Prognostic factors are associated with the risk of future health outcomes in individuals with a particular health condition or some clinical start point (eg, a particular diagnosis). Research to identify genuine prognostic factors is important because these factors can help improve risk stratification, treatment, and lifestyle decisions, and the design of randomised trials. Although thousands of prognostic factor studies are published each year, often they are of variable quality and the findings are inconsistent. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are therefore needed that summarise the evidence about the prognostic value of particular factors. In this article, the key steps involved in this review process are described.


The packing structure in green alumina bodies has been studied using thin sections of prefired bodies impregnated with refractive-index liquid examined with an automatic, polarizedlight microscope equipped with liquid-crystal adjustable quarter-wave plate and analyzer, and circularly polarized light. The combined intrinsic birefringence (caused by the anisotropy of the hexagonal symmetry of the alumina particles) and form birefringence (due to packing of the slightly elongated particles oriented in the green structure), can be quantified on a small scale. Birefringence values and slow-vibration directions are mapped for the anisotropic fine particles and agglomerates circumferentially or radially aligned in the structure. For some pre-sintered bodies, the interference pattern shows three radial dark brushes with relatively low birefringence, coming from the spider in the extruder. Slow-axis distribution shows random particle orientation in the spider region. The birefringence pattern often indicates a relatively high degree of circumferential alignment in the surface area where frictional force is present during forming. A uniform distribution of the birefringence represents a consistent green structure. The improved procedure for characterization of prefired body provides considerable insight to the optical crystallography of powder/particle arrangement in pre-sintered ceramic body and the relationship of the particle alignment with respect to flow and forming.


Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or so-called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), has been implicated in cases of mild to severe diseases of the respiratory system. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that SARS-CoV-2 infection is a pandemic infection.
Objectives: Our study aimed at the detection of the relationship of some hematological and biochemical markers with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Kirkuk City/Iraq.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study performed at Kirkuk general hospital (May 15 to, August 25 /2020). It was done on a total of (84) patients (50 male and 34 female), who were aging between (16-70) years old. They already diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection through having chest computerized tomography scan (CT-Scan) from (Simens Co.), and 60 non-infected with SARS-CoV-2, who used as a control group at similar age group. Blood samples taken from the patients and control group to test for; serum ferritin, D-dimer, blood urea, serum creatinine, lymphocytes and total white blood cells count.
Results: The study revealed the highest rate (72%, and 42 %) of decreased white blood cells (WBCs) in male and female patients respectively; this was also true for the lymphocytes count where the patients showed the highest rate of decreased lymphocytes count. The majority of the patients showed increased levels of serum ferritin, D-dimer, blood urea, and serum creatinine. Most of the patients were from blood group A.
Conclusions: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 may decrease the levels of WBCs and lymphocytes, while having reverse impact on the serum ferritin, D-dimer, blood urea and serum creatinine levels which increases them. Most of the patients from Kirkuk were from blood type A.


This qualitative study examines the progress of a rural New Jersey school in addressing longstanding racial conflict after implementing a Youth Participatory Action Research project two years prior. Here we take up the thread as students continued to develop activities meant to increase awareness of ongoing issues, and as adults used professional development time to model best practices in managing racialized interactions. Eight teachers and staff not originally involved and nine students who had been directly involved were interviewed and a student focus group conducted. All participants agreed that progress had been made though issues around curriculum and discipline remained. Both the adults and the students engaged in considerable self-reflection about their roles. Adults reported the impact of hearing the students' voices on school practices, and students discussed how their roles as researchers and peer leaders had contributed to their standing as experts.


Background: Endoscopic management of colorectal polyps includes detection, characterization, and therapeutic strategies. Pit pattern analysis is a useful tool when differentiating neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal polyps. Aim: To correlate pit pattern characterization of colorectal polyps using SPIES endoscopy and the histopathology. Materials and Methods: Total colonoscopy was performed on 189 patients by same endoscopist from January 2020 to September 2021 using Image 1 Connect (TC200), Image 1 H3-Link (TC300) and video-colonoscope (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany). Identified polyps were classified using Paris classification for mucosal lesions and the pit pattern according to Kudo's modified criteria using SPIES endoscopy. All lesions were diagnosed by histopathological examination. Kappa index (κ) was used to evaluate the agreement of SPIES endoscopy Kudo's pit classification with the histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were independently determined. Result: Thirty-four polyps were detected in twenty-nine patients with twenty-one (61.8%, 21/34) polyps histologically confirmed as neoplastic. SPIES endoscopy characterized seventeen (50%, 17/34) of the polyps as neoplastic, four (1.8%, 4/34) as non-neoplastic (false negative) and four (1.8%, 4/34) as false positives. The sensitivity and specificity of SPIES endoscopy were 81.0% and 69.2% respectively and same values for PPV and NPV. The diagnosis of neoplastic polyps by SPIES endoscopy was in moderate agreement with histopathological diagnosis (κ = 0.502)Conclusion: SPIES endoscopy is a useful, rapid, and non-invasive tool in the endoscopic assessment of colorectal polyps.


Having been an important phenomenon for Turkey, migration has attracted Turkish scholars from different disciplines and a vast literature has been produced starting from 1970s. Most of economic works have taken the determinants of internal migration in Turkey as the core of their study benefitting from the existing migration literature in the world. However, economic literature in Turkey has been reluctant to conduct researches about the consequences of migration for migrants. Departing from this deficit, present study seeks answers to the following questions: 1) to what extent do the migrants having similar backgrounds obtain similar socio-economic rewards in four metropolitans (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Adana) in Turkey?; 2) Could migrants obtain the same job market outcomes with residents in Istanbul, Ankara Izmir and Adana?. By using logit estimates for risk of unemployment, it concludes that risk of unemployment for migrants is lower than non-migrants in Istanbul, but higher in the other regions under consideration. OLS results reveal that migrants are mostly the ones earning more than the non-migrants in Izmir, Ankara and Adana, yet in Istanbul migrants are making less income than non-migrants. Study also notes that college graduate migrants are the most privileged ones in terms of earnings in each region. Finally, multinomial logit regressions show that migrants are less likely to be in the first classes in Istanbul and Izmir, whilst movers are more likely to stand on top of the social stratification in Adana and Ankara.


The present study was designed to investigate the adverse effects of aluminum chloride hexahydrate on the heart, liver and kidneys of rabbits. Twenty-four apparently healthy male and female rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups. The two control groups male (n= 6) and female (n= 6) received subcutaneous injections of physiological saline. The other two Al-treated groups of male (n= 6) and female (n= 6) were given 2.5mg/kg B.W. S/C five times per week for 3 months. At the 6th weeks and the 12th weeks, three rabbits from each group were necropsied and tissues specimens from heart, liver and kidneys were collected and processed for the following histopathologic examination. The heart of both sexes of intoxicated rabbits showed congestion of blood vessels, interfibrillar edema, hemorrhage as well as Zenker's degeneration and necrosis of myocardium. The Liver showed periportal edema, mild fibroplasia, infiltration of inflammatory cells, adenomatous and papillary hyperplasia of bile ductules. The encountered lesions of the kidneys were in the form of vacuolations and necrosis of renal tubular epithelium, with intratubular necrotic cellular debris and hyaline casts. An additional lesion of severe interstitial nephritis was also seen in some areas. It was concluded that the adverse toxic effects of aluminum chloride were time-dependent manner on heart, kidneys and liver of of both sexes of rabbits.


Understanding how nutrients flow through food webs is central in ecosystem ecology. Tracer addition experiments are powerful tools to reconstruct nutrient flows by adding an isotopically enriched element into an ecosystem and tracking its fate through time. Historically, the design and analysis of tracer studies have varied widely, ranging from descriptive studies to modeling approaches of varying complexity. Increasingly, isotope tracer data are being used to compare ecosystems and analyze experimental manipulations. Currently, a formal statistical framework for analyzing such experiments is lacking, making it impossible to calculate the estimation errors associated with the model fit, the interdependence of compartments, and the uncertainty in the diet of consumers. In this article we develop a method based on Bayesian hidden Markov models and apply it to the analysis of N15‐NH4+ tracer additions in two Trinidadian streams in which light was experimentally manipulated. Through this case study, we illustrate how to estimate N fluxes between ecosystem compartments, turnover rates of N within those compartments, and the associated uncertainty. We also show how the method can be used to compare alternative models of food web structure, calculate the error around derived parameters, and make statistical comparisons between sites or treatments.


Background Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) represent a major burden on the healthcare system. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are particularly vulnerable to ADRs because they are usually on multiple drug regimens, have multiple comorbidities, and because of alteration in their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic parameters. Therefore, one step towards reducing this burden is to identify patients who are at increased risk of an ADR. Objective To develop a method of identifying CKD patients who are at increased risk for experiencing ADRs during hospitalisation. Materials and Methods Factors associated with ADRs were identified by using demographic, clinical and laboratory variables of patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 10–59 ml/min/1.73 m2) who were admitted between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, to the renal unit of Dubai Hospital. An ADR risk score was developed by constructing a series of logistic regression models. The overall model performance for sequential models was evaluated using Akaike Information Criterion for goodness of fit. Odd ratios of the variables retained in the best model were used to compute the risk scores. Results Of 512 patients (mean [SD] age, 60 [16] years), 62 (12.1%) experienced an ADR during their hospitalisation. An ADR risk score included age 65 years or more, female sex, conservatively managed end-stage renal disease, vascular disease, serum level of C-reactive protein more than 10 mg/L, serum level of albumin less than 3.5 g/dL, and the use of 8 medications or more during hospitalization. The C statistic, which assesses the ability of the risk score to predict ADRs, was 0.838; 95% CI, 0.784–0.892). Conclusion A score using routinely available patient data can be used to identify CKD patients who are at increased risk of ADRs.


