Background: The authors present the personal results
of the review of a group of cases treated for Morton's neuroma with continuous radiofrequency
(CRF) thermo-ablation of the plantar intermetatarsal nerve. Methods: This retrospective review consisted
of 29 patients treated between January 2008 and December 2011, with a minimum 1
year follow-up. Three patients underwent bilateral treatment and 10 patients underwent concomitant
treatment procedures for associated foot disorders: hallux valgus (7), tailor's
bunion (2) and hammertoe (5). The procedure was performed in a day hospital setting
under direct fluoroscopic control. Results:
The follow-up protocol used a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain (0 = no pain, 10
= worst pain) and a visual analog scale (VAS) for patient satisfaction (0 = no satisfaction,
10 = complete satisfaction). Success was defined by a decrease of 5 points in pain
at 1 year after the treatment procedure. From these 29 cases, with a VAS pain score
between severe and worst pain ever, treatment with CRF thermo-ablation at one year
follow-up yielded these results: 14 cases with no pain (48%), 7 cases with mild
pain (24%), 5 cases with moderate pain (17%), 3 cases still with severe pain (10%).
The overall benefit was that 88% of the patients had significant pain improvements. From another point of view, 26 cases (89.6%) had a decrease
of the VAS score between 5 and 10 points and in only 3 cases (10.3%) severe pain
was reported, even though it was slightly diminished after the procedure. Conclusion: Continuous radiofrequency (CRF)
thermo-ablation of Morton's neuroma (Entrapment) was a safe and minimally invasive surgical procedure which gave these
patients great satisfactions and a
rapid return to normal activity.


Researchers have highlighted the relations among language, culture and thinking for a long time and therehave been two viewpoints including Universalism and Relativism concerning this topic. Universalism assumes that we comprehend, produce and learn language using the same cognitive mechanisms. Relativism by Sapir-Whorf hypothesis assumes that language affect cognition. Researchers have found a large body of evidences supporting Sapir-Whorf hypothesis such as color categorization, spatial reasoning, temporal comparisons, and grammatical gender. Language is an important factor that may influence how we reason about the world, or even how we perceive it. The differences of English and Chinese mainly reflect in word order when scene is expressed. Do structural differences of language lead to differentiation of scenery cognition? What is the mechanism if languages can lead subjects to process scenes differently? To investigate the above problems may help to furthering the research on the relationships of language, culture and thinking, as well as providing evidence for the impact of language on cognition. Eye movement experiment was used to investigate the impact of primed language on Chinese-English bilinguals' scene processing. A total of 20 college students(7 males and 13 females) were participated in this study. 2(language style) × 3(picture-text consistency relations) design was used. Language style contained Chinese and English, picture-text consistency relations contained three types including consistency condition, foreground object inconsistency condition and background information inconsistency condition. The materials included 48 pictures and 96 primed phrases(48 Chinese phrases and 48 English phrases respectively). Among the 48 pairs of picture-text materials, there were 16 pairs sharing the same meaning between the contents of pictures and the meaning of primed phrases; the meaning of 16 primed phrases were different from the contents of pictures which was mainly reflected in the foregrounds; the meaning of 16 primed phrases were different from the contents of pictures which was mainly reflected in the backgrounds. At the beginning of the experiment, primed phrases of English or Chinese were presented, and then subjects were asked to judge the consistency relations of pictures-text pairs under Chinese and English primed conditions. The results showed that primed phrases influenced bilinguals' scene processing. Significant differences occurred on several eye movement index under the English and Chinese conditions such as the fixation duration, the fixation duration in objects, the fixation duration in backgrounds, the number of fixations in backgrounds, and the average fixation duration. The proportion of fixations to object across 14 fixations under English and Chinese primed language were depicted, which showed that in English priming condition, the backgrounds obtained extra and fast attention due to the postposition of backgrounds' information in word order. Under the Chinese condition, the transfer from foregrounds to backgrounds was late and the watching proportion was few. These differences were related to not only the properties of languages but also the depth of processing. Features of eye movement were also influenced by depth of processing. The conclusions were derived from this study:(1) Foreground objects were highlighted in picture-text consistency judgment regardless of Chinese condition or English condition.(2) Language structures affected the properties of eye movements.(3) The depth of processing affected bilinguals' scene perception.


Through employment of deuterium-labeled substrates, the triflic acid catalyzed intramolecular exo addition of the X-H(D) (X=N, O) bond of a sulfonamide, alcohol, or carboxylic acid across the C=C bond of a pendant cyclohexene moiety was found to occur, in each case, with exclusive formation (≥90%) of the anti-addition product without loss or scrambling of deuterium as determined by (1)H and (2)H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analysis. Kinetic analysis of the triflic-acid-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of N-(2-cyclohex-2'-enyl-2,2-diphenylethyl)-p-toluenesulfonamide (1a) established the second-order rate law: rate=k(2)[HOTf][1a] and the activation parameters ΔH(++)=(9.7±0.5) kcal mol(-1) and ΔS(++)=(-35±5) cal K(-1) mol(-1). An inverse α-secondary kinetic isotope effect of k(D)/k(H) =(1.15±0.03) was observed upon deuteration of the C2' position of 1a, consistent with partial C-N bond formation in the highest energy transition state of catalytic hydroamination. The results of these studies were consistent with a mechanism for the intramolecular hydroamination of 1a involving concerted, intermolecular proton transfer from an N-protonated sulfonamide to the alkenyl C3' position of 1a coupled with intramolecular anti addition of the pendant sulfonamide nitrogen atom to the alkenyl C2' position.


Fluid inclusions trapped in calcite tend to increase in volume (i.e., stretching) when heated to temperatures higher than those of the initial entrapment at the entrapment pressure, and the result is an increase in the homogenization temperature. We examined whether the stretching of fluid inclusions in calcite occurred by frictional heating on the subduction thrust exhumed from seismogenic depths (4–6 km) at which the slip is localized along the few-centimeters-thick ultracataclasite layer. The results indicate that the histograms of the homogenization temperatures of the fluid inclusions in the ultracata-clasite are marked by the pronounced skewness, with the frequency mode near the low-temperature end of the range and a tapering tail toward higher temperatures. These skewed frequency distributions are absent in the surrounding rocks and are best explained by the stretching of the fluid inclusions by the frictional heating associated with the localized slip. Experimental stretching of fluid inclusions in calcite demonstrated that the tapering tail toward high temperatures in the histograms of the homogenization temperatures from the ultra-cataclasite can be reproduced by a 50–150 °C temperature rise along the ultracataclasite with respect to the ambient temperature. Stretching of fluid inclusions in calcite could record a small temperature rise during frictional heating on faults and is potentially useful in identifying the restraint of the temperature rise by fluid pressurization during an earthquake.


Anaemia is a global public he alth problem associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The highest prevalence of anaemia exists in the developing world where its causes are multi -factorial. The objective of the study was to assess the burden of anaemia and its determinants among pregnant and non- pregnant women in Ethiopia . The 2005 Demographic and Health Survey data of Ethiopia were used . Permission to download and analyze the data was granted from ORC Macro, in Calverton, USA. SPSS v10.0 was used to analyze the data. Both univariate and multivariate analysis were carried out. Trend analysis was done using the stat -calc programme on Epi -info 2002. For all statistical tests , significance level was set at p -value of 0.05. A total of 5960 women of child bearing age were included in t he analysis. The mean haemoglobin was 12.72g/dl (95%CI: 12.66, 12.78g/dl). The general prevalence of anaemia among women was 27.7% (95%CI: 26.6, 28.9%). The prevalence of anaemia was 33.0% (95%CI: 28.7, 37.2%) and 27.3% (95%CI: 26.1, 28.4%) among pregnant and non- pregnant women respectively. The chi 2 for linear trend test revealed a significant negative association between prevalence of anaemia and women's educational status, grouped altitude of residential places and household wealth index categories (p<0 .05, for all three variables). The prevalence of anaemia was positively associated with past five years fertility level ( chi 2 for linear trend=35.2, df =2, p<0.0001). Not possessing any toilet facilities (OR 1.85 95%CI: 1.66, 2.1), being resident of rural area (OR 2.02 95%CI: 1.75, 2.32) and not using contraceptive methods (OR 1.63 95%CI: 1.34, 1.98) were also associated with prevalence of anaemia among women. Logistic regression showed toilet possession to be the only independent predictor of prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women (Adj OR 2.17 95%CI: 1.28, 3.85). However, regression analysis among non- pregnant women revealed not having any toilet facilities (Adj OR 1.20 95%CI: 1.02, 1.42), lowering altitude categories of residential areas and not using contraception methods (Adj OR 1.39 95%CI: 1.13, 1.72) to be independent predictors of prevalence of anaemia. In conclusion, anaemia is a moderate public health problem among women in Ethiopia but there exist significant differences in magnitude by socio -economic status of women and their families and where they live . Interventions designed to address maternal anaemia should pay attention to both nutritional and non- nutritional intervention strategies that may include environmental sanitation, de -worming, and provision and promotion of family planning methods.


OBJECTIVE
(1) To assess mental workloads of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in 12-hour working shifts (days and nights) using eye movement data; (2) to explore the impact of stress on the ocular metrics of nurses performing patient care in the ICU.

BACKGROUND
Prior studies have employed workload scoring systems or accelerometer data to assess ICU nurses' workload. This is the first naturalistic attempt to explore nurses' mental workload using eye movement data.

METHODS
Tobii Pro Glasses 2 eye-tracking and Empatica E4 devices were used to collect eye movement and physiological data from 15 nurses during 12-hour shifts (252 observation hours). We used mixed-effect models and an ordinal regression model with a random effect to analyze the changes in eye movement metrics during high stress episodes.

