discourse function, research-oriented bundles are the functions that are commonly used, while participant-oriented bundles are the least. Each discourse function has its own structural characteristics. It is also found that one lexical bundle can have two functional categories. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of written academic discourse. From the pedagogical point of view, the findings can be used as learning material for both native and non-native speakers.


Extracts of erythroblastosis affected livers from which much of the structural protein had been removed were prepared by acid denaturation. These extracts contained complement fixing "soluble" antigen in a form which was not associated with viral or subviral particles. Ultracentrifugation can be of assistance in separating complement fixation activity from contaminating material in these extracts.


Building maintenance involves preserving a building so that it can retain its economic value and durability. Maintenance is a very important aspect of facilities management that requires planning, because lack of maintenance leads to serious economic loss. This research work was carried out to access the current state of maintenance of public buildings in public ins titutions in Nigeria using the University of Nigeria, Nsukka as a case study. It also proffers solutions to maintenance problems. The field investigation focused on staff residential houses, students' hostels, offices and classrooms. Questionnaires were us ed to collate data/information on 500 residential apartments, offices and a total of 260 hostel rooms were examined. The results were analyzed statistically. The results show that about 80% of the buildings within the University require immediate maintenance. Maintenance works are also needed at the staff residential buildings, students' hostels, offices and classrooms. They are also needed in the plumbing works, bathrooms, toilets, doors, windows, the painting, walls, floors, roofs and electricalinstallations of the buildings. 74.60% of the residential buildings need roof maintenanc e, 57.30% need floor maintenance, 60% need wall maintenance, 71.30% need re - painting, and 68.60% need window m aintenance. In the students hostels, 61.70% of the hostels need door maintenance, 59.50% need to have their toilet facilities maintained while 72.40% of the hostels need to have their plumbing works maintained. It is concluded that lack of maintenance policy and funding is the major cause of public building deterioration in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. It is recommended that a holistic maintenance frame work should be adopted in line with International best practices in developed countries. In additio n, the University should adopt preventive maintenance policy by employing outsourcing maintenance services. The University should also introduce the use of one stop shop maintenance services including the use of information and communication technology. Keywords : Infrastructure maintenance, University system, sustainable building, maintenance culture


Technologies for fabrication of MEMS, optics and photonics at the micro- and nanoscale continue to advance and diversify due to rising demands for miniaturization, cost reduction, functional integration, and increased performance. Examples include diffractive optics, sub-wavelength optics, microrefractive optics, optical waveguides, photonic crystals, plasmonic devices, and heterogeneously integrated active and passive micro- and nano-optical devices. These devices are playing increasing roles in a wide range of applications, including sensors and actuators, communications, imaging, biomedical, data storage, and other areas. Both conventional and unconventional micro- and nanofabrication techniques serve as fundamental enablers for wide ranges of MEMS and passive and active optical components and devices. In order to enable new products using these new technologies,basicresearchmustbecarriedout.Newmaterialsmustbe characterized and synthesized, new manufacturing technologies proved out and new prototype devices designed. Our specialissueprovidesexamplesofexcitingresearchintheseareas. We see these new technologies as part of a manufacturing renaissance that is taking place worldwide, where there is highinterestinexploringnewfabricationtechnologiesandbringing them to market. Of course, micro- and nanofabrication for photonicstructureshavemanymorefacetsthanasinglespecial issuecancover.Nevertheless,wepresenthereaspecialselection of papers presented at Photonics West in 2013. All of the papers are dedicated to precise fabrication but do not directly follow the common approaches. The paper by Grbovic et al. reports on the characterization of metal-organic hybrid metamaterials for MEMS-based terahertz (THz) thermal sensors and on characterization of the refractive index of SU-8 in the THz band. These imagers may present a much safer alternative to full body scanners. They investigated metamaterials consisting of an Al ground plane and a layer of patterned Al separated by a dielectric spacer SU-8. This type of metamaterial, coupled with the applicability of SU-8 as a structural material, offers possibilities for quick, simple microfabrication of THz imagers. SU is a low-cost material that can quickly be spun onto a substrate at a wide range of thicknesses, and then photolithographically patterned. It is also transparent toTHz radiation and thus a suitable choice for a dielectric spacer in metamaterials. Lange et al. present the fabrication, replication and waferlevel imprinting of a polynomial curvature. This manufacturing technique enables the realization of an electrostatic out-ofplane zipper actuator with considerably altered and enhanced voltage vs. deflection behavior. They achieve this result by using a UV-curable polymer, instead of the usual silicon. The paperpresents the design of an actuatorwithan integrated micromirror. The diamond turning of the master mold and the wafer-level fabrication process of the polynomial curvature is explained in detail and realized by unconventional wafer level imprinting of an UV-curable, non-conducting polymer. Stiction occurring in the release phase of the fabrication sequence of MEMS devices can be a severe problem. In the paper by Mulloni, Faes, and Margesin, the possibilities and the limits of the use of solvents with low surface tension are investigated with the application to MEMS resonators made on SOI substrates. The paper shows that for this device it is possible to obtain stiction-free structures without the necessity of more expensive and complicated techniques such as supercritical drying or HF vapor etching. In the paper by Kumar et al., the authors present a very interesting low-cost approach for the fabrication of hardmasks for photolithographic structuring, allowing for laboratory level fabrication. Instead of using expensive laser-written masks they utilize precision manufactured aluminum shadow masks which are subsequently highly demagnified to transfer the patterns onto chromated glass slides. Reliable fabrication of solid-immersion lens arrays plays an important role for the fabrication of, e.g., wave-front sensor devices. With increasing resolution of the detectors, the size of the lenses further reduces, increasing the requirement on the overall precision of the single solid immersion lens. As Kim et al. demonstrate in their paper, solid immersion lens sizes on or below the wavelength scale are almost insensitive to deviations from the ideal spherical shape. To demonstrate this effect, the authors fabricate nanostructures of various shapes by electron-beam lithography. Employing a reflow step, these structures are incompletely melted, resulting in nonspherically shaped solid immersion lenses. The authors demonstrate that due to the small size, aberrations do not play a significant role and focusing capabilities are comparable to perfect structures. Tolerances for the fabrication of nano-solid-immersion lenses are therefore relaxed. Even smaller objects are of importance in the paper of Park et al. The authors concentrate on patterning of colloidal quantum dots with nanometer resolution allowing for precise placements of emitters in nanophotonic devices. While several techniques have been presented during the last years, they are hardly compatible with today's CMOS processes. The authors circumvent this limitation by adapting a conventional lift-off method for the patterning of colloidal quantum dots, demonstrating various shapes formed by colloidal quantum dot clusters, such as straight lines, rings, and dot patterns with sub-100 nm size. As a first application of the method, a surface plasmon generator driven by a quantum dot cluster is presented. We hope that you enjoy this collection of articles.