FQR1 is a novel primary auxin-response gene that codes for a flavin mononucleotide-binding flavodoxin-like quinone reductase. Accumulation of FQR1 mRNA begins within 10 min of indole-3-acetic acid application and reaches a maximum of approximately 10-fold induction 30 min after treatment. This increase in FQR1 mRNA abundance is not diminished by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, demonstrating thatFQR1 is a primary auxin-response gene. Sequence analysis reveals that FQR1 belongs to a family of flavin mononucleotide-binding quinone reductases. Partially purified His-tagged FQR1 isolated fromEscherichia coli catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH and NADPH to several substrates and exhibits in vitro quinone reductase activity. Overexpression of FQR1 in plants leads to increased levels of FQR1 protein and quinone reductase activity, indicating that FQR1 functions as a quinone reductase in vivo. In mammalian systems, glutathione S-transferases and quinone reductases are classified as phase II detoxification enzymes. We hypothesize that the auxin-inducible glutathioneS-transferases and quinone reductases found in plants also act as detoxification enzymes, possibly to protect against auxin-induced oxidative stress.


The main objective of this paper is to show the performance of the non-orthogonal multiple access scheme named sparse code multiple access (SCMA) when it is applied in a non-orthogonal physical layer transmission technique, more specifically, in the generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM). The performance analysis is made in terms of the symbol error rate (SER) assuming AWGN channels (Additive White Gaussian Noise) and frequency-selective time-varying channels using computational simulations. The performance of the SCMA-GFDM is compared with the well-known performance of the SCMA applied in the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique.


Most exposed middle- and lower-crustal shear zones experienced deformation while cooling. We investigated the effect of the strengthening associated with such cooling on differential stress estimates based on recrystallized grain size. Typical geologic ratios of temperature change per strain unit were applied in Griggs Rig (high pressure-temperature deformation apparatus) general shear experiments on quartzite with cooling rates of 2–10 °C/h from 900 °C to 800 °C, and a shear strain rate of ∼2 × 10−5 s−1. Comparisons between these "cooling-ramp" experiments and control experiments at constant temperatures of 800 °C and 900 °C indicated that recrystallized grain size did not keep pace with evolving stress. Mean recrystallized grain sizes of the cooling-ramp experiments were twice as large as expected from the final stresses of the experiments. The traditional approach to piezometry involves a routine assumption of a steady-state microstructure, and this would underestimate the final stress during the cooling-ramp experiments by ∼40%. Recrystallized grain size in the cooling-ramp experiments is a better indicator of the average stress of the experiments (shear strains ≥3). Due to the temperature sensitivity of recrystallization processes and rock strength, the results may underrepresent the effect of cooling in natural samples. Cooling-ramp experiments produced wider and more skewed grain-size distributions than control experiments, suggesting that analyses of grain-size distributions might be used to quantify the degree to which grain size departs from steady-state values due to cooling, and thereby provide more accurate constraints on final stress.


Central limit theorems and their applications constitute highlights in probability theory and statistical inference. However, as a teacher, especially in undergraduate courses, you are faced with the challenges of how to introduce the results. These challenges especially concern ways of presentation and discussion of under which conditions asymptotic (approximate) results hold. This paper attempts to present some relevant examples for possible use in the classroom.


INTRODUCTION We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) literature to examine consistency of functional connectivity alterations in AD dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). METHODS Studies were screened using a standardized procedure. Multiresolution statistics were performed to assess the spatial consistency of findings across studies. RESULTS Thirty-four studies were included (1,363 participants, average 40 per study). Consistent alterations in connectivity were found in the default-mode, salience and limbic networks in patients with AD dementia, MCI, or in both groups. We also identified a bias in the literature towards specific examination of the default-mode network. DISCUSSION Convergent evidence across the literature supports the use of resting-state connectivity as a biomarker of AD. The locations of consistent alterations suggest that metabolically expensive hub regions in the brain might be an early target of AD.


Recently, mobile terminals having small touchscreen such as smartwatches are increasing. PIN or pattern lock are used for personal authentication for smartwatches, but it is possible to leak authentication information by peeking the screen because the information is displayed directly. Therefore, in this paper, we propose Personal Identification with Any Shift (PIAS), which user taps different icon from registered icon on 3 × 3 icons. In addition, we implemented PIAS and evaluated it by confirming the usability and shoulder-surfing resistance. As a result, authentication time and success rate was 13.8 s and 89.4%, and the rate of successful shoulder-surfing attack was 0.0%.


Objective The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effect of royal jelly (RJ) as a new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), compared with sulfasalazine, in experimental colitis induced with acetic acid. Background Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease in which patients experience cyclic bouts of symptoms including diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Sulfasalazine is mainly used for the treatment of IBD. RJ is a natural product commonly used to supplement the treatment of various diseases. Materials and methods Sixty adult male albino rats were used in the present work and were divided into two groups: group I (the control group) and group II. In group II experimental colitis was induced with 4% acetic acid enema and the rats were divided into four subgroups: subgroups IIa, IIb, IIc, and IId. The rats in subgroup IIa were killed after 24 h; those in subgroup IIb did not receive treatment; subgroup IIc received sulfasalazine orally at 100 mg/kg daily; and subgroup IId received RJ orally at 150 mg/kg daily. After 1 month the animals were killed and the distal colon was excised and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, alcian blue, and periodic acid-Schiff; immunohistochemical analysis was carried out for inducible nitric oxide synthase and nuclear factor kB. Total Colitis Index score was calculated, and morphometric and statistical studies were carried out. Results Rectal instillation of acetic acid resulted in marked disturbed histological structure of the mucosa and submucosa of the colon. The mucosal crypts showed wide separation and sloughing of the surface epithelium, as well as cellular infiltration. Significant decrease in alcian blue and increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase and nuclear factor kB were observed in the colitis and recovery subgroups. Treatment with RJ or sulfasalazine caused restoration of the mucosal architecture with histological variations more superior in the RJ subgroup than in the sulfasalazine subgroup as proved by histochemical analysis and Total Colitis Index score. Conclusion RJ had greater therapeutic effect against experimental colitis compared with sulfasalazine.


Background: Hemovigilance like quality systems and audits have become an integral part of Blood Transfusion Services in the developed countries and has contributed greatly to its development. Hemovigilance begins with donors and must enable the collection of information on reactions occurring during the donation of blood, selections of donors and to prevent such incidents. The aim of study was to help identify the trends of adverse events , occurring in blood donors at a tertiary-care hospital, to recommend best practices to improve donor care and safety Materials and Methods: This record-based study was conducted on all adverse events related to allogenic whole blood donations performed over 24 months. All whole blood donations were analyzed. All adverse events occurring during or at the end of the donation were noted using a standardized format and analyzed determining significance at p<0.05. Results: Overall rate was 0.3% with vasovagal reactions constituting 82%, and 18% mild syncopal reactions (p<0.001). Immediate vasovagal reaction with injury was very rare (0.007%). Vasovagal reactions showed a significant association with young age, female gender, first time donation status. Mean age of persons recording adverse effects was 30.23 ± 7.49 years as compared to those without adverse effects, 31.14 ± 8.56 years. Conclusion: Donor safety is an essential perquisite to increase voluntary blood donation. AE analysis helps in identifying the blood donors at risk of AE, applying appropriate motivational strategies, predonation counseling, care during and after donation, developing guidelines and hemovigilance programme in countries with limited resources. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v3i6.8993 Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2013) Vol. 3 , 459-463


The article argues that framing the EU policy in the Western Balkans in human security terms could help overcome failures of its past attempts to achieve sustainable security in the region. It first discusses the value added of a human security approach to existing EU state and non-state initiatives, and analyses the difficulties in implementing a human security policy in the Western Balkans. It goes on to show how and why state weakness has become a root cause of human insecurity in the Western Balkans, which makes the EU's overwhelmingly statecentred initiatives inapt in providing the security of individuals and communities. Through an elaboration of three key principles of the Human Security Doctrine for Europe, i.e. the 'bottom-up' approach, legitimate political authority and a regional focus, the paper argues there is a crucial role that the civil society can and should play in mitigating the risks to human security in the Western Balkans.


Many people have turned to technological tools to help them be physically active. To better understand how goal-setting, rewards, self-monitoring, and sharing can encourage physical activity, we designed a mobile phone application and deployed it in a four-week field study (n=23). Participants found it beneficial to have secondary and primary weekly goals and to receive non-judgmental reminders. However, participants had problems with some features that are commonly used in practice and suggested in the literature. For example, trophies and ribbons failed to motivate most participants, which raises questions about how such rewards should be designed. A feature to post updates to a subset of their Facebook NewsFeed created some benefits, but barriers remained for most participants.