RESULTS
While the cadence and characteristics of nurse workload can vary between day shift and night shift, no significant difference in eye movement values was detected. However, eye movement metrics showed that the initial handoff period of nursing shifts has a higher mental workload compared with other times. Analysis of ocular metrics showed that stress is positively associated with an increase in number of eye fixations and gaze entropy, but negatively correlated with the duration of saccades and pupil diameter.

CONCLUSION
Eye-tracking technology can be used to assess the temporal variation of stress and associated changes with mental workload in the ICU environment. A real-time system could be developed for monitoring stress and workload for intervention development.


The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians adopt universal alcohol screening and brief intervention as a routine preventive service for adults, and efforts are underway to support its widespread dissemination. The likelihood that healthcare systems will sustain this change, once implemented, is under-reported in the literature. This article identifies factors that were important to postimplementation sustainability of an evidence-based practice change to address alcohol misuse that was piloted within three diverse primary care organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded three academic teams to pilot and evaluate implementation of alcohol screening and brief intervention within multiclinic healthcare systems in their respective regions. Following the completion of the pilots, teams used the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool to retrospectively describe and compare differences across eight sustainability domains, identify strengths and potential threats to sustainability, and make recommendations for improvement. Health systems varied across all domains, with greatest differences noted for Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Funding Stability. Lack of funding to sustain practice change, or data monitoring to promote fit and fidelity, was an indication of diminished Organizational Capacity in systems that discontinued the service after the pilot. Early assessment of sustainability factors may identify potential threats that could be addressed prior to, or during implementation to enhance Organizational Capacity. Although this study provides a retrospective assessment conducted by external academic teams, it identifies factors that may be relevant for translating evidence-based behavioral interventions in a way that assures that they are sustained within healthcare systems.


Networks of ZnO/single-wall carbon nanotube (ZnO/ SWNT) composites were investigated as resistive gas sensors for NO2 detection. Sensor films were spin coated on sapphire substrates. Sensors' response, in dry air and in NO2 atmosphere, was measured by resistance measurements in the temperature range from 25 to 300° C and gas concentration from 1 to 1000 ppm. At room temperature, ZnO/SWNT composites with equal weight ratio have shown quite high sensitivity to NO2 concentrations as low as 1 ppm. Significant increase in the sensitivity of the composite at higher temperatures up to 300° C compared to that of ZnO free SWNTs. All tested sensors exhibited high stability and relatively low response and recovery times. The highest response values of the composite were obtained at temperatures ranging between 100 °C and 300 °C and gas concentrations higher that 50 ppm. For all gas concentrations, the ZnO/SWNT sensor shows much better performance at temperatures higher than 100° C compared to the SWNT sensor. Our results revealed that the measured sensitivity upon exposure to NO2 strongly depends on the microstructure and the preparation conditions of the composite material. The gas detection mechanisms along with the optimal gas sensing parameters were discussed.


Abstract The structural relationships between the new mineral markascherite, ideally Cu3(MoO4)(OH)4, and the related minerals szenicsite, antlerite, deloryite, flinkite, retzian, and cahnite are analyzed using hypothetical ideal closest-packed equivalents. Markascherite and the first three related minerals are based on cubic closest-packing (CCP) of anions, flinkite is based on stacking sequence ABAC, and retzian and cahnite are based on hexagonal closest-packing (HCP). However, models that are more realistic than those based on CP can be constructed for retzian and cahnite using small but systematic alterations of CP monolayers. A regular pattern of slight dislocations of some of the spheres in the monolayers creates dodecahedral interstitial sites when the monolayers are stacked, a feature not seen in perfect CP. The use of ideal crystals removes all distortion from polyhedra in closest-packed minerals, allowing for comparison of structural similarities and differences. CCP minerals can have up to four nonequivalent stacking directions. Corresponding stacking directions in the minerals of interest are identified and used to compare the layers of cation coordination polyhedra perpendicular to these zones or face poles (stacking directions are presented in both direct space and reciprocal space). Such layers are natural structural subunits and provide insight into the relationships among these minerals.


General dentists often are among the first to be consulted when a patient experiences facial pain. Frequently, the cause is obvious. However, there are cases in which the etiological factor is not so evident. Often, in an attempt to help relieve a patient of pain and suffering, irreversible, invasive procedures are undertaken that prove only to increase the patient's pain and the practitioner's frustration. Three common pain syndromes that may be confused with odontogenic pain are discussed: temporal tendinitis, Ernest syndrome, and atypical trigeminal neuralgia. The symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments for all three disorders are presented, as is a newly described muscle, the zygomandibularis.


This work explores sources of conflict among forager-horticulturalist women in Amazonian Bolivia, and applies life history theory as a tool for understanding competitive and cooperative social networking behaviors among women. In this study, 121 Tsimane women and girls were interviewed regarding current and past disagreements with others in their community to identify categories of contested resources that instigate interpersonal conflicts, often resulting in incidences of social aggression. Analysis of frequency data on quarrels (N = 334) reveals that women target several diverse categories of resources, with social types appearing as frequently as food and mates. It was also found that the focus of women's competition changes throughout the life-course, consistent with the notion that current vs. future reproduction and quantity-quality trade-offs might have different influences on competition and social conflict over resources within women's social networks across different age groups.


This paper is focused on the development and field deployment of a multi-parameter and distributed fiber optic sensor for monitoring of soil and groundwater during in-situ thermal remediation of contaminated brownfields. In-situ thermal remediation (ISTR) is a process in which the soil and groundwater are heated using localized heat sources to evaporate and extract hazardous substances and pollutants from brownfields. In this research, the unique advantages of fiber optic is leveraged through the development of transducers for distributed sensing of temperature and pressure which are critical performance parameters for assessing the efficiency of any ISTR process.


A new fiber-optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot microinterferometer (cantilever beam type) vibration sensor (EFPI-V) is described. A two-wavelength demodulation scheme is implemented for eliminating signal fading effects. The theoretical model of this sensor with pronounced eigenfrequency spectrum in the acoustic range is confirmed by experimental results. Initial field tests in an experimental airport ground traffic surveillance system for vehicle detection via monitoring of structural vibrations demonstrate the application as traffic sensor.


It is a difficult operation to suppress the swing of round payload of a rough terrain crane. We propose a control rule to assist the operation. The stability by the control rule is confirmed with the Lyapunov stability criterion. We propose an operational assistance method with haptic display based on the rule. The system can adapt the strength of assistance to operator's state using recursive fuzzy inference. Some experiments on a crane simulator are performed and show the effectiveness of the proposed system.


We propose real-space renormalized dynamical mean field theory (rr-DMFT) to deal with large clusters in the framework of a cluster extension of the DMFT. In the rr-DMFT, large clusters are decomposed into multiple smaller clusters through a real-space renormalization. In this work, the renormalization effect is taken into account only at the lowest order with respect to the intercluster coupling, which nonetheless reproduces exactly both the noninteracting and atomic limits. Our method allows us large cluster-size calculations which are intractable with the conventional cluster extensions of the DMFT with impurity solvers, such as the continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo and exact diagonalization methods. We benchmark the rr-DMFT for the two-dimensional Hubbard model on a square lattice at and away from half filling, where the spatial correlations play important roles. Our results on the spin structure factor indicate that the growth of the antiferromagnetic spin correlation is taken into account beyond the decomposed cluster size. We also show that the self-energy obtained from the large-cluster solver is reproduced by our method better than the solution obtained directly for the smaller cluster. When applied to the Mott metal-insulator transition, the rr-DMFT is able to reproduce the reduced critical value for the Coulomb interaction comparable to the large cluster result.


Background In Eastern Indonesia, the incidence of pneumonia in under-5-year-old children is mostly predicted by environmental factors, such as exposure to household smoke and tobacco smoke. Sociocultural ideas shape the perception of parents on the effect of tobacco smoke thus influence their behaviour on reducing the smoke exposure on their child. The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of parents of under-5-year-old children with pneumonia about the effects of exposure to tobacco smoke. Design and Methods This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach. The study participants were 11 parents of under-5-year-old children with pneumonia in Manggarai, Eastern Indonesia. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and then analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Results The themes identified in the present study were i) "I know the risk of smoke, I can't help it" various perceptions on tobacco smoke effect; ii) tobacco causes shortness of breath on under-5-year-old children; and iii) tobacco smoke taking tolls on family's health and economy. Conclusions The findings revealed that parent view tobacco smoke endanger children's health and hamper the socio-economic well-being of the family. It is necessary to improve parent's awareness about the effects of tobacco smoke through effective nursing communication that suits the family's needs and conditions.


Breast cancer affects women at relatively high frequency (1). We mined published microarray datasets (2, 3) to determine in an unbiased fashion and at the systems level genes most differentially expressed in the primary tumors of patients with breast cancer. We report here significant differential expression of the gene encoding the dynein light chain LC8 type 1, DYNLL1, when comparing primary tumors of the breast to the tissue of origin, the normal breast. DYNLL1 was also differentially expressed in the tumor cells of patients with triple negative breast cancer. DYNLL1 mRNA was present at significantly higher quantities in tumors of the breast as compared to normal breast tissue. Analysis of human survival data revealed that expression of DYNLL1 in primary tumors of the breast was correlated with overall survival in patients with luminal B subtype cancer, demonstrating a relationship between correlation of primary tumor expression with recurrence-free survival based on molecular subtype. DYNLL1 may be of relevance to initiation, maintenance or progression of cancers of the female breast.