PREAMBLE
 The purpose of these guidelines for the classification of pediatric emergency services is (a) to allow any given community to identify the level of care available for the critically injured or ill pediatric patient, and (b) provide guidance to hospitals and EMS systems as to the resources necessary to provide optimal care to these children. This is a necessary step in the development of EMS systems that meet the needs of the pediatric patient.
 These systems require (1) patient and parent recognition of when to access the system and knowledge of how to access the system; (2) prehospital care providers with appropriate expertise in the assessment and treatment of infants, children, and adolescents; (3) regional networking of hospitals at varying levels of pediatric sophistication with transport systems to ensure that the critically ill or injured child is promptly identified, stabilized, and brought to the tertiary pediatric center; (4) primary and secondary centers that have the level of expertise to care for the bulk of pediatric patients; (5) the development of pediatric tertiary care facilities with pediatric subspecialist availability for the complex patients; (6) pediatric rehabilitation and long term care programs; and (7) audit and quality assurance programs to review the care rendered.
 This document only addresses one part of a system, the classification of hospital capabilities. The systems implementation process involves a triphasic approach:
 1. The identification of the capabilities of an institution by that institution which will provide information on its compliance with the guidelines.
 2. Verification of a given hospital's compliance or noncompliance with the guidelines by outside, noninvolved individuals, the verification site review.


There has been mounting criticism (generally associated with the "weak state thesis") of the inability of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) public service to discharge its various policy formulation and implementation tasks. Such criticisms tend to be generalised in nature. Information about performance and the operational deficiencies of specific departments and policy domains derived from scholarly research has been sparse. Against this background, and using as a measure key elements of capability from the development administration literature, this study examines the state of policy advisory capability in three key central agencies within the PNG central government; identifies key constraints on the agencies' ability to provide comprehensive and reliable advice; and then proposes policy intervention measures aimed at strengthening capability. The agencies play a very influential and significant role in the government advisory machine and comprise the Department of Finance and Treasury (DF&T), the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (DPM&NEC) and the Department of Personnel Management (DPM). Analysis is primarily based on the responses from the policy staff of the lead policy units in each department. Such responses have been gauged using a questionnaire survey and indepth interviews in early and late 2002 in Port Moresby. This study shows that the problems affecting policy advisory capability are, in most cases, pervasive and systemic. Such a loss in capability tends to arise from a variety of interlocking (and often interwoven) problems from both the political and the administrative and organisational dimensions within which policy advice is developed and delivered. On a broader level, the weakening of policy advisory capability raises important implications for the organisation and delivery of quality and timely advice. In particular, there is a risk that policy issues will not be comprehensively assessed taking into account the available evidence, views of parties concerned and, most important, the implications arising from various policy options provided to ministers and the National Executive Council (NEC) (cabinet). There is, therefore, a risk of ministers and NEC being ill advised on policy issues. This, in turn, may affect the executive branch's effectiveness in policymaking. The deterioration in the policy advisory capability of the three key agencies also gives rise to doubts about whether the three agencies can effectively maintain their key functions of control, monitoring and oversight and policy coordination across the PNG public service. There is a risk of the centre of the PNG government losing its ability to control and steer the government machine. This conclusion is consistent with the existing anecdotal evidence of a deteriorating capability of the PNG public service and, to some extent supports the weak state thesis advanced in the literature. This study on the ground of three key agencies demonstrates, however, that the political environment is not the only cause of weak performance by the PNG public service. That is a function of a variety of interlocking political and administrative and organisational capability factors. An improvement in policy advice capability in PNG will require attention to the several systemic factors identified in the study. Using insights from the policy transfer literature this study shows that policy lessons from other jurisdictions could be drawn on to improve capability in policy advice in PNG.


An x-ray image-guided small animal stereotactic irradiator was developed and characterized to enable tumor visualization and accurate target localization for small field, high dose irradiation. The system utilizes a custom collimation system, a motorized positioning system (x, y, θ), a digital imaging panel and operating software, and is integrated with a commercial x-ray unit. The essential characteristics of the irradiator include small radiation fields (1–10 mm), high dose rate (>10 Gy min−1) and submillimeter target localization. The software enables computer-controlled image acquisition, stage motion and target localization providing simple and precise automated target localization. The imaging panel was characterized in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and spatial resolution. Overall localization accuracy and precision were assessed. SNR, CNR and spatial resolution are 24 dB, 21 dB and 2.8 lp mm−1, respectively, and localization accuracy is approximately 65 µm with 6 µm precision. With the aid of image guidance, system performance was subsequently used to evaluate radiation response in a rat orthotopic lung tumor effectively sparing normal tissues and in a mouse normal lung. The capabilities of 3D treatment and cone-beam computed tomography are presented for 3D localization and delivery as a work in progress.