Introduction Altered brain iron metabolism in the face of aging is cited as a significant risk factor for development of Alzheimer's Disease. In order to correlate brain iron pools (total, loosely bound, non-heme) with novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) an experimental mouse model with an engineered deletion of iron regulatory protein-2 (IRP-2) was used. The novel MR sequences are termed susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). These mice display signs of neurodegeneration after six months of age, manifested by ataxia, vestibular dysfunction, tremors, and postural abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to develop a dissection technique that enabled a standardized and reproducible method to secure regions of interest (ROI) for iron assay measurements. Methods 35 C57/B1 mice were euthanized with the Muromachi Microwave Fixator. Controlled microwave brain fixation provides immediate fixation of brain metabolites and conservation of iron in its various pools. Craniotomies are performed to expose the underlying fixed brain. We are able to dissect 12 distinct ROI from each hemisphere (5-10 mg in quantities, ww). Results Our dissection technique allowed isolation of the following ROI: olfactory bulbs, frontal cortex, parietal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, striatum, ventral midline basal nucleus, quadrigeminal plate, lower midbrain, entorhinal cortex, and brainstem. The validity of the dissection was verified by the reconstruction of the ROI followed by histological sectioning, and T2 MRI imaging. Conclusions Controlled brain microwave fixation gives the brain tissue the unique consistency necessary for the successful isolation of distinct ROI. The newly created dissection protocol allows for the: a) identification and removal of 12 such structures, b) sufficient tissues for analyzing amounts of iron or other metabolites, and c) the unique ability to correlate iron content in its various pools with image SWI MRI. The mouse model will form the basis of the interpretation of human brain iron MR determinations.


—This paper presents the findings of the field work and interview conducted on the challenges and difficulties of system development at the Perbadanan Hal Ehwal Bekas Angkatan Tentera (PERHEBAT) or Armed Forces Ex-servicemen Affairs Corporation. The study employed both personal interview and observation methods. The findings revealed that infrastructures (hardware and software), manpower, materials, methods and fund were the critical challenges and difficulties faced by PERHEBAT during their system development. Therefore, the study concludes that infrastructures, manpower, materials, methods and fund play crucial role for an effective system development. Our study recommends that there should be sufficient budget to procure the right system hardware and software for right requirements. Secondly, training of staff for both IS development and management should be given urgent attention.


Over the years many techniques have been proposed to infer programming rules in order to improve software reliability. The techniques use violations of these programming rules to detect software defects. This thesis introduces an approach, NGDetection, which models a software's source code using the n-gram language model in order to find bugs and refactoring opportunities in a number of open source Java projects. The use of the ngram model to infer programming rules for software defect detection is a new domain for the application of the n-gram model. In addition to the n-gram model, NGDetection leverages two additional techniques to address limitations of existing defect detection techniques. First, the approach infers combined programming rules, which are a combination of infrequent programming rules with their related programming rules, to detect defects in a way other approaches cannot. Second, the approach integrates control flow into the n-gram model which increases the accuracy of defect detection. The approach is evaluated on 14 open source Java projects which range from 36 thousand lines of code (KLOC) to 1 million lines of code (MLOC). The approach detected 310 violations in the latest version of the projects, 108 of which are useful violations, i.e., 43 bugs and 65 refactoring opportunities. Of the 43 bugs, 32 were reported to the developers and the remaining are in the process of being reported. Among the reported bugs, 2 have been confirmed by the developers, while the rest await confirmation. For the 108 useful violations, at least 26 cannot be detected by existing techniques.


Photonic crystal structures have a certain photonic band gap that prevents propagating of wave (light) in certain frequencies with certain polarizations or incident angles. The properties of this band gap (attenuation and bandwidth) depend on parameters of the dielectric periodic structure, such as relative permittivity constant ( r e ), Fill Factor (f), etc, that would be discussed. In this paper, we will consider the properties of a scaled measurement of two-dimensional square lattice of dielectric columns. It has a band gap in microwave frequencies (instead of light wave frequencies) due to its big scale. Also, we simulate other structures for approaching our desired parameters of band gap and observe effects of changing the parameters of the structure on the properties of the band gap (using S-parameters).


A promising new approach for eco-environmental modelling, such as algal growth prediction, is the data-driven modeling using machine learning techniques: an artificial neural network (ANN) being a typical method. Another method growing in popularity, based on the M5 model tree (MT) algorithm, is the use of piecewise linear regression models at the leaf nodes of the tree. M5 MTs using partial least-squares regression (PLSR) proposed in this paper were tested on a particular dataset and then compared to M5 MTs, MLF- and RBF-ANN and k nearest neighbours ( k NN). With the dataset partitioned to periods of algal growth and no growth, M5 MTs using PLSR showed better results for algal growth prediction in the reservoir than using the annual dataset and other algorithms. This gives the idea that the M5-PLSR MTs, in spite of the lack of data, more effectively seeks latent vectors between the closely correlated multivariate dataset partitioned using clustering techniques. M5-PLSR MTs is a promising approach when there is a shortage of data required to build a more transparent learning process model, and a combination with clustering is recommended.


Up to now, the problem of ensuring collaborative activities in e-Learning against dishonest students' behaviour has been mainly tackled with technological security solutions. Over the last years, technological security solutions have evolved from isolated security approaches based on specific properties, such as privacy, to holistic models based on technological security comprehensive solutions, such as public key infrastructures, biometric models and multidisciplinary approaches from different research areas. Current technological security solutions are feasible in many e-Learning scenarios but on-line assessment involves certain requirements that usually bear specific security challenges related to e-Learning design. In this context, even the most advanced and comprehensive technological security solutions cannot cope with the whole scope of e-Learning vulnerabilities. To overcome these deficiencies, our previous research aimed at incorporating information security properties and services into on-line collaborative e-Learning by a functional approach based on trustworthiness assessment and prediction. In this paper, we present a peer-to-peer on-line assessment approach carried out in a real on-line course developed in our real e-Learning context of the Open University of Catalonia. The design presented in this paper is conducted by our trustworthiness security methodology with the aim of building peer-to-peer collaborative activities, which enhances security e-Learning requirements. Eventually, peer-to-peer visualizations methods are proposed to manage security e-Learning events, as well as on-line visualization through peer-to-peer tools, intended to analyse collaborative relationship.


In the oil and gas exploration process, understanding the hydrocarbon distribution of a reservoir is important. Well-log and core sample data such as porosity and water saturation are widely used for this purpose. With porosity and water saturation, we can calculate hydrocarbon volume more accurately than using well-log solely.
 However, as obtaining core sample data is expensive and time-consuming, predicting it with well-log can be a valuable solution for early-stage exploration since acquiring well-log is relatively economic and swift. Recently, numerous studies applied machine learning algorithms to predict core data from well-log. To the best of our knowledge, most works provide point estimation without probabilistic distribution modeling.
 In this paper, we developed a probabilistic deep neural network to provide uncertainty via confidence interval. Besides, we employed normalizing flows and multi-task learning to improve prediction accuracy. With this approach, we present the model's uncertainty that can be reliable information for decision making. Furthermore, we demonstrate our model outperforms other supervised machine learning algorithms regards to prediction accuracy.


Over the last few years, perovskite solar cells have arisen as a technology to potentially side with mainstream silicon photovoltaics to help drive the transition towards renewable sources of energy. The coupling of perovskites with silicon in a tandem configuration may accelerate this development owing to the remarkably high power-conversion efficiencies possible with such devices. However, most of the perovskite/silicon tandem achievements so far have been confined to the lab environment, with only a few reported tests under outdoor conditions, using packaged devices. Nevertheless, one of the major challenges for perovskite/silicon tandem technologies, besides scale-up, lies in the cell-to-module (CTM) translation, which for the perovskite/silicon tandem concept is complicated by perovskite-imposed constrains such as a low temperature resilience, imposing challenges regarding tabbing and lamination, as well as a high sensitivity to moisture ingress, mandating the search for adequate encapsulation materials and methods. In this article, we describe and assess these challenges in depth and give a perspective on future directions towards module design, tailored for perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaics, combining high performance with excellent durability. Our discussion also holds relevance


PURPOSE: to compare diagnostic hysteroscopy through vaginoscopy, using warm saline solution, with traditional technique, regarding to pain, patient satisfaction and feasibility of the procedure. METHODS: randomized clinical trial, involving 184 women, referred for diagnostic hysteroscopy, between May and December of 2006. Participants were randomized to be submitted to hysteroscopy by the proposed technique, which consisted of access through vaginoscopy using normal saline at 36oC as distension medium, no speculum or cervical grasping, or by the traditional technique with CO2. In both techniques, a 2.7 mm hysteroscope was used. Pain was assessed by the analogical visual scale, during the procedure and every five minutes after it. RESULTS: the mean pain score was 1.60 in the proposed technique and 3.39 in the traditional technique (p<0.01). Lower pain scores were also observed after 5, 10 and 15 minutes (p<0,01) as well as after 20 minutes (p=0.056). In the proposed technique, 82.4% of the procedures were feasible, while, in the traditional technique, 84.9% were so (p=0.64). Satisfaction with the procedure was referred by 88.7% of women submitted to the proposed technique and by 76.3% of women submitted to the traditional technique (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: diagnostic hysteroscopy by the proposed technique resulted in less pain, same feasibility and greater satisfaction of patients.


Cognitive neuroscience is enjoying rapid increase in extensive public brain-imaging datasets. It opens the door to large-scale statistical models. Finding a unified perspective for all available data calls for scalable and automated solutions to an old challenge: how to aggregate heterogeneous information on brain function into a universal cognitive system that relates mental operations/cognitive processes/psychological tasks to brain networks? We cast this challenge in a machine-learning approach to predict conditions from statistical brain maps across different studies. For this, we leverage multi-task learning and multi-scale dimension reduction to learn low-dimensional representations of brain images that carry cognitive information and can be robustly associated with psychological stimuli. Our multi-dataset classification model achieves the best prediction performance on several large reference datasets, compared to models without cognitive-aware low-dimension representations, it brings a substantial performance boost to the analysis of small datasets, and can be introspected to identify universal template cognitive concepts.