The issue addressed is that of whether singular definite expressions with unique denotata, e.g. the zodiac, are proper names or not. These are analyzed as special cases of a class of expressions ambiguous between a proper and a common meaning, e.g. the w/West b/Bank. The ambiguity of this type is held to be a function of different modes of reference, grounded in different intentions of the speaker or hearer: onomastic reference, i.e. intension-free; or semantic reference, i.e. reference mediated by word meaning in the standard way. Under different intentions, therefore, the expressions in question are either proper or common. Properhood is therefore a function of the former type of reference, and not a structural category. A problem in the philosophy of science that this view provokes is addressed.


The problem of income inequality is globally relevant, receiving the attention of both scientists and pol- iticians. Lithuania as a small country has made significant progress in approaching the standard of liv- ing in Western Europe. However, there are still differences in economic growth between separate popula- tion groups. Thus, the problem of income inequality remains very acute. Currently, researchers are widely discussing the risk of income inequality to the country's society by analysing its causes and proposing var- ious solutions. Although scientific debates address income inequality across regions, such studies are often limited to examples of large countries. Meanwhile, there is a lack of studies on regional income inequality in small countries, so the question of whether a small country is characterised by regional income inequal- ity remains open. This research aims to examine the level of regional income inequality in Lithuania. We hy- pothesised that Lithuania has a high level of regional income inequality and this is one of the causes of the high income inequality in the whole country. To estimate regional income inequality, we used the most com- mon measures: Gini coefficient, decile ratio, and the coefficient of variation. The analysis was performed at level 3 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), according to which Lithuania is divided into 10 administrative counties. For this research, we chose the indicators illustrating income per capita on various levels, i.e., gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, average disposable household income per cap- ita, and gross hourly wages, as the various types of income can be used. For the estimation of GDP per cap- ita and average disposable household income, we analysed the data provided by the Lithuanian Department of Statistics (Statistics Lithuania) for 2014–2017. Due to a lack of data to estimate gross hourly wages, we examined the statistical data from the Lithuanian Department of Statistics for 2014. The results show that the hypothesis has not been confirmed. According to the research results, there is a small distribution of in- come between different regions of a small economy, although the level of economic development of different regions differs. The study findings are important not only from an academic perspective for identifying the causes of income inequality and raising questions for further research, but also for regional economic policy makers. The obtained results show that decisions related to a more equal distribution of income in Lithuania as a small country are determined not only by the specificity of its regions but also by the general trends of the country.


It is generally accepted that the reproducibility crisis in the fields of natural and biological sciences is in part due to the misuse of the Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST). We review the shortcomings in the use of NHST and then go beyond these to consider additional issues. Many natural systems are time-varying and some are scale-free, which requires design of new methods for such cases. We also consider the problem from the perspective of information efficiency and since three-way logic is superior to two-way logic, we argue that adding a third hypothesis may be beneficial in certain applications.


The internationalization of financial markets and the increasing demand for risk management products have fueled the growth of derivatives markets. While most exchanges have experienced increasing volumes over recent years, the pace of growth varies widely across exchanges, and the established marketplaces face increasing competitive pressures. In this paper, we investigate whether the trading mechanism offered to derivatives investors influences growth in market volumes. In particular,we distinguish between manual open outcry and electronic trading. In a floor market, traders gather in a pit and announce their orders. They complete trades using acombination of hand signals and eye contact. In an electronic market, orders a resubmitted to a central order book, and trades are created according to a matching algorithm. Using volume data from 1990-1994 for futures and options exchanges worldwide, we compute growth rates for the largest contracts and find that contracts traded in screen-based exchanges have experienced faster growth than those traded inmanual markets. We discuss several interpretations of the data, but conclude that electronic exchanges are developing a competitive advantage.


The study objective is to analyze the effect microcredit scheme on household income in Northern Cross River State. The convenient sampling technique was used in collecting data from three Local Government Area that make up Northern Cross River State. The Survey Monkey Sample Determinant Technique was used to arrive at a sample size of 1515, selected using a stratified and convenience sampling technique from Northern Cross River State, Nigeria. A self-developed semi-structured questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Linear Regression. Out of the 1515 instrument distributed, 1306 was returned and used for analysis. The result revealed that all the participants were beneficiaries of Microcredit Scheme. 95.02 per cent reported that since benefitting from Microcredit scheme, their businesses have improved, and 96.78 per cent reporting that their family's living condition has improved since benefitting from microcredit scheme. The results from the descriptive analysis were subjected to parametric statistics using simple linear regression. The results review that woman involving in microcredit scheme has significantly improved household income in the Northern Cross River. This is because the result indicated an R-value of .245a. The regression ANOVA revealed that the F (1, 1307) = 83.345; p < .05, is significant. Based on this result, the study recommends a need for various enlightenment programmes to educate rural people on the benefit of obtaining microcredit for businesses and economic activities that will help move them out of poverty.


This systematic review investigated the effect of proprioceptive and balance exercise on outcomes following injury and surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Five studies of high quality that offered empirical evidence by comparing one rehabilitation program to another were included in this review. There is some evidence that proprioceptive and balance exercise improves outcomes in individuals with ACL-deficient knees. Improvements in joint position sense, muscle strength, perceived knee joint function, and hop testing were reported following proprioceptive and balance exercise. Only one included study investigated proprioceptive exercise following ACL reconstruction. Benefits were noted in the proprioceptive group for measures of strength and proprioception; however, no benefits were noted for any measures of activity. No detrimental effects—such as increased passive joint laxity or decrease in strength—were noted when compared with standard rehabilitation programs for both ACL-deficient and ACL-reconstructed individuals. Further research is required to determine if proprioceptive and balance exercise improves long-term outcomes such as return to sport.


CONTEXT
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is the most influential Alzheimer disease (AD) risk factor after advanced age. The APOE4 alleles decrease and the APOE2 alleles increase age at onset of AD. Human and nonhuman primate data suggest that in midlife, the structural integrity of myelin sheaths begins breaking down, with an accelerating age-related trajectory most evident in the brain's later-myelinating association regions. This may result in a progressive "disconnection" of widely distributed neural networks that may underlie the age risk factor for AD.

OBJECTIVE
To assess, using magnetic resonance imaging, whether the shift in age at onset of AD observed with the APOE genotype is associated with the trajectory of age-related myelin breakdown.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional.

SETTING
Metropolitan university medical center.

PARTICIPANTS
Healthy individuals (N = 104) aged 55 to 75 years who underwent genotyping for APOE.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Calculated transverse relaxation rates, an indirect measure of white matter structural integrity, for late-myelinating frontal lobe white matter (Fwm) and early- and later-myelinating regions of the corpus callosum, the splenium (Swm) and the genu (Gwm).

RESULTS
The presence of the protective APOE2 allele was associated with significantly higher relaxation rates in Fwm and Gwm but not in Swm. Furthermore, APOE status impacted the trajectory of age-related myelin breakdown in late-myelinating regions (Fwm and Gwm) but not in Swm. In Fwm and Gwm, APOE4+ individuals had a steeper slope of decline in relaxation rates with age than APOE2+ individuals; those with APOE3/3 alleles had an intermediate slope.

CONCLUSIONS
In later-myelinating regions, the severity and rate of myelin breakdown in healthy older individuals are associated with APOE status and support the hypothesis that this process may contribute to age at onset of AD. Combining APOE status with noninvasive measures of myelin breakdown may be useful in assessing treatment strategies for the primary prevention of AD.


We have constructed a large-scale transcriptome database of rat liver treated with various drugs. In an effort to identify a biomarker for interpretation of plasma triglyceride (TG) decrease, we extracted 218 probe sets of rat hepatic genes from data of 15 drugs that decreased the plasma TG level but differentially affected food consumption. Pathway and gene ontology analysis revealed that the genes belong to amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and xenobiotics metabolism. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that 12 out of 15 compounds were separated in the direction of PC1, and these 12 were separated in the direction of PC2, according to their hepatic gene expression profiles. It was found that genes with either large or small eigenvector values in principal component PC 2 were those reported to be regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha or constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), respectively. In fact, WY-14,643, clofibrate, gemfibrozil and benzbromarone, reported to be PPARalpha activators, distributed to the former, whereas propylthiouracil, omeprazole, phenobarbital, thioacetamide, methapyrilene, sulfasalazine and coumarin did to the latter. We conclude that these identified 218 probe sets could be a useful source of biomarkers for classification of plasma TG decrease, based on the mechanisms involving PPARalpha and CAR.


Using monoclonal anti‐Leu 8 antibody to isolate subpopulations of human helper/inducer (CD4+) and suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells, we have investigated the role of these subpopulations in the regulation of B cell differentiation in the human autologous mixed leukocyte reaction (AMLR). Whereas AMLR‐activated CD8+,Leu8− cells were capable of suppressing fresh AMLR cultures in the absence of fresh CD8+ cells, CD8+, Leu8+ cells suppressed only those cultures containing fresh CD8+ cells. On the other hand, CD8+, Leu8− cells became suppressor cells only when cultured in the presence of CD8+,Leu8+ cells. Finally, the development of CD8+ suppressor cells was dependent on the presence of CD4+,Leu8+ cells; CD4+,Leu8− cells were incapable of acting as suppressor‐inducer cells, but have been shown previously to mediate T cell help for B cell differentiation. Thus, at least 3 phenotypically distinct subsets of T cells interact sequentially to generate suppression of B cell differentiation induced in the AMLR: CD4+,Leu8+ suppressor/inducer cells, CD8+,Leu8+ suppressor‐amplifier cells and CD8+Leu8− suppressor‐effector cells.


