Abstract 1378 Tumorigenesis is a multi-step process and involves the silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) by genetic and/or epigenetic mechanisms. Aberrant hypermethylation of gene promoters is a major epigenetic mechanism associated with TSG silencing in cancer. To identify putative TSGs that might be epigenetically silenced in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), a genome-wide screening was performed in a commonly deleted region 6q22.33-q23.2. PTPRK (protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, kappa) was identified as the only gene out of 77 genes mapped to the 6q22.33-q23.2 region that was upregulated in four of five ENKL cell lines after treatment with the demethylation agent 5-aza-29 deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). Further analysis by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS) confirmed that the CpG island surrounding the transcriptional start site of PTPRK was methylated in ENKL cell lines not expressing PTPRK. Similarly, a significant correlation between methylation of the PTPRK promoter and downregulation of PTPRK mRNA and protein expression ( p =0.019 and p =0.048, respectively) was detected in 39 primary ENKLs. PTPRK gene allelic loss was detected in 80% of cell lines and 47% of primary ENKLs. Functional analyses by in vitro assays showed that the re-expression of PTPRK by retroviral transduction in the PTPRK non-expressing NKYS cell line suppressed the size and number of colonies formed, led to a remarkable increase in the apoptotic cell population and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Moreover, PTPRK re-expression substantially reduced the migration and invasion of NKYS cells. Conversely, the inhibitory effect of PTPRK was significantly decreased by partial shRNA knockdown of PTPRK expression in the PTPRK-expressing SNK-6 cell line. The re-expression of PTPRK in another PTPRK non-expressing YT cell line suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in a nude mouse xenograft model. Consistent with these in vitro and in vivo findings, clinicopathological correlation analysis showed that PTPRK silencing was detected mostly in the ENKL patients with advanced and metastatic disease. Examination of the PTPRK protein sequence revealed that the cytoplasmic domain possesses a consensus STAT3 binding domain (YXXQ). Re-expression of PTPRK in NKYS cells resulted in a significant decrease in the level of phospho-STAT3 (Tyr705), whereas PTPRK knockdown in SNK-6 cells resulted in an increased level of phospho-STAT3 (Tyr705). These data suggested that PTPRK dephosphorylates and regulates the oncoprotein STAT3. Overall, this study shows that PTPRK is a putative TSG in the 6q22.33-q23.2 region that is frequently deleted and epigenetically silenced in ENKL, and the loss of PTPRK expression promotes tumor growth via the aberrant constitutive activation of STAT3 in ENKL. Specific therapies aimed at targeting STAT3 warrants further exploration. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Professor Peter Brown is Professor of Experimental Neurology and Director of the Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford. Prior to 2010 he was a Professor of Neurology at University College London. For decades we have had cardiac pacemakers that adjust their pacing according to demand and yet therapeutic adaptive stimulation approaches for the central nervous system are still not clinically available. Instead, to treat patients with advanced Parkinson's disease we stimulate the basal ganglia with fixed regimes, unvarying in frequency or intensity. Although effective, this comes with side-effects and in terms of sophistication this treatment approach could be compared to having central heating system on all the time, regardless of temperature. This talk will describe recent steps being taken to define the underlying circuit dysfunction in Parkinson's and to improve deep brain stimulation by controlling its delivery according to the state of pathological activity. Evidence is growing that motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease are due, at least in part, to excessive synchronisation between oscillating neurons. Recordings confirm bursts of oscillatory synchronisation in the basal ganglia centred around 20 Hz. The bursts of 20 Hz activity are prolonged in patients withdrawn from their usual medication and the dominance of these long duration bursts negatively correlates with motor impairment. Longer bursts attain higher amplitudes, indicative of more pervasive oscillatory synchronisation within the neural circuit. In contrast, in heathy primates and in treated Parkinson's disease bursts tend to be short. Accordingly, it might be best to use closed-loop controlled deep brain stimulation to selectively terminate longer, bigger, pathological beta bursts to both save power and to spare the ability of underlying neural circuits to engage in more physiological processing between long bursts. It is now possible to record and characterise bursts on-line during stimulation of the same site and trial adaptive stimulation. Thus far, this has demonstrated improvements in efficiency and side-effects over conventional continuous stimulation, with at least as good symptom control in Parkinsonian patients.