The synthesis of very thin Ag nanowires in the presence of Br− ions is typically accompanied by the generation of a huge amount of Ag nanoparticles. Herein, we report a method to suppress the homogeneous nucleation of Ag seeds in the growth process of Ag nanowires, hence dramatically enhancing the purity of the synthesized very thin Ag nanowires. These Ag nanowires having a diameter approaching 20 nm and an aspect ratio larger than 1500, as well as an ultra-low particle impurity level of 5.5% are directly used after simple water washing to form transparent conductive films with much improved optical and electrical properties, which have great potential for high-end applications including touch panels.


In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), there is a large discrepancy between the clinical observations and how the pathology is exhibited on brain images, this is known as the clinical-radiological paradox. One of the hypotheses is that the clinical deficit may be more related to the spinal cord damage than the number or location of lesions in the brain. Therefore, investigating how the spinal cord is damaged becomes an acute challenge to better understand and overcome this paradox. Diffusion MRI is known to provide quantitative figures of neuronal degeneration and axonal loss, in the brain as well as in the spinal cord. In this paper, we propose to investigate how diffusion MRI metrics vary in the different cervical regions with the progression of the disease. We first study the reproducibility of diffusion MRI on healthy volunteers with a test-retest procedure using both standard diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and multi-compartment Ball-and-Stick models. Then, based on the test re-test quantitative calibration, we provide quantitative figures of pathology evolution between M0 and M12 in the cervical spine on a set of 31 MS patients, exhibiting how the pathology damage spans in the cervical spinal cord.


A novel method for the determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) in animal feed samples based on magnetic solid-phase cleanup and novel pre-column derivatization has been developed. In this work, synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were applied as adsorbents for rapid cleanup for extracts of animal feed samples. The purified extract was then derivatized with trifluoroacetic acid coupling ultraviolet irradiation which enabled the weakly fluorescent AFB1 and AFG1 transformed into their highly fluorescent hemiacetals derivatives. Afterward aflatoxins were separated and quantified by reverse phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The results indicated that four AFs presented excellent linear response with correlation coefficients > 0.996 and recoveries ranged from 86.7 to 108.9% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 3.6 to 6.4%. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.0392, 0.2429, 0.0842, 0.4556 ng mL for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2, respectively.


The current Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for England orders that our education foster determination, adaptability, confidence, risk-taking, enterprise, creativity and enjoyment in a cross-curricular context in pupils. To appreciate these dimensions student teachers need to have multiple opportunities to experience such a curriculum for themselves. However, initial teacher education is an intense and demanding experience; student teachers veer between phases of basic survival and personal innovation as they develop their individual pedagogy and personal philosophy. For new secondary teachers their own subject specialism forms a core feature of their emerging professional identity and can act as a barrier to collaborative practice beyond that specialism. This paper discusses one example of a cross-curricular approach in which Art and Geography PGCE students reflect on their experiences of a collaborative event designed to break down subject barriers while exploiting the potential of subject specialism. Data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of students during the two-day event is discussed. Data revealed that critical outcomes of the event included the practice and development of genuine collaboration, negotiation, teamwork, and leadership. Key words: role-based enquiry; creativity; cross-curricular; subject specialisms


The construction volume this year will reach a value of just under euro 230 billion _ a drop as compared to 2004 of close to 3%. At approximately 1.5%, the price increase should turn out somewhat higher than the previous year, which means the real construction volume will thus shrink by a good 4%. While the development during the first six months of this year was clearly on the decline, improved demand in the second half of the year makes a recovery likely. After many years of a downward trend, the construction industry could bottom out next year. Even if real construction of new buildings probably will not grow, at least the shrinking process is likely to come to an end. In particular commercial construction is a motor for growth.


Abstract Grazing by large herbivores has been shown to condition vegetation in a manner that improves grassland quality for subsequent herbivory. Fescue grasslands evolved with disturbance from fire and winter grazing by bison but are now grazed primarily by cattle during summer. We examined the effect of long-term summer grazing on the seasonal forage production and quality of fescue grasslands in an examination of the hypothesis that long-term grazing had conditioned fescue grasslands to benefit livestock. This hypothesis was examined by comparing, between grazed and ungrazed plots, the biomass and composition of herbage components, concentrations of nitrogen (N) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) therein, and the ability of major plant types to maintain their biomass and quality throughout the growing season. The study was conducted in southern Alberta at five sites that had long-term exclosures (20+ yr) on grasslands that had been moderately grazed. Grazing had no effect on the N concentration of associated grasses, but grasses had lower N concentration than forbs. Concentrations of ADF followed a reciprocal trend to N. Grazing increased the mass of forbs from about 10% to 20% as a proportion of total biomass, which in turn, was not affected by grazing history. However, this grazing-induced shift to a higher quality vegetation type was not sufficient to affect total mass of N or total digestible nutrients at the community level. Rather than changes in current growth and quality, the predominant effect of summer grazing was in reducing litter mass, which also had the potential for affecting forage production and selection by herbivores. Finally, grazing reduced the relative contribution of rough fescue to total biomass by about 30%, and despite no significant effect on the potential to support summer grazing, this change could reduce the quality of these grasslands for winter grazing.