Under imitating human physiological solution, the fretting behaviors of flat cortical bone specimen from fresh human femur in the axial orientation against TA2 titanium ball with diameter of 40 mm had been investigated. The coefficients of friction (COF) and fretting logs were calculated automatically. The worn surfaces of the cortical bone were analyzed by means of laser confocal scanning microscopy. The results showed that the fretting logs for the cortical bone varied with the increase of the cycles from the elastic partial slip (D=5 (m), the elastoplastic partial slip (D=15 (m) to gross slip (D=30 (m), respectively. The fretting regime transformed from the partial slip regime directly to the gross slip regime without the mixed fretting regime. And the evolution of the COF in each fretting condition was also compared statistically. The fretting damage in the elastic partial slip state was slight. But the abrasive wear and micro-fracture were observed in the plastoelastic partial slip state and gross slip regime. The wear depth increased with cycles and well related to the COF of the cortical bone in each fretting condition. To reduce the fretting damages of bone, it is advisable to control the displacement amplitude at bone-implant interface.


ABSTRACT Recent reports from students and teachers alike suggest that even though teaching creationism as a credible scientific theory in public schools is clearly unconstitutional, some teachers still do just that. Conversely, despite the fact that many states' educational standards explicitly require that evolution be taught, anecdotal evidence also suggests that evolution sometimes is not discussed at all or, more frequently, may be the subject of mere cursory instruction. But, how widespread are these practices? This Article reports and analyzes the results of a 2006 survey in which nearly 1,000 college students from across the country provided their recollections about the frequency and manner of evolution, creationism, and intelligent design instruction in their high school science classes. In sum, about three out of ten recent public high school graduate respondents recalled that they were taught about creationism in science class and two out often reported receiving intelligent design instruction, although not all instruction communicated that a given concept was scientifically credible. Nearly all recent public high school graduate respondents reported receiving some evolution instruction (92%), but surprisingly few (73%) received much of it. Additionally, the results of this survey show that cultural factors such as politics and geographic region are somewhat more strongly correlated with disparities in perceived classroom instruction than are states' educational standards; the rate of disregard for constitutional principles in this context is low but definitely not nonexistent; and legal literature does not sufficiently address constitutionally problematic practices occurring in classrooms. I. INTRODUCTION The scene is not difficult to picture: it is May-this year, ten years ago, five years hence-and as the school year draws to a close, a public high school biology teacher skims over the theory1 of evolution in class, perhaps following a suggestion from the principal or a more formal direction from the local school board or the state board of education, maybe afraid to invoke the ire of some students or parents (or just too worn down to deal with the potential fallout), or possibly playing out his or her own skepticism of Charles Darwin's big idea. For these reasons or others, the teacher may go further still and present creationism or intelligent design as a scientifically valid alternative to evolution. Variations of this story, by now, are the subject of frequent anecdotes.2 But, a dearth of research exists in this area, particularly regarding the perspectives of the students themselves who currently attend or recently graduated from public high schools across the country, and so we have little idea whether those anecdotes are merely isolated, decreasingly frequent instances, or whether they are reflective of widespread contemporary practices. This lack of information has impacted legal scholarship. Admirable works in this area have engaged complex questions of the constitutionality of various practices, questioned the propriety of different Establishment Clause tests or factors, and considered ways in which science and religion can be compatible.3 However, because our sense of what happens in public high school science classrooms often is based more on conventional wisdom than anything else, this scholarship largely has been unable to situate the issues it discusses in the relevant social context by making reference to the magnitude of any particular classroom practice identified as a "problem." Thus we don't know to what extent the existing scholarship addresses pervasive practices in our schools or relatively infrequent ones, and to what degree Establishment Clause doctrine has consistently filtered down into classrooms. Stated more bluntly, we have not had the data that will allow us to discuss in a comprehensive way how frequently public high school science teachers broach the topics of evolution, creationism, or intelligent design in a manner that violates well-settled, or emerging, dictates of constitutional law or state regulation. …


Under unknown directional lighting, the uncalibrated Lambertian photometric stereo algorithm recovers the shape of a smooth surface up to the generalized bas-relief (GBR) ambiguity. We resolve this ambiguity from the half vector symmetry, which is observed in many isotropic materials. Under this symmetry, a 2D BRDF slice with low-rank structure can be obtained from an image, if the surface normals and light directions are correctly recovered. In general, this structure is destroyed by the GBR ambiguity. As a result, we can resolve the ambiguity by restoring this structure. We develop a simple algorithm of auto-calibration from separable homogeneous specular reflection of real images. Compared with previous methods, this method takes a holistic approach to exploiting reflectance symmetry and produces superior results.


Understanding images without explicit supervision has become an important problem in computer vision. In this paper, we address image captioning by generating language descriptions of scenes without learning from annotated pairs of images and their captions. The core component of our approach is a shared latent space that is structured by visual concepts. In this space, the two modalities should be indistinguishable. A language model is first trained to encode sentences into semantically structured embeddings. Image features that are translated into this embedding space can be decoded into descriptions through the same language model, similarly to sentence embeddings. This translation is learned from weakly paired images and text using a loss robust to noisy assignments and a conditional adversarial component. Our approach allows to exploit large text corpora outside the annotated distributions of image/caption data. Our experiments show that the proposed domain alignment learns a semantically meaningful representation which outperforms previous work.


In this paper I investigate a change in the word order patterns of Greek nominalizations that took place from the Classical Greek (CG) period to the Modem Greek (MG) one. Specifically, in CG both the patterns in (A), with its two subtypes, and (B) were possible; the MG system, on the other hand, exhibits only the (B) pattern. The difference between the two systems is that agents can only be introduced in the form of prepositional phrase in MG nominals in a position following the head noun, while they could appear in a prenominal position bearing genitive case in CG. Moreover, the theme genitive, i.e. the objective genitive, could precede the head nominal in CG; this is no longer the case in MG, where the theme genitive follows the head noun obligatorily: (A) i) Det-(Genagent)-Nprocess-Gentheme 1 ii) Det-Gentheme-Nprocess (B)Det-Nprocess-Gentheme (PPagent) I argue that the unavailability of (A) in MG is linked to the nature and the properties associated with a nominal functional projection contained within process non~inals and to other related changes in the nominal system of Greek.


Policymakers and managers in the U.S. energy sector will face complex multidimensional challenges as they confront potential supply shortfalls, infrastructure constraints, and environmental limitations in the years ahead. Using a technique known as scenario analysis, this paper investigates key energy issues and decisions that could improve or reduce the ability of the United States to deal with the uncertainties that may challenge the U.S. economy during the next fifty years. Four scenarios have been developed representing a diverse range of future worlds to explore the driving forces and critical uncertainties that may shape U.S. energy markets and the economy for the next fifty years. Each scenario has been quantified using a computable general equilibrium model, the All Modular Industry Growth Assessment model, also known as the AMIGA modeling system. The preliminary results from the scenario analysis suggest that the range of feasible U.S. energy futures is broad, but that energy use is expected to grow under all scenarios.


This paper disentangles direct spillovers and common factors as sources of correlations in simultaneous heteroscedastic systems. While these different components are not identifiable by standard means without restrictions, it is shown that they can be pinned down by specifying the variances of the latent idiosyncratic and common shocks as ARCH-type processes. Applying an adapted Kalman filter estimation method to Dow and Nasdaq stock returns, predominant spillovers from the Dow and substantial rising factor exposure are found. While the latter is shown to prevail in the recent global financial crisis, volatility in the dot-com bubble period was driven by Nasdaq shocks.


In this paper we propose a classification scheme to isolate truly benign tumors from those that initially start off as benign but subsequently show metastases. A non-parametric artificial neural network methodology has been chosen because of the analytical difficulties associated with extraction of closed-form stochastic-likelihood parameters given the extremely complicated and possibly non-linear behavior of the state variables. This is intended as the first of a three-part research output. In this paper, we have proposed and justified the computational schema. In the second part we shall set up a working model of our schema and pilot-test it with clinical data while in the concluding part we shall give an in-depth analysis of the numerical output and model findings and compare it to existing methods of tumor growth modeling and malignancy prediction.


There is an increasing interest in pollution of the free atmosphere by airborne gases and aerosols and in evaluating the effects of such pollution on the environment. In many instances, control of air pollution is not undertaken until an environmental insult is proved. Evaluation of the insult generally means a survey which may take several forms. Testimony may be taken of claimed hazards; physiological and materials damage could be assessed; vegetation might be sampled and analyzed for suspected contaminants; or air samples may be collected. In the present state of scientific knowledge concerning air pollution, some information about the presence and concentration of suspected materials in the air is essential for correlation with other observations. There are numerous satisfactory methods available for accomplishing this end.


Neural crest rules the gut The neurons and glial cells that regulate gut function derive from neural crest cells that emerge from the developing neural tube. Lasrado et al. used single-cell transcriptomics and mosaic mutagenesis to follow how the enteric nervous system is built in mice. Overlapping expression of regulatory programs supports dynamic determination of cell fates, with the developing neurons organized by clonal lineages. The clonal build model may explain how gut motility is coordinated in sequential segments and gut secretion is coordinated with motility. Science, this issue p. 722 Neural crest cells populate the gut in an organized manner correlating with functional domains. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is essential for digestive function and gut homeostasis. Here we show that the amorphous neuroglia networks of the mouse ENS are composed of overlapping clonal units founded by postmigratory neural crest–derived progenitors. The spatial configuration of ENS clones depends on proliferation-driven local interactions of ENS progenitors with lineally unrelated neuroectodermal cells, the ordered colonization of the serosa-mucosa axis by clonal descendants, and gut expansion. Single-cell transcriptomics and mutagenesis analysis delineated dynamic molecular states of ENS progenitors and identified RET as a regulator of neurogenic commitment. Clonally related enteric neurons exhibit synchronous activity in response to network stimulation. Thus, lineage relationships underpin the organization of the peripheral nervous system.