This study aimed to investigate how different parameters of the voice (jitter, shimmer, LTAS and mean pitch) are affected by a late night out. Three recordings were made: one early evening before the night out, one after midnight, and one on the next day. Each recording consisted of a one minute reading and prolonged vowels. Five students took part in the experiment. Results varied among the participants, but some patterns were noticeable in all parameters. A trend towards increased mean pitch during the second recording was observed among four of the subjects. Somewhat unexpectedly, jitter and shimmer decreased between the first and second recordings and increased in the third one. Due to the lack of ethical testing, only a small number of participants were included. A larger sample is suggested for future research in order to generalize results.


In Evidentiary Irony and the Incomplete Rule of Completeness, Daniel Capra and Liesa Richter propose an amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 106, the "rule of completeness," that formally recognizes the Rule's trumping power over objections to hearsay. In this Response, we suggest a conceptual framework to support Capra and Richter's proposal. We argue that the rule of completeness defines what is effectively a "quantum" for evidence law. Specifically, when a party offers evidence, Rule 106 demands that the proponent offer either the whole quantum of evidence or none of it at all. This framework helps explain why Rule 106 should operate like a trump card against hearsay objections. It can also help us interpret other evidentiary rules in which courts have had difficulty defining the scope of the term "statement."


Abstract:The encyclopedic maps of Giovanni Battista Piranesi literalize the metaphor that "the map is the encyclopedia." This essay compares two of his heavily annotated maps to the French Encyclopédie: where Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert theorize the map and the cross-reference as methods of organization, Piranesi employs both. With their references to annotated images, Piranesi's encyclopedic maps ultimately expose the disorder and multiplicity hovering beneath the ordered objectivity of literal and figurative expressions of Enlightenment cartography. Additionally, this essay argues that his works are a productive site through which to consider aims and strategies of digital design.


Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) often results in working memory (WM) impairment, but the mechanistic relationship between the two remains elusive. We used a computational model of two cortical neuronal networks linked by myelinated callosal axons with distance-dependent conduction delays to simulate callosal dysfunction in mTBI and quantify its impact on WM. WM maintenance and termination in the model network depended on short-term synaptic plasticity. In injured networks, WM duration depended on the extent of callosal injury, consistent with clinical data. The model provides a framework for studying callosal injury-induced neurobehavioral alterations following mTBI, and, to the best of our knowledge, is the first computational model to address mTBI-induced WM impairment.


Background: To assess the analytical performance of quality trough external quality assesses and internal quality program data on sigma scale. Method and material: Imprecision was determined from the cumulative Levey-jenning SD over the 6 month, bias was calculated from the external quality records, Finally, analytical sigma metric estimates were calculated for each Analytes by the following equation: sigma metric: (TEa – Bias)/CV. All function and statistical analysis were done in our Private laboratories. Result: The sigma value >6 was observed for most analytes. Some of analytes have poor sigma metric <3 such as Creatinine and ALP in normal level and Calcium in pathologic level. Glucose, Urea, Uric Acid, Calcium, Phosphorous, total bilirubin, in normal levels and Urea, Creatinine, total and direct bilirubin in pathologic level have intermediate sigma metric 4-6. Conclusion: Chemistry tests are not commodities. Quality varies significantly from manufactures to manufactures and method to method. The sigma-assessment from multiple EQA/IQC programs provides more insight into the performance of methods and quality. Laboratory seeking optimal quality program would do well to consult this data as part of their decision-working process. Key Worlds: Sigma scale, quality control, EQA, proficiency test, clinical laboratory. Reza et al., World J Pharm Sci 2017; 5(7): 165-170


Abstract : A class of rules is developed for making decisions concerning whether a mechanical system may be failing, based upon spectroscopic analyses of the system's oil over a period of time. Some considerations that went into the development of these rules, including conclusions based upon studies of certain analysis records and experiments, are presented. It is indicated that these identification procedures should perform well in connection with a computerized analysis system, at least insofar as routinely monitoring the 'well behaved' systems, while calling the attention of appropriate personnel to possibly discrepant systems. (Author)


Debates about school science, students' engagement with, and participation in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and the supply of suitably qualified people for STEM related fields have been ongoing in England since the early 20th Century. Recent key policy documents and STEM related organisations have highlighted a skills gap in these fields that, if not addressed, could have significant implications towards the country's economic development and prosperity. A large body of literature exists which contributes to the understanding of why it is that young people opt out of post-compulsory STEM education and STEM related careers. However, even with a large knowledge base and a wide range of initiatives and projects that have been carefully designed with the underpinning aim of attracting more young people to STEM related careers (10 year Science and Innovation Framework-HMT, 2004) there still appears to be a problem. This paper presents data gathered from two studies undertaken by the authors in 2004 and 2010. Key findings from two surveys of school students' perceptions of school science and science and engineering in general, and from follow-up focus group interviews are reported. Data sets from both 2004 and 2010 reveal a large amount of congruence in the students' perceptions. While the majority of participating students state that they enjoy school science they also state that they would not consider study of STEM related subjects beyond compulsory education or a STEM related career. The paper situates key findings within existing literature and argues that there is some way to go before we can begin to piece together the large range of factors which influence student's decisions to opt out of STEM study and careers and to develop a clear and effective strategy for tackling the problem.


th , 2014 Soil moisture constitutes an important contribution to the knowledge of a part of the water balance at the global, regional, and local scales. Hence, this information is widely used in hydrological applications helping to quantify the diverse components of the water balance – infiltration, surface runoff, evaporation, deep percolation, and changes in water content. Remote sensing provides researchers and the community with the possibility to monitor changes in land and ocean around the globe, especially where in-situ observations are limited or non-existent. Microwave remote sensing enables satellite to get observations day and night regardless of the lighting conditions, and at selected frequencies, microwave emissions have a good cloud penetration which proves to be an immensely advantage over the oceans, which are on average 70% covered by clouds. We can mention the recent success: 2009: ASCAT soil moisture product available in NRT, 2010: First Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) takes off 2011: International first merged multi-radiometer soil moisture product, 2012: First ECV soil moisture data set covering 1978-2010 released, 2013: Launch of Sentinel-1.


This paper develops a structural model of infrastructure and output growth that specifies the ways in which country characteristics and policies enter the infrastructure-GDP interactions and lead to heterogeneity of steady states and convergence rates across countries and over time. We show that the model can be specified as an identifiable recursive system. Cross-country estimates of the model indicate that the contribution of infrastructure services to GDP is substantial and in general exceeds the cost of provision of those services. By searching for the variables that account for the heterogeneity, we draw attention to the mechanisms through which various factors influence growth. The findings also shed light on the factors that shape a country's response to its infrastructure needs and offer policy implications for facilitating the removal of infrastructure inadequacies. Although lack of data limits the level of detail in which one can identify such variables, we find a number of relevant and important factors and show that the institutional context in which economic policies form plays an important role in infrastructure development.


Summary
The ability of wheat germ cell-free extracts to translate several virus RNAs has been surveyed, using RNA from viruses with different host ranges, and which do not normally infect wheat. Synthesis of specific coat protein-like products was achieved with RNAs from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, broad bean mottle virus, cucumber mosaic virus, and alfalfa mosaic virus. It appears to be mainly the small RNAs (which contain the coat protein cistron) that are translated with most fidelity. The larger RNA components of these multicomponent viruses direct amino acid incorporation quite efficiently, but the products are heterogenous. Other larger RNAs, such as tobacco mosaic virus RNA, also produce a heterogenous (polydisperse) mixture of polypeptides, rather than virus products. The RNAs of Maus-Elberfeld virus and avian myoblastosis virus stimulate a little amino acid incorporation without directing the synthesis of any recognizable virus protein-sized products. The relationship of RNA size with translatability is discussed.


The construction and use of "dynamic potential–pH diagrams" (DPPDs), that are intended to extend the usefulness of thermodynamic Pourbaix diagrams to include kinetic considerations is described. As an example, DPPDs are presented for the comparison of electrocatalysts for water oxidation, i.e., the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), an important electrochemical reaction because of its key role in energy conversion devices and biological systems (water electrolyses, photoelectrochemical water splitting, plant photosynthesis). The criteria for obtaining kinetic data are discussed and a 3-D diagram, which shows the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics of an electrochemical system as a function of pH and applied potential is presented. DPPDs are given for four catalysts: IrO2, Co3O4, Co3O4 electrodeposited in a phosphate medium (Co–Pi) and Pt, allowing a direct comparison of the activity of different electrode materials over a broad range of experimental conditions (pH, potential, current density). In addition, the experimental setup and the factors affecting the accurate collection and presentation of data (e.g., reference electrode system, correction of ohmic drops, bubble formation) are discussed.


In this paper, we test the hypothesis that possessive pronouns have the same basic structure containing the genitive pronoun, plus, in some languages, some extra structure, as suggested by Caha (2009). In order to unravel the structure of these pronouns, we use the same logic applied by Caha (2009) and Bobaljik (2012) that excludes so-called ABA-patterns. If possessive pronouns are built on top of the genitive, we derive several predictions. First, we predict that there are languages in which the possessive pronoun comprises the genitive pronoun plus an extra affix (complex morphology). Furthermore, we predict that there are no possessive pronouns that have the same form as the accusative, or the nominative pronoun, to the exclusion of the genitive (*ABA). And thirdly, we expect that any syncretisms between possessives and other pronominal forms respect the proposed hierarchy in the sense that only structurally adjacent forms may be syncretic. Our data provide ample evidence for the claim that possessive pronouns are "bigger" structures than the accusative or ergative pronouns, suggesting that the possessives are indeed constructed from these structures. However, the data in our sample do not give crucial evidence for the claim that the possessives are more complex than the genitive. The data leave open the possibility that the genitive is in fact "bigger" than the possessive. Only in a few languages do we find ABA-patterns. We argue that these ABA-patterns are only apparent counterexamples to the proposed structure. Therefore, we conclude that there is broad typological evidence for the hypothesis that possessives are built from pronouns expressing a dependent (accusative/ergative) case.