At their early age, a large proportion of island pools were a partial sampling of mainland pools whatever islands are oceanic or fragments of the mainland. Through time, colonization, diversification, extinctions, have deeply transformed insular and continental communities and therefore the degree to which they share species. We studied the relative importance of these mechanisms by looking at the shared evolutionary history between species pools on islands and continents. Indeed, most of these mechanisms are not neutral regarding phylogeny but are linked to species evolutionary relationships. We measured the phylogenetic divergence between continental and insular monocot communities through metrics of beta Mean Pairwise Distance and beta Mean Nearest Taxon Distance. We first tested the influence of spatial and environmental distance to the continent, two main factors of divergence, but whose explanatory power in a phylogenetic context was still unclear. We showed that both dispersal and enviromental filtering were important to explain divergence, although species that could pass these filters were not phylogenetically clustered. There was however a clear distinction between oceanic and continental islands: a stable climate in the latters was key to the survival of the original biota leading to a high proportion of shared lineages between the mainland and islands. But distance to the continent was only part of the story, we investigated additionnal mechanisms of phylogenetic divergence through their relation to island features and community structure. This showed that the most divergent islands occurred in the tropics and that processes of persistence of original species, diversification in remote archipelagos, neutral colonization on easy-to-reach islands, turnover, and high speciation rates may have driven phylogenetic divergence at a world scale. This study showed how phylogenetic approaches may explain how divergence, or similarity may have arisen and provide new insights in the continental origin of plant diversity on islands.


Carbon monoxide (CO) is a naturally occurring gaseous transmitter that plays important roles in normal physiology and liver disease. Cation A (CA) has a protective effect on liver injury caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To investigate the protective effects of CA on the LPS-induced liver injury using an endotoxemic rat model, male and female SD rats with acute endotoxemia and pretreated with CA were sacrificed. Liver CO production, liver heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) mRNA, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and histopathological alterations in the liver at different time points after challenge were determined. After pretreatment with CA in the endotoxemic rats, the liver damage was alleviated, the generation of endogenous CO in plasma was reduced, and the activity of liver HO-1 and the expression of HO-1 mRNA decreased in liver tissue. This finding supports the notion that excessive CO production contributes to the liver injury in endotoxemia. Inhibition of the synthesis of CO using CA is useful as a therapeutic strategy against the liver injury caused by LPS.


Business knowledge embedded in legacy information systems is a valuable asset that must be recovered and preserved when these systems are modernized. Event logs register the execution of business activities supported by existing information systems, thus they entail a key artifact to be used for recovering the actual business processes. There exists a wide variety of techniques to discover business processes by reversing event logs. Unfortunately, event logs are typically represented with particular notations such as Mining XML (MXML) rather than the recent software modernization standard Knowledge Discovery Metamodel (KDM). Process mining techniques consequently cannot be effectively reused within software modernization projects. This paper proposes an automatic technique to transform MXML event logs into event models to be integrated into KDM repositories. Its main implication is the exploitation of valuable event logs by well-proven software modernization techniques. The model transformation has been validated through a case study involving several benchmark event logs.


Many traditional and new business applications work with inherently graphstructured data and therefore benefit from graph abstractions and operations provided in the data management layer. The property graph data model not only offers schema flexibility but also permits managing and processing data and metadata jointly. By having typical graph operations implemented directly in the database engine and exposing them both in the form of an intuitive programming interface and a declarative language, complex business application logic can be expressed more easily and executed very efficiently. In this paper we describe our ongoing work to extend the SAP HANA database with built-in graph data support. We see this as a next step on the way to provide an efficient and intuitive data management platform for modern business applications with SAP HANA.


Article history: Received August 4, 2020 Accepted August 30, 2020 Available online October 1, 2021 The objective of this study is to know the formula in making Aloe vera gel cream with VCO to create a scabies medicine and know which treatment gives the fastest healing effect of scabies in domestic cats in Mojokerto. The first step is to extract Aloe vera by infundation method, phytochemical identification test, making Aloe vera cream, testing the washing power of the cream, and testing the effect of Aloe vera gel cream on 32 cats suffering from scabies in Mojokerto, then the skin of cats suffering from scabies scraped and observed under a microscope to observe the ectoparasites that cause scabies in cats. Cats were divided into 4 treatments namely A, B, C and D. The results of this study indicated skin scrapping on 32 cats scabies in Mojokerto, exist 26 cats that were positive for Notoedres cati, 2 cats positive for Sarcoptes scabiei and 4 cats are negative. Formulas used for the manufacture of creams included stearic acid, triethanolamine, adeps lanae, paraffin liquid, VCO, nipagin, nipasol, aquades, and Aloe vera. The results of the three groups of cream formulas B, C, D caused a significant cure in cats suffering from scabies compared to control group A.


The paper studies location determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) to 16 Arab economies over the period from 1984 to 2012, by employing Arellano–Bover/Blundell–Bond linear dynamic panel data estimation. We find that market size, trade openness, preferential trade agreements and financial development have significant positive impact on FDI inflows to Arab economies. FDI in Arab economies appears to be resource seeking since the total oil supply variable is positive and significant. The paper finds that better institutions and educated labour force may play a key role in attracting FDI inflows. We suggest that Arab economies should sequence their economic policy measures with the institutional ones, beginning with a focus on privatization and trade liberalization, and subsequently shift to improvement in economic growth.