A new modeling method for estimation of the longevity of infiltration system was suggested in this study. The model was one-dimensional, based on results from long-term infiltration sites in Sweden, taking some physical and chemical parameters as controlling factors. It defines the longevity of infiltration systems as the time during which the P solution in effulent is under national criteria (1 mg/L in this study), and it aims at providing the longevity for any given point of the infiltration system. The soil in the model was assumed to be totally homogenous and isotropic and water flow was assumed to be unsaturated flow and constant continuous inflow. The flow rate was calculated from the Swedish criteria for infiltration systems. The dominant process in the model would be the solute transport process; however, retardation controlled by sorption would play a more important role than advection and dispersion in determining the longevity in the model. By using the definition of longevity in this study, the longevity of the three soil columns at 1 m depth (Knivingaryd, Ringamala and Luvehult) were 1703 days, 1674 days and 2575 days. The exhaustion time of the three soil columns under inflow of 5 mg/L were 2531 days, 2709 days and 3673 days. The calculated sorbed phosphorus quantity for soil from sites Kn, Lu and Ri when they reach estimated longevity were 0.177, 0.288 and 0.168 mg/g, while the maximum sorption of Kn, Lu and Ri were 0.182, 0.293 and 0.176 mg/g separately. From the result of sensitivity study of the model, the sorption capacity and flow velocity were most important to the longevity of the infiltration system. Lower flow velocity and higher P sorption capacity extend the longevity of an infiltration bed. Due to the sorption isotherm selected in this study and the assumption of instant equilibrium, the sorption rate of the soil column was quite linear, although the estimated longevity was much shorter than the real exhaustion time of the soil column. In fact the soil has almost reached its sorption maximum when the system reaches its longevity.


Peer-to-peer has entered the public limelight over the last few years. Several research projects are underway on peer-to-peer technologies, but no definitive conclusion is currently available. Compared with traditional Internet technologies, peer-to-peer has the potential to realize highly scalable, extensible, and efficient distributed applications. This is because its basic functions realize resource discovery, resource sharing, and load balancing in a highly distributed manner. An easy prediction is the emergence of an environment in which many sensors, people, and many different kinds of objects exist, move, and communicate with one another. Peer-to-peer is one of the most important and suitable technologies for such networking since it supports discovery mechanisms, simple one-to-one communication between devices, free and extensible distribution of resources, and distributed search to handle the enormous number of resources. The purpose of this study is to explore a universal peer-to-peer network architecture that will allow various devices to communicate with one another across various networks. We have been designing architecture and protocols for realizing peer-to-peer networking among various devices. We are currently designing APIs that are available for various peer-to-peer applications and are implementing a prototype called "Jupiter" as a peer-to-peer networking platform over heterogeneous networks.


Coastal areas such as the German Bight are at risk from storms and rising sea level that may affect the hydrogeologic setting. Because knowledge of the distribution of clayey sediments is important for understanding the current status of this dynamic setting, the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) has focused on geophysical research projects on the North Sea coast applying airborne and ground geophysics. The airborne system operated by BGR was used to survey a 20- by 31-km large coastal area in Eastern Friesland, Germany, including the islands of Langeoog and Spiekeroog. Helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) data were collected at six frequencies. In addition, the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics commissioned a SkyTEM survey covering a 2-km-wide north–south strip. On the island of Langeoog, ground geophysical methods, such as transient electromagnetics (TEM) and magnetic resonance soundings (MRS) were used to investigate the hydrogeologic setting in greater detail. Onshore, the airborne electromagnetic results clearly outlined a complex electrically conductive pattern occurring at a shallow depth. Comparison with borehole results provided by the State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology confirmed that these conductors were caused by clayey material, particularly down to an approximate 20-m depth. This pattern continues offshore, and it is likely that the saltwater is linked to stripes of clayey sediments and the fresh groundwater flows out to the Wadden Sea in between. On the islands, the HEM results revealed the freshwater lenses and showed some indications for clay layers within these freshwater lenses. The application of TEM and MRS helped to distinguish lithology from salinity and confirmed the existence of these clay layers. We demonstrated the usefulness of combining the spatial airborne data with geophysical and borehole data available at sparsely distributed sites on the ground to investigate hydrogeologic settings.


Academic works have indicated which didactic methods to teaching engineers fail in the professional preparation, despite the international effort to create competences for engineering students. Studies about teaching in engineering in general, and in civil engineering, specifically, are scarce, or is in the incipient period, at least in relation to and compared to the material dedicated to the same subject by mathematicians, then, the aim of this paper is to discuss if some aspects of the modern technique of mathematics could be applied in engineering teaching, in specific case for the problem solving methodology.


In this study, the surface adhesion of the ink on composite materials was examined. For this purpose, composite materials were produced by adding polypropylene, thus polyethylene thermoplastic matrices were reinforced with sisal fibres. After the production of composites, the screen-printing process using water-based ink was applied to composite surfaces to investigate printing performance. As a result of these applications, the printability of the PE was found to be better than the PP. Also, the ink was adhered to the surface by forming a bond with the composite surface at polyethylene materials, but meanwhile not being able to hold onto the polypropylene composite surface.


Owing to the unique characters of the hybrid scaffold components, a novel biodegradable porous composite scaffold was prepared. The nano hydroxyapatite (HAP) (73~136 nm) was crystallized in situ on the organic polyelectrolyte complex matrix through a biomimetic method. The polyelectrolyte complex composed of chitosan and hyaluronic acid had strong impacts on the formation of the nano HAP and directed in situ crystallization of the nano HAP as template. The in situ nano HAP reduced the interfacial energy and presented nano intensifier to the nano hybrid scaffold. Meanwhile, the scaffold kept high porosity.


The gene encoding neutrophil alloantigen NB1, CD177, is highly homologous to a gene overexpressed in polycythemia vera neutrophils, polycythemia rubra vera-1 (PRV-1). The cDNAs of both genes have been cloned, but their genomic structure is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the intron-exon organization of NB1 and PRV-1 and discern if they are separate members of a homologous gene family or alleles of the same gene. GenBank's human genome sequences were probed in silico with PRV-1's 1605-nucleotide coding sequence. Searches identified two adjacent bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) on chromosome 19q13.2: BC338531 and BC52850. BC338531 contained sequences 100% homologous to the first 654 nucleotides of PRV-1. Comparison of coding and genomic sequences allowed us to separate this region into exons 1 through 5, interrupted by five introns. BC52850 contained sequences 95% homologous to nucleotides 413 through 1605 of PRV-1, organized into exons 4 through 9. However, the orientation of PRV-1-homologous in the first BAC was plus-plus and of the second was plus-minus, indicating they could not be portions of the same gene. The GenBank sequence of BC338531 was incomplete, creating a sequence gap in chromosome 19q13.2. Evaluation of BC338531's unfinished sequences in Joint Genome Institute public databases allowed us to complete the gap and revealed that BC338531 contained sequences 98% homologous to all nine PRV-1 exons followed by a second gene consisting of exons 9 through 4. Most likely, NB1 and PRV-1 are alleles of the same gene, CD177, and the duplication of exons 4 through 9 is a pseudo gene.


The aircraft manufacturer Embraer, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and German–Dutch Wind Tunnels (DNW) have tested an innovative highly flexible wing within an aeroelastic wind tunnel experiment in the transonic regime.
The HMAE1 project was initiated by Embraer to test its numerical predictions for wing flutter under excessive wing deformations in the transonic regime. A highly elastic fiberglass wingbody pylon nacelle wind tunnel model (see Figure 1), which is able to deform extensively, was constructed for the
experiment. The model was instrumented with a large number of pressure orifices, strain gauges, stereo pattern recognition (SPR) markers and accelerometers. The wing was tested from Ma = 0.4 to Ma = 0.9 for different angles of attack and stagnation pressures. The static and dynamic behavior of the wing model was monitored and a new method to analyze its eigenfrequencies and damping ratios was used. In the past, the large amounts of data acquired during such experiments could only be evaluated with a time lag. An efficient method developed by DLR now allows performing the data analysis in real time [1, 2]. As a result, it was possible during the test to identify exactly which safety margins remained before the onset of flutter and the resulting possible destruction of the model.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To assess whether scores on a simple self-report questionnaire to depict the clinical status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are correlated with traditional measures of physical, radiographic, laboratory, functional, and global status.

DESIGN
The self-report questionnaire was administered at the same time the following variables were assessed: American Rheumatism Association functional class, joint count, hand radiograph, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor titer, walking time, grip strength, button test, and global self-assessment.

SETTING
University rheumatology clinic, the rheumatology clinic of a Veterans Administration hospital, and a private rheumatology practice.

PATIENTS
The study included 259 patients who met the criteria of the American Rheumatism Association for a diagnosis of definite or classic rheumatoid arthritis.