The considerable progress that has been made in the treatment of cystic fibrosis has significantly increased life expectancy. The multi-disciplinary approach is now considered to be a priority by centers providing care for adults with cystic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate three psychological morbidities that are commonly present with this disease: depression, anxiety and poor coping mechanisms for stress. Sixteen subjects (aged 19 to 37 years) participated in this study and were divided in three groups according to the severity of their pulmonary disease. Assessments of depression and anxiety were made from two perspectives: 1) the subject's own perception of his/her depressive and anxious state; 2) a psychologist's assessment of the patients depressive and anxious state. Then, reactions to stress were explored by analyzing "coping" strategies employed. Results i dicate that patients underestimated the level of their depressive and anxious state when compared to the psychologists assessment. The majority of them exhibited "coping" strategies based on emotional responses. Levels of anxiety and depression did not show any relationship with the severity of pulmonary disease suggesting that the major determinant of emotional well-being lies with the individual's own perception of their state and of the support available to them.


Doping of a cluster has often been used to stabilize and modify the structure and properties of the resulting doped cluster. In the current work, we reported the structures, stabilities and electronic properties of 3d transition metal (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) atoms doped B16− clusters using CALYPSO searching method and density functional theory. The drum-shaped MB16− are favored for M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co with high symmetry of C2v, C4v, C4v, D8d and D8d symmetry respectively, while M = Ni with Cs symmetry exhibits an open bowl-shaped structure. The infrared spectra, Raman spectra and photoelectron spectra are predicted and can be used to identify the structures of these isomers from experiments. The stabilities are discussed by analyzing the binding energy, substitution reaction, HOMO–LUMO gaps and chemical hardness. In addition, electronic properties are analyzed by calculating the charge transfer, magnetic properties and chemical bonding. Finally, with the assembly of FeB16− and CoB16− drum-shaped clusters, two different Fe2B24− and Co2B24− clusters, which are structurally characterized as tubular forms whose triple rings are composed of three eight-membered boron rings, are identified in a high symmetry C4v, respectively. Subsequently, the magnetic properties are investigated. The present results open a door for the discovery of more drum-shaped assemblies.


Mohammad Al-Rawi and Thomas Vuong from MIT will be talking about their research activities north of the Bombay Hills.
Dr. Mohammad AL-Rawi is an expert in Computational Fluid dynamics Modelling (CFD), the CFD theories are used to develop non-invasive tool of detecting cardiovascular diseases, based on animal models performing in vitro and in vivo experiments. Dr. AL-Rawi is a Senior Lecturer/ Programme Manager, School of Professional Engineering at the Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland, new Zealand. His academic experience is primarily in the field of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering research and teaching Applied Computational Modelling, Medical Equipment, Fluid Mechanics and Strength of Materials.
Dr Thomas Vuong joined Manukau Institute of Technology in July 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from HoChiMinh University of Transports, a Master of Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Auckland University of Technology. Prior to moving to New Zealand and returning to his academic life, Thomas was a locomotive engineer in Vietnam. In New Zealand, he worked as Product Design Engineer at Fisher & Paykel Appliances Ltd. He was responsible for designing and improving the dynamic response of the balancing system in washing machines. At present, his research focus is on developing a numerical CPAP model for predicting dynamic response under normal and abnormal breathing cycles in collaborating with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd.


Nanoscale materials show different properties compared to bulk materials. Due to the size dependent properties the nanoscale materials have potential applications in industry. In this paper the size dependent magnetic properties of Nd0.7Ca0.3MnO3 nanomanganite have been investigated. Nd0.7Ca0.3MnO3 nanoparticles were prepared by low temperature sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and EDAX techniques were used to understand the structure, grain size and composition. Nanoparticles prepared were of the sizes 15 nm, 19 nm and 25 nm respectively. SQUID magnetometer was used to study the magnetic behavior of the nanoparticles. Field cooled (FC) and zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetization of all the nanosamples with respect to temperature was studied and compared. We have observed drastic changes in magnetic properties of 15 nm particles compared to the other nanoparticles. The 'charge order peak' was seen to have disappeared in 15 nm particles while it was present in the other nanoparticles. All the nano particles exhibit superparamagnetism whose blocking temperature decreases as a function of decreasing particle size. The possible reasons for the influence of the particle size on the magnetic properties are discussed.


We analyze the residuals of GMRES [Y. Saad and M. H. Schultz, SIAM J. Sci. Statist. Comput., 7 (1986), pp. 856–859], when the method is applied to tridiagonal Toeplitz matrices. We first derive formulas for the residuals as well as their norms when GMRES is applied to scaled Jordan blocks. This problem has been studied previously by Ipsen [BIT, 40 (2000), pp. 524–535] and Eiermann and Ernst [Private communication, 2002], but we formulate and prove our results in a different way. We then extend the (lower) bidiagonal Jordan blocks to tridiagonal Toeplitz matrices and study extensions of our bidiagonal analysis to the tridiagonal case. Intuitively, when a scaled Jordan block is extended to a tridiagonal Toeplitz matrix by a superdiagonal of small modulus (compared to the modulus of the subdiagonal), the GMRES residual norms for both matrices and the same initial residual should be close to each other. We confirm and quantify this intuitive statement. We also demonstrate principal difficulties of any GMRES convergence analysis which is based on eigenvector expansion of the initial residual when the eigenvector matrix is ill-conditioned. Such analyses are complicated by a cancellation of possibly huge components due to close eigenvectors, which can prevent achieving well-justified conclusions.


Particle colliders are the primary experimental instruments of high-energy physics. By creating conditions that have not occurred naturally since the Big Bang, collider experiments aim to probe the most fundamental properties of matter and the universe. These costly experiments generate very large amounts of noisy data, creating important challenges and opportunities for machine learning. In this work we use deep learning to greatly improve the statistical power on three benchmark problems involving: (1) Higgs bosons; (2) supersymmetric particles; and (3) Higgs boson decay modes. This approach increases the expected discovery significance over traditional shallow methods, by 50%, 2%, and 11% respectively. In addition, we explore the use of model compression to transfer information (dark knowledge) from deep networks to shallow networks.


Purpose Estimate effects of ranibizumab on diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity in US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons with center-involved diabetic macular edema (DME) causing vision impairment for whom ranibizumab treatment would be considered. Patients and Methods This model simulated DR severity outcomes over 2 years in the better-seeing eye using US census, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy, and Los Angeles Latino Eye Study data. Baseline DR severity estimated from Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network trial data. Changes in DR severity after 2 years, with/without monthly ranibizumab (0.3 or 0.5 mg), were estimated from Phase III clinical trial data (RIDE/RISE) using a 2-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation model. Number of patients over a 2-year period for whom 1) DR severity worsening was avoided, 2) DR severity improved, and 3) selected clinical events related to proliferative DR (PDR) occurred, was estimated. Results An estimated 37,274 US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons were projected to have DR with center-involved DME and be eligible for ranibizumab treatment. The number of persons with moderately severe non-proliferative DR (NPDR) or less severe DR at baseline who would worsen to PDR and experience a PDR complication over 2 years would be reduced from 437 with no ranibizumab to 19 with ranibizumab (95% reduction; 95% simulation interval [SI], 79–100%). The number of persons with severe NPDR or less severe DR at baseline who would be expected to improve by ≥2 DR severity levels over 2 years would increase from 1706 with no ranibizumab to 13,042 with ranibizumab (682% increase; 95% SI, 478–967%). Conclusion This model estimates that ranibizumab treatment in US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients with center-involved DME causing vision impairment would potentially reduce the number of patients with worsening DR and potentially increase the number with DR improvements.


Journalism is under pressure from loss of advertisement and revenues, while experiencing an increase in digital consumption and user demands for quality journalism and trusted sources. Journalistic Knowledge Platforms (JKPs) are an emerging generation of platforms which combine state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as knowledge graphs, linked open data (LOD), and natural-language processing (NLP) for transforming newsrooms and leveraging information technologies to increase the quality and lower the cost of news production. In order to drive research and design better JKPs that allow journalists to get most benefits out of them, we need to understand what challenges and opportunities JKPs are facing. This paper presents an overview of the main challenges and opportunities involved in JKPs which have been manually extracted from literature with the support of natural language processing and understanding techniques. These challenges and opportunities are organised in: stakeholders, information, functionalities, components, techniques and other aspects.


Image processing has become one of the most unavoidable fields of engineering. The way the applications are designed based on Image processing is simply superb. This study is drafted as a study paper aimed at reviewing the object recognition techniques supported in Image Processing Sector. Analyzing object recognition through the applications is a new approach and that is what we have tried through our paper. We have taken effort to check the utilization of Object Recognition techniques in the fields of Industrial applications which includes a. automobiles b. food and beverage sector and c. fabric sector. Then attention is paid towards robotic applications. Remote sensing is also observed to be one of the hottest sectors which deploys objects recognition techniques to a better extent. Finally it is ended up with medicinal applications.