Background: Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluids on stimulation, such as pH, temperature and ionic change. Aim: To develop hydrogels that are sensitive to stimuli, i.e. pH, in the cul-de-sac of the eye for providing a prolonged effect and increased bioavailability with reduction in frequency of administration. Materials and Methods: Hydrogels were formulated by using timolol maleate as the model drug, polyacrylic acid as the gelling agents, hydroxyl ethyl cellulose as the viscolizer and sodium chloride as the isotonic agent. Stirring of ingredients in pH 4 phosphate buffer at high speed was carried out. The dynamic dialysis technique was used for drug release studies. In vivo study for reduction in intraocular pressure was carried out by using albino rabbits. Statistical Analysis: Drug release studies data were used for statistical analysis in first-order plots, Higuchi plots and Peppas exponential plots. Student t-test was performed for in vivo study. Results: Viscosity of the hydrogel increases from 3.84 cps to 9.54 cps due to change in pH 4 to pH 7.4. The slope value of the Peppas equation was found to be 0.3081, 0.3743 and 0.2964. Up to 80% of drug was released in an 8 h drug release study. Sterile hydrogels with no ocular irritation were obtained. Conclusions: Hydrogels show increase in viscosity due to change in pH. Hydrogels were therapeutically effacious, stable, non-irritant and showed Fickian diffusion. In vivo results clearly show a prolonged reduction in intraocular pressure, which was helpful for reduction in the frequency of administration.


DNA damage in the form of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers(CPDs) and (6-4) photoproducts(6-4PPs) induced by UV-B radiation in Arabidopsis thaliana at different temperatures was investigated using ELISA with specific monoclonal antibodies. CPDs and 6-4PPs increased during 3 h UV-B exposure, but further exposure led to decreases. Contrary to the commonly accepted view that DNA damage induced by UV-B radiation is temperature-independent because of its photochemical nature, we found UV-B-induction of CPDs and 6-4PPs in Arabidopsis to be slower at a low than at a high temperature. Photorepair of CPDs at 24 degrees C was much faster than that at 0 degrees C and 12 degrees C, with 50% CPDs removal during 1 h exposure to white light. Photorepair of 6-4PPs at 12 degrees C was very slow as compared with that at 24 degrees C, and almost no removal of 6-4PPs was detected after 4 h exposure to white light at 0 degrees C. There was evidence to suggest that temperature-dependent DNA damage and photorepair could have important ecological implications.


In this article, we give an overview of these items and discuss the associated technological trends. In the first section, the history of wearable electronics is summarized, with special emphasis on I/O systems and substrate and packaging issues. Interconnections for wearable devices are introduced in the second section; they can be split into wireline and wireless approaches, as well as permanent versus detachable connections. In the third section, wearable health care systems on a chip (SoCs) and systems on textiles (SoTs) are explained in connection with their appropriate applications. Since wearable health care applications are a good match with wearable technologies, most of the dedicated chips have been developed for health care monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment. A final section presents anumber of conclusions regarding wearable electronics.


Many causal and policy effects of interest are defined by linear functionals of high-dimensional or non-parametric regression functions. $\sqrt{n}$-consistent and asymptotically normal estimation of the object of interest requires debiasing to reduce the effects of regularization and/or model selection on the object of interest. Debiasing is typically achieved by adding a correction term to the plug-in estimator of the functional, which leads to properties such as semi-parametric efficiency, double robustness, and Neyman orthogonality. We implement an automatic debiasing procedure based on automatically learning the Riesz representation of the linear functional using Neural Nets and Random Forests. Our method only relies on black-box evaluation oracle access to the linear functional and does not require knowledge of its analytic form. We propose a multitasking Neural Net debiasing method with stochastic gradient descent minimization of a combined Riesz representer and regression loss, while sharing representation layers for the two functions. We also propose a Random Forest method which learns a locally linear representation of the Riesz function. Even though our method applies to arbitrary functionals, we experimentally find that it performs well compared to the state of art neural net based algorithm of Shi et al. (2019) for the case of the average treatment effect functional. We also evaluate our method on the problem of estimating average marginal effects with continuous treatments, using semi-synthetic data of gasoline price changes on gasoline demand.


The current investigation reports an effective adsorption of anionic species on [Zn-Al-CO3] and [Mn-Al-CO3] hydrotalcite-like compounds, as novel, inexpensive available alternative to the commercial hydrotalcite. LDH [Zn-Al-CO3] and [Mn-Al-CO3] were synthesized by co-precipitation at constant pH with a molar ratio of 2:1. Their calcinations lead to the formation of mixed oxides exhibiting fine dispersion of metal cations and high surface area. The structural characterization of materials was carried out by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and DTA/GT. The assay of the solutions was monitored by UV-Vis spectrometry. The removal of Trypan blue from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto hydrotalcite particles was investigated using batch rate experiments. The sorption process was also found to be influenced by contact time and solution pH. A comparative study of calcined and uncalcined LDH was performed. The adsorption kinetics study showed that the Pseudo-second-order kinetic model could be used to describe the adsorption of Trypan blue satisfactorily.


Leishmaniasis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease is endemic in developing countries of tropical regions, and in recent years economic globalization and increased travel have extended its reach to people in developed countries. In the absence of effective vaccines and vector-control measures, the main line of defence against the disease is chemotherapy. Organic pentavalent antimonials [Sb(V)] have been the first-line drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis for the last six decades, and clinical resistance to these drugs has emerged as a primary obstacle to successful treatment and control. A multiplicity of resistance mechanisms have been described in resistant Leishmania mutants developed in vitro by stepwise increases of the concentration of either antimony [Sb(III)] or the related metal arsenic [As(III)], the most prevalent mechanism being upregulated Sb(III) detoxification and sequestration. With the availability of resistant field isolates, it has now become possible to elucidate mechanisms of clinical resistance. The present review describes the mechanisms of antimony resistance in Leishmania and highlights the links between previous hypotheses and current developments in field studies. Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of clinical resistance could allow the prevention and circumvention of resistance, as well as rational drug design for the treatment of drug-resistant Leishmania.