INTERVENTIONS
Standard rheumatologic care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Self-report questionnaire scores were significantly correlated with the joint count, radiographic score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, grip strength, button test, walking time, American Rheumatism Association functional class, and global self-assessment. Patients were categorized into five questionnaire score categories of 1.00, indicating no dysfunction, and 1.01 to 1.50, 1.51 to 2.00, 2.01 to 3.00, and 3.01 to 4.00, indicating progressive dysfunction. In these five categories, more than ten involved joints were seen in 11%, 37%, 67%, 79%, and 100% of patients, respectively, and erythrocyte sedimentation rates greater than 20 mm/h in 29%, 49%, 64%, 74%, and 85% of patients, respectively. Similar results were seen for other physical and radiographic measures. The questionnaire score was as effective in explaining other measures of clinical status as was any other available measure.

CONCLUSIONS
A simple self-report questionnaire provides information similar to many traditional measures in rheumatoid arthritis and appears to be an attractive, cost-effective approach to assessing and monitoring quantitatively the status of an individual patient.


In this study the pathogenesis of lyme disease was investigated in vivo by means of the wild-type mouse strains C3H/HeN and FVB/N as well as transgenic mouse strains, which are tissue specific modulated in their TGF-AŸ or GM-CSF (granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor) activity and sensitivity. The mice were infected intradermally with B. burgdorferi. Progression of lyme disease was monitored using a number of diagnostic tests (recultivation of borrelia from tissue, ELISA, Western blot, histologic analysis). The study confirms the mouse strain FVB/N WT (wild type) to be susceptible to B. burgdorferi infections and that this represents a suitable in vivo model for investigations concerning the progression of a B. burgdorferi infection. We further demonstrate transgenic modification of TGF-AŸ or GM-CSF activity, and sensitivity in T cells and epithelium respectively, do not affect the pathogenesis of lyme disease. Our data show a positive linear correlation between antibody response and the severity of arthritic processes due to B. burgdorferi infection. Determination of the increase in antibody titer in sera of infected organisms therefore might be a useful tool to predict the progression of inflammatory processes in the course of lyme disease.


Meningiomas are one of the most common tumors of the Central nervous system (CNS). This study aims to identify the autoantibody biomarkers in meningiomas using high-density human proteome arrays (~17,000 full-length recombinant human proteins). Screening of sera from 15 unaffected healthy individuals, 10 individuals with meningioma grade I and 5 with meningioma grade II was performed. This comprehensive proteomics based investigation revealed the dysregulation of 489 and 104 proteins in grades I and II of meningioma, respectively, along with the enrichment of several signalling pathways, which might play a crucial role in the manifestation of the disease. Autoantibody targets like IGHG4, CRYM, EFCAB2, STAT6, HDAC7A and CCNB1 were significantly dysregulated across both the grades. Further, we compared this to the tissue proteome and gene expression profile from GEO database. Previously reported upregulated proteins from meningioma tissue-based proteomics obtained from high-resolution mass spectrometry demonstrated an aggravated autoimmune response, emphasizing the clinical relevance of these targets. Some of these targets like SELENBP1 were tested for their presence in tumor tissue using immunoblotting. In the light of highly invasive diagnostic modalities employed to diagnose CNS tumors like meningioma, these autoantibody markers offer a minimally invasive diagnostic platform which could be pursued further for clinical translation.


Frozen fillets (n = 288) of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) were used to evaluate the effect of glaze on lipid oxidation and microbiological indicators during 6 months of freezing storage under stable (−18 °C) and unstable temperature (varying from −5 to −18 °C) conditions. The amount of glaze, moisture, fat and protein content were measured. Despite the low fat content in Alaska pollack, a positive effect of glazing and stable freezing conditions of storage on the range of oxidative changes of lipids expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was found. Total counts of viable cells slightly rose before the end of the storage period in both groups with commercially glazed fish. The average counts of psychrotrophs in each group () were at the same level, ranging from 9.1 ×103 CFU·g-1 to 1.1 × 104 CFU·g-1. According to the microbiological results fillets stored under unstable conditions were considered to be acceptable, but sensory evaluation showed that at the end of frozen storage they could not be consumed because of rancidity. Based on our results, glaze application ranged from 10 to 15% guarantee of final quality, however, prevention of temperature fluctuation during storage is important to keep the quality of the frozen fillets. This is the first similar study in Alaska pollack. Fish fillets, glazing, frozen storage, lipid oxidation, temperature fluctuation


Calculations were made to determine the influence of changes in temperature distribution and in elastic material properties on calculated elastic stresses for a typical gas-turbine disk. Severe temperature gradients caused thermal stresses of sufficient magnitude to reduce the operating safety of the disk. Small temperature gradients were found to be desirable because they produced thermal stresses that subtracted from the centrifugal stresses in the region of the rim. The thermal gradients produced a tendency for a severe stress condition to exist near the rim but this stress condition could be shifted away from the region of blade attachment by altering the temperature distribution. The investigation of elastic material properties showed that centrifugal stresses are slightly affected by changes in modulus of elasticity, but that thermal stresses are approximately proportional to modulus of elasticity and to coefficient of thermal expansion.


This paper proposes a new methodology for calculating the mean time between failure (MTBF) of a photovoltaic module-integrated inverter (PV-MII). Based on a stress-factor reliability methodology, the proposed technique applies a usage model for the inverter to determine the statistical distribution of thermal and electrical stresses for the electrical components. The salient feature of the proposed methodology is taking into account the operating environment volatility of the module-integrated electronics to calculate the MTBF of the MII. This leads to more realistic assessment of reliability than if a single worst case or typical operating point was used. Measured data (module temperature and insolation level) are used to experimentally verify the efficacy of the methodology. The proposed methodology is used to examine the reliability of six different candidate inverter topologies for a PV-MII. This study shows the impact of each component on the inverter reliability, in particular, the power decoupling capacitors. The results confirm that the electrolytic capacitor is the most vulnerable component with the lowest MTBF, but more importantly provide a quantified assessment of realistic MTBF under expected operating conditions rather than a single worst case operating point, which may have a low probability of occurrence.


Introduction Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of disorders thought to be associated with the functioning of the brain and the nervous system. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders often have sleep-related comorbidities that may negatively affect quality of life for both the children and their families. Melatonin is one of the most used interventions in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and sleep disorders. Previous reviews have investigated the effects of melatonin for sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, but these had important limitations, such as inadequate analysis of adverse effects, small sample sizes and short follow-up. Methods and analysis This is a protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of randomised clinical trials. The protocol is reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will search for published and unpublished trials in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, LILACS, Science Citation Index Expanded, Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. We will search the databases from their inception without language restrictions. We will also request clinical study reports from regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Review authors working in pairs will screen reports, extract data and conduct risk of bias assessments using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We will include randomised clinical trials comparing melatonin versus placebo or no intervention for sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Primary outcomes will be total sleep time and adverse effects. Secondary outcomes will be quality of life of the child and caregivers and sleep onset latency. Data will be analysed using random-effects and fixed-effect meta-analyses. Certainty of evidence will be assessed with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was not required for this protocol. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022337530.


Abstract. An empirical algorithm is developed for calculating bulk dry deposition velocity (Vd) of fine (PM2.5) – particles having a diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm), coarse (PM2.5−10 – particles having a diameter of 2.5–10 μm), and giant (PM10+ – particles having a diameter of > 10 μm) atmospheric particles. The algorithm is developed from an empirical fit of Vd data calculated using the size-resolved Vd scheme of Zhang et al. (2001) with assumed lognormal size distributions of PM2.5, PM2.5−10 and PM10+. In the new algorithm, the surface deposition velocity (Vds) is parameterized as a simple linear function of friction velocity (u*) for PM2.5 and as a polynomial function of u* for both PM2.5−10 and PM10+ over all the 26 land use categories (LUCs). An adjustment factor as an exponential function of u* and leaf area index (LAI) is also applied to Vds of PM2.5−10 and PM10+ over 9 of the 26 LUCs that have variable LAI. Constant gravitational settling velocities are provided for PM2.5, PM2.5−10 and PM10+. Aerodynamic resistance between a reference height and the surface can be calculated using available analytical formulas from the literature. The bulk Vd of PM2.5, PM2.5−10 and PM10+ at the reference height can then be calculated by combining the gravitational settling velocity, aerodynamic resistance and the parameterized Vds. Vd values calculated using the new algorithm are within ±20% of those using the original size-resolved scheme for fine, coarse and giant particles. Uncertainties in Vd values from the new algorithm due to the pre-assumed size distributions are on the order of 20% for fine particles and on the order of a factor of 2.0 for coarse and giant particles. The new algorithm provides an alternative approach for calculating Vd of bulk aerosol particles. Vd of any particulate species can be simply estimated using this scheme as long as the mass fractions in fine, coarse and giant particles are known or can be assumed.


Who should take moral and ethical responsibility for the world's critical issues? What obligations do individuals and multinational firms have to the rest of the world, and whose cultural values must they consider? How do you empower your students to construct their own perspectives on global concerns such as human rights, global warming, corporate social responsibility, and security against terrorism? Offering a participatory approach to teaching ethics in global politics, this book compiles classroom-tested exercises for use in courses related to world affairs. It guides instructors through the steps of active learning and offers issues-based modules as templates for classroom instruction. Each module provides background information about issues and activities, step-by-step directions, photocopy-ready exercises for students, and post-exercise debriefing with discussion questions. With this sourcebook, educators will powerfully connect their students to issues that transcend their immediate cultures and experiences. Aiming beyond passive comprehension, the exercises prompt students to define their own ethical compasses and foster the cultural awareness and communication skills necessary to navigate a diverse world.