The paper presents a new framework for complex support vector regression (SVR) as well as Support Vector Machines (SVM) for quaternary classification. The method exploits the notion of widely linear estimation to model the input-out relation for complex-valued data and considers two cases: 1) the complex data are split into their real and imaginary parts and a typical real kernel is employed to map the complex data to a complexified feature space and 2) a pure complex kernel is used to directly map the data to the induced complex feature space. The recently developed Wirtinger's calculus on complex reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces is employed to compute the Lagrangian and derive the dual optimization problem. As one of our major results, we prove that any complex SVM/SVR task is equivalent with solving two real SVM/SVR tasks exploiting a specific real kernel, which is generated by the chosen complex kernel. In particular, the case of pure complex kernels leads to the generation of new kernels, which have not been considered before. In the classification case, the proposed framework inherently splits the complex space into four parts. This leads naturally to solving the four class-task (quaternary classification), instead of the typical two classes of the real SVM. In turn, this rationale can be used in a multiclass problem as a split-class scenario based on four classes, as opposed to the one-versus-all method; this can lead to significant computational savings. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework for regression and classification tasks that involve complex data.


Abstract Current surgical scrub guidelines suggest that fingernail polish should not be worn by healthcare providers despite collective evidence not demonstrating a relationship between fingernail polish and surgical-site infection (SSI). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of surgical staff wearing nail polish on the incidence of SSI after caesarean delivery. In this calendar block-randomised clinical trial, surgical staff were assigned to wear nail polish or to have unpainted nails for alternating two-week periods. The primary outcome was surgical site infection within 6 weeks of caesarean delivery. There were 372 patients in the nail polish arm and 465 in the polish-free arm. The rate of SSIs was not significantly different between the nail polish arm and the polish-free arm (1.3% vs 2.8% p = .155). We found the rate of SSI following caesarean delivery is not significantly affected by surgical staff wearing fingernail polish. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? Current surgical scrub guidelines state that fingernail polish should not be worn by healthcare providers even though the collective evidence has not been able to show the relationship between fingernail polish and surgical site infection. Previous studies have only used bacterial colony count after handwashing as a primary endpoint. The evidence they provide for developing scrub guidelines have been contradictory and inconclusive. What do the results of this study add? To better inform surgical scrub guidelines, evidence is needed that evaluates the effect of fingernail polish on clinically significant endpoints. Our study, Glitz & Glamour, examined 885 non-emergent Caesarian sections using a calendar-block schedule to determine if wearing nail polish had an impact on rates of surgical site infection. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Results suggested that fingernail polish had no difference on frequency of surgical site infections, and neither condition of the polish (chipped vs. freshly applied) nor the type of polish (gel vs. regular) had any impact either.


Helicobacter pylori infection and elevated expression of tissue matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) are both associated with gastric cancer. We investigated the regulation of MMP-1 expression during H. pylori infection. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR was used to examine mucosal MMP-1 mRNA levels in 55 patients with gastric cancers and 61 control patients. Increased MMP-1 mRNA levels in the gastric mucosa and epithelial cells were observed in H. pylori infections in which both the cag pathogenicity island (PAI) and outer inflammatory protein A (OipA) were expressed. The combined induction of c-fos, c-jun, and polyoma enhancing activator-3 (pea-3) by H. pylori caused maximal increase in MMP-1 expression. Activation of the MMP-1 promoter by H. pylori involved occupation of the activator protein 1 (AP-1) sites at -72 and -181 and, surprisingly, vacancy of the -88 PEA-3 site. Electrophoretic mobility shift, supershift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed increased binding of c-Fos and c-Jun to the -72 and -181 AP-1 sites during H. pylori infection. Importantly, during wild-type H. pylori infection, we detected increased PEA-3 binding to the -72AP-1 site and decreased PEA-3 binding to the -88 PEA-3 site. However, during infection with the cag PAI and oipA mutants, PEA-3 binding to the -88 site was detected. MMP-1 and pea-3 activities are increased in gastric cancers. Maximal activation of MMP-1 transcription requires the cag PAI and OipA, which regulate AP-1 and PEA-3 binding. Thus, cag PAI and OipA provide a possible link between bacterial virulence factors and important host factors related to disease pathogenesis.


To determine if bone cells produce interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), a potent bone resorption‐stimulating agent, we studied well‐characterized, nearly homogeneous cultures of normal human osteoblast‐like (hOB) cells. With four strains of such cells, vehicle‐treated cultures produced minimal IL‐1β (mean ± SEM, 1.3 ± 0.3 pg/ml per 106 cells per 24 h) and showed dose‐dependent (r = 0.99) increases to 2.2 ± 0.7, 5.0 ± 0.9, or 17.8 ± 6.7 pg/ml, respectively, after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 3, 10, or 30 μg/ml (for increases after 10 and 30 μg/ml treatments, P < 0.05). After treatment with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α at 10 U/ ml, IL‐1β increased to 16.2 * 3.7 pg/ml (P < 0.05). Neither 17β‐estradiol nor bovine parathyroid hormone(1–34) (each at 10 nM), alone or in combination with LPS or TNF‐α, affected IL‐1β release. Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA preparation revealed a single hybridization band at 1.9 kb when probed with a partially deleted cDNA for human IL‐1β. The steady‐state IL‐1β mRNA levels showed a significant increase with LPS treatment and a lesser increase with TNF‐α treatment in hOB cells. Moreover, TNF‐α produced an even greater increase in IL‐1 mRNA in HOBIT cells, a well‐differentiated clonal cell line derived from normal hOB cells transfected with the SV40 large T antigen. We conclude that human cells of the osteoblast lineage produce IL‐Iβ in response to well‐recognized stimuli for IL‐1 release from responsive tissue. Therefore, IL‐1 may play an important role in the local regulation of bone remodeling.


The postulate of universal local Weyl scaling (conformal) symmetry modifies both general relativity and the Higgs scalar field model. Conformal gravity (CG) has recently been fitted to rotation data for 138 galaxies. The conformal Higgs model (CHM) acquires a gravitational effect that fits observed Hubble expansion for redshifts (7.33 Gyr) accurately with only one free constant parameter. Conformal theory explains dark energy and does not require dark matter, providing a viable alternative to the ΛCDM standard paradigm. Vanishing of centripetal acceleration outside a galactic halo boundary is a unique implication of the theory. The fit to observed astrophysical data by conformal models CG and CHM is shown here to account for both parameters w2 and λ of postulated Higgs potential , responsible for symmetry-breaking finite in particle theory. Recent criticism of CG is resolved here by showing that CG and CHM are interdependent but compatible. Nonclassical CG radial acceleration parameter γ is determined by the CHM. A recently established empirical relationship between classical and nonclassical galactic radial acceleration requires parameter γ to be independent of galactic mass. Conformal theory is shown here to be consistent with this and with the v4 baryonic Tully-Fisher relation for galactic rotation velocities.


Siliceous plankton have been an important component of the oceanic silica cycle since the evolution of Radiolaria during late Precambrian or early Paleozoic time. Diatoms did not enter the cycle until Jurassic time, but now account for as much as 90 percent of the suspended silica in the oceans. It is postulated that the tremendous evolutionary success of the diatoms is responsible for evolutionary trends observable in the Cenozoic fossil record of the Radiolaria. Such trends include decrease in test weight, as well as structural changes such as increased pore size, decreased bar width, reduction or loss of test processes, and more regular alignment of pores–all changes that result in less silica uptake per test. Natural selection, mediated by the role of the diatoms in the silica cycle, apparently favors radiolarian phenotypes which use less silica in test construction.


Postprandial glucose concentration is dependent on the time of day and its concentration in the morning is lower than in the evening. However, whether it is dependent on mastication at different times of the day has not been studied before. We hypothesized that mastication affects insulin-mediated glucose metabolism differently in the morning and evening in healthy individuals. Firstly, nine healthy male volunteers (22.0 ± 0.7 SEM years, body mass index 22.0 ± 1.0 kg/m2) performed a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). One week after the OGTT, they participated in a high-carbohydrate food (rice) consumption test with 10 or 40 chews per mouthful. Each experiment was conducted in the morning (0800 h) and evening (2000 h) on the same day. Blood samples were collected before and at 30-min intervals for 120 min after glucose or rice consumption. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose in the OGTT was significantly lower in the morning than in the evening, whereas the iAUC for insulin was similar at both times. In participants who chewed 40 times, the iAUC for glucose after rice consumption was significantly lower in the morning than in the evening but was similar at both times in individuals who chewed 10 times. Chewing 40 times in the morning (but not the evening) significantly increased insulin secretion at 30 min. This suggests that morning mastication improves early-phase insulin secretion after rice consumption. This novel finding may aid in reducing the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.


Evidence linking poverty with poor mental and physical health outcomes is well documented, but until recently little research has focused on the underlying psychological factors that mediate these relationships. This report represents the first step toward exploring how two emerging theories, allostatic load and system justification theory, can be harmonized to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that propagate poverty. Specifically, this report addresses the question of how poverty-related stress might moderate the degree to which an impoverished individual is inclined to justify a system that fundamentally does not favor them. Promising future research will be addressed.