Background: Sodium—glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have proved to be extremely effective and reliable in reducing hyperglycemia, and have also been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and renal disease in patients with or without type 2 diabetes. Thousands of research articles on SGLT2 inhibitors have been published in the past, but few bibliometric analyses have systematically been studied this field. We aimed to visualize the global research hotspots and trends of SGLT2 inhibitors using a bibliometric analysis to provide new evidence and ideas for researchers and clinicians in this field. Methods: We retrieved publications from Science Citation Index Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection in 2004–2022 on 1 July 2022. Microsoft Excel, CiteSpace and VOSviewer were employed to collect publication data, analyze publication trends, and visualize relevant results. Results: We identified 4,419 original research articles on SGLT2 inhibitors published between 2004 and the first half of 2022. Global SGLT2 inhibitors-related research increased rapidly from 2004 to 2022, especially recently. United States made the greatest contribution to the topic, with (1,629, 36.86%) publications and citations (88,892). AstraZeneca was the most prolific institutions (272, 6.16%). Heerspink HJL published the most related articles (98), whereas Zinman B was cited the most frequently (1,784 citations). Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism was the journal with the most studies (406, 9.19%), and The New England Journal of Medicine was the most commonly cited journal (11,617 citations), with nine of the top 10 co-cited references published in this journal. The emerging keywords "heart failure," "diabetic cardiomyopathy," "ejection fraction," "mortality," "biomarker," "fibrosis," "ampk," and "guideline" appeared the most recently as research frontiers. Conclusion: United States is the leader in SGLT2 inhibitor research. Recently, the research on SGLT2 inhibitors has focused on clinical trials, related mechanisms, and therapy. In the future, the research on SGLT2 inhibitors will delve into molecular mechanisms, especially those related to fibrosis and AMPK, revealing the link between SGLT2 inhibitors and heart failure and diabetic cardiomyopathy will be the next research hotspot.


The article deals with experience in the use of filtration and combined methods of extracorporeal detoxification in 201 patients with peritonitis in the phase of polyorganic insufficiency. The methods were developed in the department of abdominal surgery of the Moscow Regional Scientific Research Clinical Institute. The authors show the indications for and the advantages, the mechanisms of the effect, and the results of bifiltration cascade exchange plasmapheresis, improved hemofiltration method, and selective detoxification of portal blood, and the combination of these methods with continuous membrane blood oxygenation. The mortality reduced from 46.6% in the control group to 26.5% in the main group.


The Fatemi–Socie criterion is evaluated using the combined axial torsion fatigue testing results obtained from extensive experiments on thin-walled tubular specimens made from 304 stainless steel. The Fatemi–Socie criterion combines the maximum shear strain amplitude with a consideration of the normal stress on the critical plane. Rainflow cycle counting and Morrow's plastic work interaction rule are used to calculate fatigue damage. The fatigue life prediction is conducted by using the maximum shear strain plane as the critical plane by considering the weight function and the maximum damage plane as the critical plane. It is concluded that the results gained by two approaches are both acceptable for the case examined.


As the second most common bone malignancy in children and young adults, Ewing sarcoma represents almost 3% of paediatic cancers. Multi-disciplinary care incorporating advances in diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, supportive care and radiation has substantially improved the survival rate of patients with localised Ewing sarcoma from 10%, four decades ago, to more than 70% in recent times. Unfortunately, these advances have not significantly changed the longterm outcome for patients with metastatic or recurrent disease; five-year survival for this group remains less than 25%. Over the last four decades the chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma has advanced from use of single agents to multiagent chemotherapy including vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide, more recently in dose intense fashion with cytokine support. Multi-institutional co-operative group trials across North America and Europe have been invaluable in this effort. New agents like topotecan, irinotecan, temozolomide, gemcitabine and docetaxel, have been evaluated in phase I and II trials for recurrent disease. The role of high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue for metastatic and recurrent tumours remains inconclusive. Enhanced understanding of the biology of Ewing sarcoma has identified new targets like IGF-1R and mTOR amenable to biological therapy. Future clinical trials will focus on how and when to integrate such therapies into clinical practice.


The process of development of the infrared Imaging guidance technology and equipments in all coutries over the world and its modification are descripted.The technique performance and properties of the infrared Imaging guided seeker are discussed and their development tendancy are analyzed.


Discrete equivalents of Hermite-Gaussian functions play a critical role in the definition of a discrete fractional Fourier transform. The discrete equivalents are typically calculated through the eigendecomposition of a commutator matrix. In this letter, we first characterize the space of DFT-commuting matrices and then construct matrices approximating the Hermite-Gaussian generating differential equation and use the matrices to accurately generate the discrete equivalents of Hermite-Gaussians.


Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a multi-dimensional construct that assesses an individual's and group's perceived physical and mental health over time. Measurement of HRQoL is an important medical outcome study and its study among older adults in Bhutan is limited.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study aimed to assess HRQoL and its sociodemographic and health correlates, among older adults in Bhutan. Data for this study was collected from the four major towns of Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrupjongkhar, Bhutan, from November 2014 - February 2015, using structured questionnaire with face-to-face interview. A total of 337 Bhutanese older adults participated in this study. Statistical analysis was performed using statistical package for social science version 21.0.
Results: The overall mean score for the HRQoL among older adults in this study was 0.67 (SD: 0.13) significantly different between the gender (p-value<0.001). A significantly low scores inthe areas of role limitations (p<0.05), pain (p<0.01), mental health (p<0.001), and vitality (p<0.05) of the HRQoL was observed for the female gender. Frequent back pain (67.1%), memory decline (60.5%), depression (46.0%) mobility impairment (45.4%), insomnia (42.1%), and problem affecting breathing (31.8%) were common health problems and were significantly higher among the female gender. Better health conditions was positively related with better HRQoL (p-value<0.001).
Conclusions: Low HRQoL was reported higher among female gender and was linked to multiple and cumulative health morbidities. Members of the family, community and healthcare providers could incorporate holistic approach to foster positive health outcomes and HRQoL of the older adults.