A Flash Translation Layer (FTL) determines the physical location of each written page on a NAND flash storage. Hot/cold data separation prevents placing data with different degrees of hotness together and is critical for an FTL to improve its performance. In existing FTLs, separation of hot and cold data was achieved by exploiting either temporal or spatial locality of the workloads. The both types of localities were not considered at the same time. In addition, in FTLs that consider the spatial locality, the storage is divided into fixedsize partitions, whose size cannot be adapted according to the workloads. Measurement results show that, a single fixed partition size cannot fit all the workloads, and the preferred partition size for a given workload may not be fixed all the time during the execution of the workload.In this paper, an FTL called DuLASP (Dual Localities with Adaptive Space Partitioning) is proposed. DuLASP considers both temporal and spatial localities of the workloads to achieve hot/cold data separation. Moreover, it incorporates a proposed technique called adaptive space partitioning (ASP) to adaptively and dynamically adjust the partition size according to the executed workloads. ASP achieves the goal by periodically evaluating the suitableness of partition size configuration and adjusting the partition size. Evaluation of the suitableness of a partition size is done mainly based on the temporal information of the data access, and the adjustment of the partition size is performed by merging neighboring partitions (i.e., increasing partition size) or splitting partitions (i.e., decreasing partition size).Experimental results on 7 realistic or benchmark-based workloads show that considering both types of localities has performance improvement (in terms of cleaning cost) of up to 16.8 times (3.1 times in average), compared to that considering only a single type of locality. Moreover, adaptive space partitioning also has significant performance improvement (i.e., by up to 92%, 23.8% in average), compared to the best fixed partitioning.


Transesterification does not allow to make full conversion of oil to biodiesel because the by-product glycerol cannot be included in the composition of biofuel. Interesterification constitutes a full conversion process with production of triacetin (TA) instead of glycerol, which can be included in the composition of biofuel and allows to increase its yield. Both interesterification and transesterification effectively occur only in presence of catalysts. Results of the investigation of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts indicate the superior importance of catalyst solubility in starting reaction mixture. Partial solubility can remarkably lower the activity of homogeneous catalyst and extremely increase that of formally heterogeneous one. The reaction mixture of interesterification reaction is less polar than that of transesterification, and potassium tert-butoxide (t-BuOK) should be more appropriate catalyst for interesterification than sodium methoxide which is used in most cases. The catalytic system t-BuOK/t-BuOH substantially increases the yield of TA and changes the properties of obtained biofuel. Whereas the content of the TA in the interesterification reaction mixture does not achieve the same level from the theoretically predicted as the FAME, the occurrence of side reaction between t-BuOH and TA cannot be excluded. This paper presents a study of the interesterification of rapeseed oil in presence of catalytic system t-BuOK/THF (catalytic system without alcohols) with the aim of establishing the influence of aprotic tetrahydrofuran to the proceeding the reaction, composition of reaction mixtures and their fuel properties. Obtained results show that the absence of alcoholic hydroxyl groups in the catalytic system insufficiently increases the activity of catalytic system but fails to increase the yield of FAME.


Expansion of business environment in 1990s changed the financial set up of India from the conventional bank based borrowings to market based one. This necessitated companies to address global stakeholders. The regulatory requirement of different countries also necessitated companies to do multiple reporting i.e., one as per home country standard and the other as per the host country standard. To avoid multiple reporting and to address global stakeholders, a uniform system of reporting was felt necessary to facilitate comparisons, which resulted in the establishment of International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) which issued International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Financial reporting is to present financial information about the status of a company which is used by the stakeholders before any decisions are made with regard to investment, finance, dividend etc. Users of financial reports are; investors, creditors, employees, customers, competitors, government, public etc. and purpose of usage of these reports differ from person to person. Certain Indian companies having listed in foreign stock exchanges are reporting IFRS voluntarily in their financial statements. The present study tries to understand the impact of this voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards on the financial decision makers, through a case analysis of Wipro Ltd. The analysis compared the major financial parameters under IFRS and Indian GAAP as reported by Wipro Ltd. for a period of four years from 2009-10 to 2012 13. The results postulate an increase in liquidity ratio; equity ratio; interest coverage ratio; marginal increase in debt equity ratio; and no significant increase in profitability ratios except net profit ratio which rose marginally in the year 2013. Overall the results indicate that the adoption of fair value accounting and strict requirement in adhering to accounting standards have strengthened the financial indicators and provided the decision makers a transparent, true and fair accounting highlighters. Journal of Accounting & Marketing J o u r n al o f A ccou nting & M rke t i n g


Those of us who are pet owners ourselves have sometimes agonized over suggesting that families may need to get rid of their beloved pet in an attempt to decrease asthma and allergies in family members. Recent data show that we may be able to stop making that painful suggestion. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, recently determined that the presence of dogs in a home protects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). As we know, childhood RSV increases the risk of asthma development.


Neohattoria Kamim. is a monotypic genus of the Jubulaceae (= Frullaniaceae) with a single species, N. herzogii (Hatt.) Kamim., known from central to northern Japan and the southern part of the Kurile Islands. The present genus was segregated from Frullania by Kamimura (1961; sub. nom. Hattoria Kamim. nom. illeg., non Schust., 1961) on the basis of the branching type, the shape of the first leaf and underleaf on branch, the total lack of secondary pigmentation, the uniform cell structure of the stem in cross section, and the strongly toothed leaf lobes. The generic concept of Neohattoria was greatly expanded by Schuster (1970), who included eight species and classified them into two subgenera, subgen. Neohattoria (with a single species) and subgen. Microfrullania Schust. (with seven species); however, Hattori et al. (1972) transferred all species of subgen. Microfrullania to a newly segregated genus Schusterella Hatt. et al., thus retaining the monotypic status of Neohattoria. As already described and illustrated by Hattori (1955), Kamimura (1961), Mizutani (1961), Ladyzhenskaja (1963), Schuster (1970), and Hattori et al. (1972), Neohattoria herzogii is closely related to species of both Jubula and Frullania. Regarding the taxonomic desposition of Neohattoria, Mizutani (1961) and Mizutani & Hattori (1969) placed it with Jubula in a subfamily Jubuloideae of Lejeuneaceae and Hattori et al. placed it in Jubulaceae (s. lat.). But, Kamimura (1961), Schuster (1970, 1979), and Guercke (1978) placed it more close to Frullania, e.g. in a subfamily Frullanioideae of Jubulaceae (s. lat.); more recently, Asakawa et al. (1979b), admitting three distinct families, Jubulaceae, Frullaniaceae, and Lejeuneaceae, placed Neohattoria and Jubula in the Jubulaceae (s. str.) but Frullania and Schusterella in the Frullaniaceae.


An overview of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) project "Study on Advanced Snow Information and its Application to Disaster Mitigation (ASDIM)" is described here. The Concentrated Snowfall Monitoring System (CSMS) was constructed, and observations of falling snow particles at remote sites of the CSMS were started within the observation range of an X-band multiparameter radar at the Snow and Ice Research Center (SIRC) in Nagaoka. A parameter for the quantitative description of falling snow particles was derived. Preferential flow within the snowpack was reproduced numerically. State-of-the-art microphysical technologies, such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray computerized tomography, were employed. Advanced snow information, such as center of mass flux distribution, liquid water fraction, specific surface area, and microstructure of the snowpack, were collected for falling and ground snow analyses. A regularly updated Real-time Hazard Map (RHM) displaying the areas affected by various snow and ice-related hazards was developed. The RHM serves as a platform for application of the Snow Disaster Forecasting System to hazards such as avalanches, snow accretion, and blowing snow. The utility of the RHMs was examined through experiments conducted in association with local governments and transport administrators.


This paper refers to work carried out in the Subspeak project [1] in which we are investigating the use of speech recognition in live television subtitling. Research to date has shown that with current speech recognition technology it is not possible to achieve a satisfactory level of accuracy in the direct transcription of broadcast material. To circumvent this problem in our system the broadcast speech data is respoken by a native English speaker in a quiet environment. Recognition rates of up to 98% can be achieved by a trained speaker where there are no out of vocabulary words. However, using conventional keyboard input, subtitlers can currently achieve near to 100%, with typically only minor errors of spelling or punctuation. The challenge is therefore to provide a speech-based subtitling system which mirrors the conventional systems in accuracy and speed, but which requires far less time to train subtitlers to use. Subtitles must typically be output at between 150 and 180 words per minute and the delay between the broadcast speech and the appearance of the subtitle must be at most 8 seconds. In the prototype system, output from the speech recognition system is passed in to a custom-built editor from where it can be corrected and passed on to an existing subtitling system.


The black hat. The wig. The shawl. The thick stockings. The kerchief. The skullcap. The hidden fringes. The posted decrees. Neighbors spitting with suspicion. Roaring hooves. Thwack of sabers. The night escape. The ship. Stacked bunks in steerage. The stench. The elderly. Time peeling. The deck. The railing. The jolt of docking. Gulps of fresh air. Shoving. The brick buildings. Family clusters. The names noted: last, first. Lost syllables. Truncated. Neutered. New name assigned. Whispers down the shuffling line. Questions dangling in stagnant air. Men with clipboards. Lifted shirts. Stethoscope on bare skin. Prodding for fever, rashes. Pinpoint of light in the eyes. Men in uniform. A limp. Stifled coughs. Girl yanked out of line. The shiny badge. The rejected. The separation. The chainlinked fence. The black hat.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the sleep pattern and the motor activity during sleep in a cohort of patients affected by Huntington disease (HD).

DESIGN
Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING
Sleep laboratory.

PATIENTS
Thirty HD patients, 16 women and 14 men (mean age 57.3 ± 12.2 y); 30 matched healthy controls (mean age 56.5 ± 11.8 y).