In order to evaluate and predict the behaviors of concrete structures under the environmental conditions, such as temperature, chloride invasion and earthquake effectively, a new experimental method is presented which can evaluate the field performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures by measuring the structure in the artificial accelerated environment. The method establishes the similarity-relationship of performance changing between the field and the accelerated environmental conditions by contrasting and analyzing the behaviors changing under both environments, and realizes the effective and exact estimate to the field structures from the indoor accelerated experiments. It brings forward a new way of thinking to test the RC structures under the environmental conditions. We explain the implemental process of the design by taking the experimental design of multi-environment time similarity methodology on RC structures under the chloride invasion as an example.


Summary Objectives: To compare the complication rate between open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and external skeletal fixation (ESF) for feline diaphyseal tibial fractures. Methods: In a retrospective study spanning a 10 year period, 57 feline tibial fractures stabilized via ESF or ORIF were included for analysis and complication rates were compared between the two methods. Results: In the overall study population, 23 (40.4%) cases suffered complications (9 major, 20 minor, 6 with both major and minor). All of the major complications occurred in the ESF group. Complications were more common in cats with ESF (50.0%) while only one (7.7%) of the ORIF cases suffered complications (OR 12.0 [CI: 2.09; 228.10], p = 0.02). Use of postoperative antibiotic medications was identified as a confounder. After adjusting for confounding, stabilization using ESF remained associated with a higher risk of complications (OR = 13.71 [CI: 2.18; 274.25], p = 0.02). Cats with ESF had a longer duration of follow-up (15.6 weeks; 95% CI: 13.0; 18.3) compared to ORIF (9.5 weeks; 95% CI: 6.4; 12.7) (p = 0.003), and a higher number of revisits (mean 3.0; 95% CI: 2.4; 3.6) than the ORIF group (mean 1.6; 95% CI: 0.9; 2.3) (p = 0.002). Clinical significance: This study demonstrates a significant difference in complication rates between the methods of stabilization, with ESF resulting in a significantly higher complication rate compared to ORIF. Based on these results, it may be prudent to select ORIF for stabilization of feline tibial fractures wherever practical.


Background Interleukin-15 (IL-15), a well-known myokine, is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and is involved in muscle-fat crosstalk. Recently, a role of skeletal muscle-derived IL-15 in the improvement of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity has been proposed. However, little is known regarding the influence of endurance training on IL-15 expression in type 2 diabetic skeletal muscles. We investigated the effect of endurance exercise training on glucose tolerance and IL-15 expression in skeletal muscles using type 2 diabetic animal models. Methods Male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and ZDF lean control (ZLC) rats were randomly divided into three groups: sedentary ZLC, sedentary ZDF (ZDF-Con), and exercised ZDF (ZDF-Ex). The ZDF-Ex rats were forced to run a motor-driven treadmill for 60 minutes once a day 5 times per week for 12 weeks. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed after 12 weeks. Expression of IL-15 was measured using ELISA in extracted soleus (SOL) and gastrocnemius medial muscles. Results After 12 weeks of treadmill training, reduction of body weight was observed in ZDF-Ex compared to ZDF-Con rats. Glucose tolerance using IPGTT in diabetic rats was significantly improved in ZDF-Ex rats. Furthermore, the expression of IL-15 was significantly increased (P<0.01) only in the SOL of ZDF-Ex rats compared to ZDF-Con. Additionally, IL-15 expression in SOL muscles was negatively correlated with change of body weight (R=-0.424, P=0.04). Conclusion The present study results suggest that 12 weeks of progressive endurance training significantly improved glucose tolerance with concomitant increase of IL-15 expression in SOL muscles of type 2 diabetic rats.


This report continues a study of the transport of neutrons and gamma rays from nuclear detonations at high altitudes to a set of orbiting detectors, with an emphasis on the limiting case of sources near and even beyond the horizon. To improve the calculational efficiency, the standard arrangement of a single source with multiple detectors is transformed to an equivalent one with a single detector and sources at multiple locations. Particular attention is paid to the critical problem of transport at near-horizon angles in an atmosphere whose density decreases exponentially with altitude,, As a check, calculations for this region are made using both analytical and Monte Carlo approaches. For, sources approaching the horizon, the fluence of gamma rays and neutrons reaching the detector drops gradually as the increasing column density attenuates the direct, unscattered fluence. Near the grazing angle, the direct fluence plummets, but the scattered component continues to decrease slowly and remains observable. Over this range, the timedependent flux of direct-plus-scattered gamma rays changes dramatically in both shape and magnitude, but it probably remains distinct from typical natural backgrounds. The neutron time-offlight spectrum is dominated by scattering and reflects only the most important aspects of the original source spectrum; its most obvious features are a prominent low-energy tail and the resonance structure produced by nuclear interactions in the atmosphere. In some cases, the fluence of secondary gamma rays produced by these interactions may be larger than that from the source itself.


Motion planning for systems with constraints on controls or the need for relatively straight paths for real-time actions presents challenges for modern planners. This paper presents an approach which addresses these types of systems by building on existing motion planning approaches. Guided Expansive Spaces Trees are introduced to search for a low cost and relatively straight path in a space with motion constraints. Path Gradient Descent, which builds on the idea of Elastic Strips, finds the locally optimal path for an existing path. These techniques are tested on simulations of rendezvous and docking of the space shuttle to the International Space Station and of a 4-foot fan-controlled blimp in a factory setting.


Here we present a microscopic model that describes the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) phenomenon in the multiple scattering regime. We consider an ensemble of cold three-level atoms, in a Λ configuration, scattering a probe and a control field to the vacuum modes of the electromagnetic field. By first considering a scalar description of the scattering, we show that the light-mediated long-range interactions that emerge between the dipoles narrow the EIT transparency window for increasing densities and sample sizes. For a vectorial description, we demonstrate that near-field interacting terms can critically affect the atomic population transfer in the Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP). This result points out that standard STIRAP-based quantum memories in cold atomic ensembles would not reach high enough efficiencies for quantum information processing applications even in dilute regimes.


The article presents the data on the assessment of the degree of severity of ulcerative colitis and the selection of nutritional support with the account of the violations of the nutrition status with ulcerative colitis.


Background Knowledge about cervical cancer (CC) risk factors and benefits of CC prevention motivates women to participate in its screening. However, several studies show that there is a significant knowledge deficit worldwide about human papillomavirus (HPV). The current study explores the level of knowledge about HPV and CC prevention in the context of sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of women who visited an antenatal clinic in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Arkhangelsk, which seats the administrative center of Arkhangelsk County, Northwest Russia. It included women who consulted a gynecologist for any reason between January 1, 2015 and April 30, 2015, were residents of Arkhangelsk, 25 to 65 years of age and sexually active (N = 300). Student's t-test for continuous variables and Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables were used in the comparisons of women grouped as having either poor or sufficient knowledge. Linear regression analysis was also employed. Results The level of knowledge about HPV and CC prevention was associated with education, parity, age of initiating of intercourse, and sources of information. After adjustment, women with university education were more likely to have higher knowledge about HPV and CC prevention compared to those with lower education. Conclusions We observed that most participants had a sufficient level of knowledge. Educational gaps were identified that potentially could be used to tailor interventions in CC prevention.


The effects of following four factors, which are laser power, assist gas pressure, cooling rate and scanning speed on the quality characteristics of laser cut 316L stainless steel tubes have been studied. 24 full factorial design and central composite design were used to evaluate optimum condition of process parameters. Regression analysis was used to develop empirical models for the combined effects of the independent process parameters on laser cut quality. As the results, it was observed that laser power, assist gas pressure and scanning speeds did the major effects on kerf width. The smallest kerf width was obtained with the condition of low laser power, assist gas pressure, scanning speed and moderate cooling rate. Calculated regression model was kerf width = 64.47 + 0.91W + 1.25P + 0.41S + 0.41C2 - 0.45P2


Induction of the otic placode, which gives rise to all tissues comprising the inner ear, is a fundamental aspect of vertebrate development. A number of studies indicate that fibroblast growth factor (Fgf), especially Fgf3, is necessary and sufficient for otic induction. However, an alternative model proposes that Fgf must cooperate with Wnt8 to induce otic differentiation. Using a genetic approach in zebrafish, we tested the roles of Fgf3, Fgf8 and Wnt8. We demonstrate that localized misexpression of either Fgf3 or Fgf8 is sufficient to induce ectopic otic placodes and vesicles, even in embryos lacking Wnt8. Wnt8 is expressed in the hindbrain around the time of otic induction, but loss of Wnt8 merely delays expression of preotic markers and otic vesicles form eventually. The delay in otic induction correlates closely with delayed expression of fgf3 and fgf8 in the hindbrain. Localized misexpression of Wnt8 is insufficient to induce ectopic otic tissue. By contrast, global misexpression of Wnt8 causes development of supernumerary placodes/vesicles, but this reflects posteriorization of the neural plate and consequent expansion of the hindbrain expression domains of Fgf3 and Fgf8. Embryos that misexpress Wnt8 globally but are depleted for Fgf3 and Fgf8 produce no otic tissue. Finally, cells in the preotic ectoderm express Fgf (but not Wnt) reporter genes. Thus, preotic cells respond directly to Fgf but not Wnt8. We propose that Wnt8 serves to regulate timely expression of Fgf3 and Fgf8 in the hindbrain, and that Fgf from the hindbrain then acts directly on preplacodal cells to induce otic differentiation.