The rotor speed and position control of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) need an encoder or resolver to obtain information about the rotor position because rotation of the SRM is achieved by switching on the phases of the SRM in sequence, which depends on the direction of rotation. These position sensors can be affected by EMI (electromagnetic interference), dust and high temperature surroundings. Several approaches have been proposed to achieve sensorless speed and position control of the SRM. A binary observer of the SRM which has two feedback loops to estimate the rotor speed of the SRM is proposed. One reduces the estimation error directly like the sliding mode observer, and the other indirectly removes the chattering of the estimation error in the rotor speed and position which occurs in the sliding mode observer. The proposed observer is constructed on the basis of variable structure control theory and has inertial terms to exclude chattering. It has good estimation performance without the chattering of the estimation error in the rotor speed and position. The proposed observer also shows the robustness of the parameter variations and disturbances. The advantages of the proposed method are verified experimentally.


Abstract Sauertylenchus maximus was discovered during a survey conducted at the Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, for the type specimens of Hoplolaimus galeatus. Besides the fresh material, the fixed specimens of S. maximus were also studied by molecular and morphological means. The morphological and morphometric characteristics of the recovered fresh material were consistent with the original and other description(s) of this species. The fixed specimens used in this study were preserved in a 3% formaldehyde and 2% glycerin solution for over 20 yr. Molecular analyses of the fresh and fixed specimens were performed using internal transcribed spacer, D2–D2 expansion segments of 28S large subunits, and 18S small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of S. maximus from Virginia and the first report of a successful DNA extraction from fixed nematode specimens.


Spectroscopy of Charge-Transfer States in Non-fullerene Acceptor Organic Solar Cells Wejdan Alsufyani The performance of non-fullerene acceptor (NFA)based organic solar cells (OSC) has shown continuous increase in recent years, reaching power‐conversion efficiencies up to 17% through the design and synthesis of efficient acceptor materials. Recent research is directed towards achieving higher efficiency of OSC, which is limited by the open-circuit voltage (Voc) which is lower than the Voc values achieved in inorganic or perovskites solar cells with comparable bandgaps. In this work, voltage losses in NFA based OSC were calculated by investigating charge‐transfer state energy (ECT) using electroluminescence spectroscopy and sensitive external quantum efficiency in three polymer:nonfullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells. PCE10:ITIC device acquired the highest ECT with a Voc of 0.82V, and a a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.91%. While PCE10:O-IDTBR obtained the highest Voc of 1.03V, a PCE of 8.02% compared to PCE10:O-IDTBCN solar cell that has a lower Voc of 0.73V with a PCE of 7.98%. Both radiative and non-radiative voltage losses were calculated. In this thesis, the high open circuit voltage of PCE10:O-IDTBR is explained by the low non-radiative voltage losses compared to PCE10:O-IDTBCN and PCE10:ITIC devices.


At around 10:30 am on 7th August, 1998, a truck was stopped as it approached the rear entrance of the U.S. embassy building in Nairobi, instigating a brief argument and confrontation between the 'Arab-looking' men in the truck and the embassy guards. This led to a shoot-out between them before a powerful explosion completely tore down half of the embassy while the entire Ufundi Cooperative Building next to it collapsed to the ground. The
site of the embassy and its adjacent streets were in a total state of chaos. In the aftermath of the attack 218 people were declared dead, over 5000 injured and property worth billions of Kenyan shillings destroyed. The bombing remains one of the worst terror attacks to have happened on Kenyan soil. Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror group, through a proxy, (the Liberation Army for the Islamic Sanctuary), claimed responsibility. In their reportage of the
rescue effort, the Kenyan media took what has been perceived as an ethnically inclined coverage by focussing on two Kikuyu victims, Rose Wanjiku and Sammy Nganga, as the most victimized; portrayed as the paragons of a reckless act of terrorism.
This study, therefore, focuses on August 7th 1998 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi
and argues that the memories of the attack are constructed and mediated through visual and performance art. These memories are utilized in the management of trauma and the
promotion of reconciliation in a post-terrorism situation in Kenya. An examination of ethnicity reveals its perversity and its threat to Kenya's tenuous nationalism and identity. The recent attack on Westgate Shopping Mall, on 21st September, 2013, and the ongoing Islamic radicalisation of youth in Kenya, means that the narrative of this study has continual resonance.


"The tense situation on the training place market induced the IAB to place the emphasis of the survey in the IAB establishment panel for western Germany in 1995 on the training behaviour of companies. This employer survey, which has been carried out by Infratest for the IAB every year since 1993 and whose data is representative for 1.6 million enterprises with 29 million employees, makes it possible to show the entire training performance of industry and administration, differentiated according to the field of business and the size of the enterprise. The development of training activities since 1993 showed that it were in particular the large companies that reduced to an even greater extent the number of training places as employment, whereas small enterprises clearly expanded their training activities at almost constant employment levels. According to the details given by the companies, no substantial change in training behaviour is to be expected in the near future. The IAB establishment panel also provides information which companies concluded new training contracts in 1995 and where these new training contracts were cancelled prematurely. In addition it was ascertained which companies had unfilled training places, where trainees successfully completed their training and were then taken on permanently, and which enterprises offer measures to keep on in the longer-term the specialized staff they had trained themselves." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))


Abstract This article examines the building of Communist surveillance networks in Czechoslovakia and Poland in the early 1950s, focusing on the methods employed by the operational divisions of the secret police in these countries and their system of "preventative policing," and shows how the secret police networks shaped the information reaching Communist party leaders and Soviet advisers in East-Central Europe during the Stalinist period. By examining how the regimes collected information on the economy, religious institutions, higher education, and other areas of everyday life, the article traces how blanket surveillance networks became more institutionalized, insular, and scripted over time, hindering the state's ability to collect and process meaningful information. These problems were symptomatic of larger informational barriers facing Soviet-style regimes.