INTERVENTIONS
Subjective sleep evaluation: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS); Berlin's Questionnaire, interview for restless legs syndrome (RLS), questionnaire for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Clinical evaluation: disease duration, clinical severity (unified Huntington disease motor rating scale [UHDMRS]), genetic tests. Laboratory-based full-night attended video-polysomnography (V-PSG).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
The duration of the disease was 9.4 ± 4.4 y, UHMDRS score was 55.5 ± 23.4, CAG repeats were 44.3 ± 4.1. Body mass index was 21.9 ± 4.0 kg/m(2). No patients or caregivers reported poor sleep quality. Two patients reported symptoms of RLS. Eight patients had an ESS score ≥ 9. Eight patients had high risk of obstructive sleep apnea. At the RBD questionnaire, two patients had a pathological score. HD patients, compared to controls, showed shorter sleep, reduced sleep efficiency index, and increased arousals and awakenings. Four patients presented with sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Periodic limb movements (PLMs) during wake and sleep were observed in all patients. No episode of RBD was observed in the V-PSG recordings, and no patients showed rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia. The disease duration correlated with ESS score (P < 0.02). UHMDRS correlated positively with the ESS score (P < 0.005), and negatively with the percentage of REM sleep.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with Huntington disease showed a severe sleep disruption and a high prevalence of periodic limb movements, but no evidence of sleep disordered breathing or REM sleep behavior disorder.


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease targeting preferentially motor neurons. Cyclophilin A (CypA) was identified as a hallmark of disease in mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) animal models of familial ALS (fALS) at a presymptomatic stage, and in sporadic (sALS) patients (Massignan 2007; Nardo 2011). Moreover, CypA was enriched in the spinal cord aggregates of mSOD1 mice and sALS patients (Basso 2009). CypA is an ubiquitous protein with multiple functions relevant to the CNS, where it is abundantly expressed.

Insights into CypA function in ALS were provided via a proteomic analysis of its interacting proteins, that functionally associated CypA with different proteins networks. In particular, it extensively binds proteins regulating RNA metabolism, including several hnRNPs and TDP-43, a major disease protein in ALS. TDP-43 and CypA interact in the nucleus, in an RNA-dependent way. CypA has a key role in the stabilization of TDP-43/hnRNP A2/B1 interaction, and TDP-43-mediated HDAC6 expression regulation, properties impaired in TDP-43 ALS-mutants, possibly because of a loss-of-interaction with CypA. CypA interacts also with mSOD1, suggesting a gain-of-interaction specifically linked to fALS. Mice expressing mSOD1 and lacking CypA show increased levels of insoluble mSOD1 and hyperphosphorylated TDP-43 in the spinal cord at the onset.

This thesis work shows that CypA has a protective role in ALS: as a chaperone (for mSOD1) and in maintenance of multi-protein (TDP-43/hnRNPs) complex stability. Regardless the cause of the disease, mSOD1 or alterations in TDP-43, the interaction with CypA is impaired and it is cosequestered in proteinaceous aggregates, altering its protective activities. The net effect is the formation of pathological inclusions that may lead to a compromised RNA metabolism. CypA being a key interacting partner of both mSOD1 and TDP-43 can represent the "missing link" of these two patho-mechanisms in ALS and an interesting target for therapeutic interventions.


The 4TM family of K channels mediate many of the background potassium currents observed in native cells. They are open across the physiological voltage-range and are regulated by a wide array of neurotransmitters and biochemical mediators. The pore-forming α-subunit contains two pore loop (P) domains and two subunits assemble to form one ion conduction pathway lined by four P domains. It is important to note that single channels do not have two pores but that each subunit has two P domains in its primary sequence; hence the name two-pore domain, or K2P channels (and not two-pore channels). Some of the K2P subunits can form heterodimers across subfamilies (e.g. K2P3.1 with K2P9.1). The nomenclature of 4TM K channels in the literature is still a mixture of IUPHAR and common names. The suggested division into subfamilies, described in the More detailed introduction, is based on similarities in both structural and functional properties within subfamilies and this explains the "common abbreviation" nomenclature in the tables below.


The group velocity of evanescent waves (in undersized waveguides, for instance) was theoretically predicted, and has been experimentally verified, to be superluminal (v(g)>c). By contrast, it is known that the precursor speed in vacuum cannot be larger than c. In this paper, by computer simulations based on Maxwell equations only, we show the existence of both phenomena. In other words, we verify the actual possibility of superluminal group velocities, without violating the so-called (naive) Einstein causality.


Hyphema that develops months or years after uncomplicated cataract extraction is a clinical entity resulting from focal vascularization of the limbal wound. Vessels from the episclera may penetrate the wound, terminating in capillaries that are the source of bleeding. Sudden blurring of vision sometimes following minimal trauma is the primary symptom. The bleeding, initially, is minimal and occurs only periodically; therefore, it is easily overlooked. Gonioscopic examinations may reveal the bleeding site in the inner lips of the incision. Accumulation of blood in the lower angle leads to angle-closure glaucoma. The most effective therapy to control the bleeding remains to be established. Surgical excision of the neovascularized area and argon-laser coagulation seem to be promising therapies.


Intertemporal choice refers to decisions involving tradeoffs among costs and benefits occurring at different points in time. Despite a large number of studies have shown that impulsive behavior is closely related to subjective experience of time, but the relationship between impulsive behavior and perception of time is still controversial in intertemporal choices. From the perspective of personality differences, using a simple intertemporal choice task, this study investigated the differences in behavioral responses between two groups who had different tendencies of time perception(those who tended to overestimate time or underestimate time) in intertemporal choice to explore the role of time perception on intertemporal choice. In the present study, 32 participants who overestimated time(18 males and 14 females, average age = 20.36±1.25 years) and 32 participants who underestimate time(15 male and 17 females, average age = 20.64±1.98 years) were selected by using a time-production task from 120 volunteers recruited from some universities in China. They were asked to engage in a simple intertemporal choice task, in which, they were forced to make choices between two amounts of money attained in different delay time, and moreover, the difficulty of the intertemporal choice task was also manipulated through different amounts of money in options. The participants in the experiment were all right-hand, had normal or corrected-to-normal vision and had no neurological or psychological disorders. Each participant signed a consent form prior to the experiments and was paid after the experiment, according to their performance. The study was approved by the local academic committee.The results indicated that,(1) regardless difficulty of choice task, compared to the group who tended to underestimate time, the group who tended to overestimate time prefered to smaller-immediate rewards.(2) there is no significant difference in reaction time of intertemporal choice between the group who tended to overestimate time and the group who tended to underestimate time; and the reaction time of the group who tended to overestimate time was not affected by difficulty of choice task, while the reaction time of the group who tended to overestimate time in easy choice task was significantly longer than that in difficult task. In conclusion, the present study suggested that time perception plays an important role in intertemporal decision-making. Individuals who tend to overestimation of time may lead to overestimation of the cost of revenue, which would result in his/her impulsive choices in intertemporal choices


The use of sludge in agriculture within the European Union (EU) is currently regulated only by the limits of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) listed in Council Directive 86/278/EEC. This document is now more than 30 years old. Several European countries have introduced more stringent requirements in comparison with the directive, and have adopted limits for concentrations of other heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds and microbial contamination. The paper provides an overview of the current limits of these substances in sewage sludge and concentration limits of heavy metals in soil intended for sludge application, together with applicable laws and regulations in European Union countries. There is a need to update these regulations taking into account the current risks associated with the application of sludge to agricultural land, with the possibility of using ecotoxicological tests to assess the risks. A wide range of technologies for sewage sludge processing is used in EU countries. The predominant choice is a direct application in agriculture followed by composting. The use of sewage sludge in agriculture in 2014 and 2015 in 13 EU countries that provided data amounted to 22.6% (2014) and 22.1% (2015) of produced sludge and 23.3% (2014) and 23.1% (2015) of sludge disposed. It is also highly variable within EU countries ranging between zero (Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia) and 80% (Ireland). Over 50% of sewage sludge is used in agriculture in Bulgaria according to 2015 data.


Research into breastfeeding has primarily been approached in terms of survey style studies which aim to uncover the reasons why breastfeeding rates are so low. This study focuses on the ways in which breastfeeding is taught to expectant mothers and their partners, examining the framing of topics and the accountability work that accompanies breastfeeding discourse, using antenatal sessions run by the National Childbirth Trust as an empirical case. Analysis uses a discursive base to focus on how the breastfeeding counsellors accomplish a portrayal of breastfeeding as valuable, while reducing the scope for and implications of its negative aspects and lack of uptake. This is further discussed in relation to a broader consideration of breastfeeding and female choice.


Pouchitis, a non-specific acute inflammation occurring in the ileal pouch, is one of the most common complications developed after the restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) performed for the treatment for the patients with ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis. The prevalence of pouchitis is known to range from 20% to 50%. One to two percent of the cases are chronic and resistant to the drug therapy. The effective treatment for this chronic resistant pouchitis is to remove the ileal pouch and perform the permanent ileostomy. Hereby, we report one case of chronic pouchitis resistant to multiple drug therapy developed after IPAA performed for the treatment of ulcerative colitis in a patient.


The Sutton Hoo site is one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made in Britain, and arguably the world. Since the initial discovery of the ship burial in 1938, when newspaper reports with banner headlines kept the British public informed about the event, the mound burials and surrounding cemetery have yielded a wealth of archaeological evidence as well as glittering treasures. Martin Carver draws on the full range of research undertaken at the site, which was still being excavated in 1993, to present a story of the archaeological discovery. Beginning with the excavations, he goes on to tell the story of the site itself.