Conflict detection and resolution is a critical capacity for realizing free flight. In this paper, a multi-agent system algorithm is proposed to solve the air traffic conflict detection and resolution problem involving multiple aircraft, where each aircraft may be regarded as an intelligent agent. The conflict detection and resolution problem for each agent is solved as a constraint satisfaction problem. A pair wise, argument-based negotiation approach is established for the aircraft to search for a multilaterally acceptable conflict resolution. The proposed algorithm guarantees to lead to an appropriate solution, except for some extreme cases. It also considers real-time constraints such as response time, negotiation deadline, etc. The ground based air traffic controller is always included in this system, and acts as a high-level supervisor and coordinator. It has authority to approve or override any proposal from any aircraft; force an aircraft to accept a proposal; and open or close a negotiation. It may also join the collaboration to represent those aircraft which lack the capacity to negotiate for themselves. However, in such cases it must obey the same negotiation protocol as other aircraft.


BACKGROUND: Pain is a common symptom that is managed in both outpatients and inpatients. There are many side effects associated with opioids such as respiratory depression, constipation, hyperalgesia, and tolerance. Non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause gastrointestinal tract (GIT) irritation and may be a risk factor for developing peptic ulcer disease. This study aimed to generate active analgesic agents from known analgesics, determine the docking scores of these agents to their receptors, determine the pharmacokinetic properties of these agents, and evaluate their toxicity profiles. METHODS: PubChem was used to download smiles for ibuprofen, aspirin and celecoxib. Avogadro optimized the ligands. The smiles were copied to SwissSimilarity and were used as query compounds to generate zinc compounds. DrugBank and Protein Data Bank were used to download cyclooxygenase 1 and 2. Molecular docking was done using Chimera and Autodock Vina. Smiles for both query compounds and generated zinc compounds were pasted onto the Protox II webserver and SwissADME for toxicity and pharmacokinetics properties determination. The data was presented in tabular forms with textual descriptions of the contents in the tables. RESULTS: Aspirin, ibuprofen and celecoxib's zinc compounds were generated and the first 20 compounds were docked to COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Seven, one, and four of the docked compounds showed better binding energies to COX-2 than COX-1. The zinc compounds were analyzed for toxicity profiles. ZINC01680731 and ZINC33823423 were predicted to have LD50 of 1240 mg/kg as compared to aspirin's 250mg/kg. Ibuprofen and ZINC39120409 showed LD50 of 299mg/kg and they were hepatoactive. Celecoxib and four of its zinc compounds showed LD50 of 1400mg/kg. All compounds had high GIT absorption and they conformed with Lipinski rule of five. CONCLUSIONS: ZINC01680731 0.994 and ZINC00600558 0.988 were identified as the best compounds as they showed better binding affinities, toxicities and pharmacokinetics properties compared to standard compounds.


In the current study, synthesis and characterization of a new nano-structured zirconium(IV)-minoxidil complex (1), where minoxidil, (C9H15N5O; 6-(1-Piperidinyl)-2,4-pyrimidinediamine 3-oxide), have been investigated in two different solvents. The compound 1 has been synthesized by sonochemical method in the presence of methanol and monoethylene glycol (MEG) as solvents and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The thermal stability of the compound 1 has been studied by thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). Pure monoclinic (m) zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles were readily synthesized from thermal decomposition of the compound 1 as a new precursor in both solvents. The products were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM to exhibit the phase and morphology. The results showed that, pure zirconia was produced with particles size of 53 nm and the crystal system was monoclinic when methanol was used as solvent in complexation process. While the particles size of zirconia with the same structure were significantly reduced to 25 nm, using MEG as solvent. This study demonstrates that the coordination compounds may be suitable precursors for the simple one-pot preparation of nano-scale metal oxides with different morphologies.


Experimental studies have shown that neurons at an intermediate stage of the primate ventral visual pathway, occipital face area, encode individual facial parts such as eyes and nose while neurons in the later stages, middle face patches, are selective to the full face by encoding the spatial relations between facial features. We have performed a computer modeling study to investigate how these cell firing properties may develop through unsupervised visually guided learning. A hierarchical neural network model of the primate's ventral visual pathway is trained by presenting many randomly generated faces to the network while a local learning rule modifies the strengths of the synaptic connections between neurons in successive layers. After training, the model is found to have developed the experimentally observed cell firing properties. In particular, we have shown how the visual system forms separate representations of facial features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth as well as monotonically tuned representations of the spatial relationships between these facial features. We also demonstrated how the primate brain learns to represent facial expression independently of facial identity. Furthermore, based on the simulation results, we propose that neurons encoding different global attributes simply represent different spatial relationships between local features with monotonic tuning curves or particular combinations of these spatial relations. (PsycINFO Database Record


A general and well known problem on the financial market today is the lack of capital for new ventures. Knowledge on how to overcome the financial gap and deliver proper financial solutions for such firms is also scarce. This paper focuses on the perceived importance of early-stage financing to the entrepreneur. The data used emanate from a survey of 165 knowledge-intensive ventures, located in the areas around six universities in Sweden. The study shows that an ambition to grow in general, and on the international market in particular, and a business concept not exclusively offering services and localization in a business incubator are the main attributes that explain differences in perception of external actors as sources of financing. The authors found that it was important to use a holistic approach when studying ventures, taking into account a broad set of variables dealing with venture characteristics, the entrepreneur and external relations.


The major conclusions and recommendations of this review of contrast material use are summarized as follows: 1. Our recommendations for routine administration of contrast material are summarized in the Table. 2. Patient factors, such as weight, and liver and cardiovascular disorders may be taken into account when the above recommendations are modified. 3. Unenhanced scanning should be performed selectively. It is unnecessary for routine examinations performed with modern scanners and good contrast material injection techniques. 4. Although conclusive evidence is lacking regarding efficacy, reduced doses of contrast material may be given to patients with an elevated serum creatinine level. A full dose of low-osmolar contrast material may be given to functionally anephric patients if otherwise medically appropriate. 5. Differences in enhancement patterns produced by low-osmolar contrast agents and by high-osmolar contrast agents are small. Choice of contrast material should be based on other factors. 6. The dose of low-osmolar contrast material may be lower than the dose of high-osmolar contrast material so the examination cost may be reduced. 7. Low-osmolar contrast material is not satisfactory to use with delayed iodine scanning. 8. With use of slip-ring scanners and either helical or incremented scanning and recommended techniques, scanning should begin by the end of the injection of contrast material for biphasic techniques and within about 5-15 seconds after the end of injection for monophasic techniques. 9. Section thicknesses no greater than 8 mm should be used for helical or nonhelical scanning. 10. With helical scanning, a 1:1 pitch is preferred with a thickness of 5-8 mm. Overlapping sections may be used selectively to help identify and characterize small lesions. 11. Multiple-pass scanning is helpful to identify hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic livers. This technique may also prove helpful in other conditions. As with any new technology, considerable advantages have come with new challenges, which can be overcome by knowing underlying principles and by attending to detail. Although we have learned much over the past 15 years about proper performance of abdominal CT examinations, we have much yet to learn about the effects of such examinations on the improved health of our patients and on the economic costs to society of providing this form of health care. Opinions on techniques have converged recently, as summarized herein. Therefore, we hope that some centers will now redirect their CT research toward the profoundly difficult, timely, and important issues of examination appropriateness, the value of quality improvement programs, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.


 Energy-efficient products can reduce the threat of global climate. This research aims to examine students' intentions to use energy-efficient products by using theory of planned behaviour as the guiding principle. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of descriptive analysis revealed that of the twenty-six items assessed, two statements which represented the environmental awareness factor were the top important aspects highlighted by the respondents in respect to positive perception towards energy-efficient products. They reported that "the main cause of the climate change is a lack of environmental risk perceptions". This is followed by statement "current environmental situations are very serious for our future". Moreover, belief factor is also strongly upholding by the participants in this research. They asserted that reliability is important when considering energy-efficient products. Indeed, they strongly believe that environment is important when considering energy-efficient products. The findings advanced body of knowledge on student intentions to use energy-efficient products, which is not much enclosed in the literature in Malaysian context. Direction for future research is also furnished.


The goal of this study was to investigate whether glucocorticoids (GCs) take part in cognition impairment after exposure to chronic low-power-density microwave (MW) fields. We exposed Wistar rats to a 2.45-GHz pulsed MW field at an average power density of 1 mW/cm(2) for 3 h daily, for up to 30 days. Our results show that MW-exposed rats had significant deficits in spatial learning and memory performance. MW exposure increased levels of plasma corticosterone, and consequently GC receptor (GR) nuclear translocation and apoptosis in the hippocampus. However, co-administration of the GR antagonist RU486 with MW exposure partially reversed the cognitive impairment and neuronal loss. These data indicate that GCs might contribute to the cognition deficit induced by chronic low-power-density MW exposure.


This paper examines the environmental context of human dispersals into Asia up to 0.5 mya. These dispersals were probably intermittent, often discontinuous, and initially confined to warm grasslands and open woodlands across southern Asia. During the Early Pleistocene, the effects of the uplift of Tibet and the inception of the monsoon were muted by the low-amplitude nature of northern hemisphere glaciations. By the Middle Pleistocene, further uplift, stronger monsoonal circulation, and higher-amplitude, glacial-interglacial cycles made much of Southwest and Central Asia more arid than previously. Two other Mid-Pleistocene developments were important: first, the appearance of Acheulean assemblages, possibly as far east as southern China; and secondly, the first appearance of hominids at latitudes 40–45oN during interglacial episodes. Hominid dispersals in both Europe and Asia were probably broadly similar in that hominids did not habitually live beyond 40oN until c. 500 kya. Rather than dividing Asia longitudinally into areas east or west of the Movius line, latitudinal divisions between warm/hot and cool/cold environments might be more appropriate.