The colony formation assay (CFA) is the gold standard for measuring the effects of cytotoxic agents on cancer cells in vitro; however, in its traditional 6-well format, it is a time-consuming assay, particularly when evaluating combination therapies. In the interest of increased efficiency, the 6-well CFA was converted to a 96-well format using an automated colony counting algorithm. The 96-well CFA was validated using ionizing radiation therapy on the FaDu (human hypopharyngeal squamous cell) and A549 (human lung) cancer cell lines. Its ability to evaluate combination therapies was investigated by the generation of dose-response curves for the combination of cisplatin and radiation therapy on FaDu and A549 cells. The 96-well CFA was then transferred to a robotic platform for evaluating its potential as a high-throughput screening (HTS) readout. The LOPAC1280 library was screened against FaDu cells, and eight putative hits were identified. Using the 96-well CFA to validate the eight putative chemicals, six of the eight were confirmed, resulting in a positive hit rate of 75%. These data indicate that the 96-well CFA can be adopted as an efficient alternative assay to the 6-well CFA in evaluating single and combination therapies in vitro, providing a possible readout that could be used on a HTS platform.


Introduction Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder of dilated cardiomyopathy in which no other cause of heart dysfunction can be identified within the final trimester of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the effect of 24-h infusion of levosimendan compared with milrinone on cardiac function and patient outcome. Patients and methods All patients enrolled in the study fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PPCM. Patients were allocated randomly into one of two groups (15 patients each): group A received levosimendan infusion (a loading dose of 12 μg/kg intravenously for 10 min, followed by an intravenous infusion 0.1-0.2 μg/kg/min) and group B received milrinone infusion (a loading dose of 50 μg/kg administered intravenously for 10 min, followed by an intravenous infusion at a dosage titrated between 0.375 and 0.750 μg/kg/min) for 24 h after delivery. Hemodynamic and cardiac function parameters [stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and systemic vascular resistance] were monitored every 6 h for 24 h; also, cardiac biomarkers were monitored every 2 days thereafter until the day of discharge. Results No significant difference was found in hemodynamic parameters between group A and group B. Milrinone-treated patients showed a significant increase in CO parameters (SV and cardiac index) compared with the levosimendan group; yet, no significant difference was found in systemic vascular resistance between the two study groups. Also, no significant differences were found in cardiac biomarkers or outcome prognosis parameters between milrinone and levosimendan groups. Conclusion PPCM is an uncommon, but life-threatening condition. Despite the significant improvement in CO parameters (SV and cardiac index) in milrinone-treated patients, there was no significant difference in hemodynamic parameters, cardiac biomarkers levels, and outcome prognosis compared with levosimendan infusion. This study paves the way for further researches to establish an optimized protocol for the management of such a challenging condition.


Atomic scale modelling suggests that excess oxygen can be accommodated in the group II perovskite zirconates by the formation of peroxide ion defects. This is unprecedented given the lack of charge compensating defects required for standard excess oxygen accommodation. The solution energy of O2 was predicted to be close to zero for BaZrO3, accommodating the peroxide ion defect more easily than in SrZrO3 or CaZrO3. This was experimentally examined by exposing SrZrO3 and BaZrO3 to hydrogen peroxide solution and then carrying out Raman spectroscopy measurements to look for a peak indicative of peroxide ions. A peak was observed at ∼1000 cm−1 in both compositions, suggesting the theoretically predicted peroxide ion is present.


Esophageal papillomatosis is a very rare condition that is believed to have a benign clinical course. Recent reports underscore the potential development of a malignancy in association with squamous papillomatosis of the esophagus. A case of esophageal papillomatosis complicated by the development of esophageal invasive squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed after esophagectomy, despite multiple nondiagnostic endoscopic biopsies, is described. The patient also developed squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity and pyloric channel. The finding of extensive esophageal papillomatosis and unremitting dysphagia symptoms should prompt investigations into an underlying associated malignancy.


Woody species survive or regenerate using different ways which are not always well defined. The potentialities of vegetative regeneration of more than 875 woody species have been collected in the table. 360 (or 41 %) are common in Africa. More of 310 African species mentioned here produce root suckers. The root suckering process has been particularly studied. Terrestrial layer, basal sprout, collar sprout, root cutting (and not stem cutting), rhizome, stolon, lignotuber and some other particularities have been taken into account to a certain extent. This list includes both observations checked in the field, and simple facts without any new scientific arguments. Only six species can develop an independent root network and so, be independent from the mother-tree. The most important objectives of this article are to improve the knowledge of these potentialities and to exhort the scientific community to clarify the definitions of the observed phenomenon. Some extensive research in this field have been neglected until now, specially in Africa, and however, they are essential. In the daily practice, it would be necessary to take advantage of these processes. Tecnics in order to induce root suckering and terrestrial layering are very simple and cheap. Useful multipurpose trees could be propagated around the fields at low cost and at short scale by rural and unfortunate populations, which are often far from the urban nurseries.