The aim of the research presented here is to acquire knowledge of the past, present, and future composition, stability, sensitivity, and variability of the troposphere. We focus mostly on the tropical regions because it has received little attention so far, measurements here are scarce, and large changes are expected to occur in the future. Special attention is given to ozone as it plays a key role in tropospheric photochemistry. Not only is it a greenhouse gas, it is also the most important precursor of the hydroxyl radical (OH) which is responsible for the removal of many trace gases from the troposphere. Furthermore, ozone is an important indicator for atmospheric transport and photochemistry. The involvement of ozone in many different processes also renders it an excellent compound to test our knowledge of coupled transport-chemistry systems.
In Chapter 2, we present the measurements of ozone performed since the inauguration (1999) of a new ozone monitoring station in Paramaribo, Suriname. This station was started under the Research on Atmospheric Dynamics and Chemistry in Suriname (RADCHiS) project. The choice for this location was partly due to the historical ties with Suriname, but also because of the unique location of Paramaribo with respect to the Atlantic Ocean, the equator (northern hemisphere), and the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Because the ITCZ passes Suriname twice per year the station samples both the meteorological northern and southern hemispheres. This leads to strong contrast with nearby southern hemisphere stations (Ascension and Natal) during February and March.
Chapter 3 describes the variability of ozone in the tropics, and our ability to reproduce this variability (on time scales of months to years). For that purpose we use a model simulation that spans the period 1979-1993, and that includes trends of anthropogenic emissions, and day-to-day variability of meteorology. The model calculated seasonal cycle of ozone in the tropics shows that we are able to reproduce observations for stations in the remote Pacific Ocean quite well, but that the more polluted Atlantic Ocean is more problematic. At times, the model underestimates ozone by more than 30%.
Furthermore, our results show that the model realistically reproduces the changing convection patterns in the Walker circulation during the positive phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These results are in good agreement with satellite observations, even though other influences on ozone that change during ENSO (e.g. biomass burning in dry areas) were not included in our model simulation. This work presents the first ENSO signal in a multi-year model simulation of ozone.
To better understand, and possibly solve, the large underestimate of ozone over the Atlantic Ocean we have investigated the zonal distribution of ozone in more detail in Chapter 4. Since ozone monitoring stations in the tropics are not abundant, and usually only span a few years, we have used satellite observations of ozone (1979-1992) to compare our model to. We introduce a method to compare model and measurements quantitatively and systematically, and then use this method to identify times and regions where model underestimates are largest.
Chapter 5 treats the stability of photochemistry in the tropics, and the largely unchanged levels of OH since industrialization. We focus specifically on OH levels, which are strongly coupled to ozone levels because together with water vapor and sunlight, they determine OH production rates. Our calculations show that global OH has remained constant through a 50% increase in primary OH production, and a 75% increase in secondary production. Locally, the OH distribution has changed substantially since industrialization with increases of more than 200% in urban areas, and decreases of more than 30% in remote marine areas.


A platform to highlight meaningful work.
This paper details the conceptual and initial prototype design of the online platform called Chunk, which aims to highlight personal projects and put passion-driven ideas at the forefront of an individual's online profile. This paper will define "meaningful work," and outline how the foundations, characteristics, and triggers of flow, play, and"chunking"connects"meaningful work". It describes why applying them into an online platform, such as Chunk, can help users use their own projects to find greater intrinsic meaning in work. It addresses the lack of focused attention in current social media platforms, within creative work and productivity, and how chunk is able to provide a solution. This paper presents initial images of Chunk's interface, and strategies to implement flow, play, and pattern recognition into its architecture. Lastly, this research paper will analyse and compare LinkedIn, Behance, Pinterest, and Climb (online platforms oriented towards work) to Chunk's platform.


Coronary artery fistulas (CAF) are rare congenital or acquired coronary artery anatomic anomalies. They can develop from any of the three coronary arteries and drain into any of the cardiac chambers and great vessels thus creating an anatomic bypass of the myocardial capillary network. In our case, we present an 81-year-old who was referred for left heart catheterization after having found myocardial ischemia on perfusion imaging. Incidentally, he was found to have a fistula connection between the left circumflex coronary artery with the pulmonary artery. We present an atypical case of a circumflex coronary artery as a rare point of origin for a fistula with an incidence of about 18%.


As awareness has grown about the damage being done to the natural environment, limits of the earth's finite resources, and the realities of climate change, environmental advocates have demanded sustainable development practices so that future generations will be able to meet their needs. Meanwhile, the widespread exploitation of workers in the industrial sector triggered the labor movement's fight for social-economic justice. This focus on socio-economic justice that characterizes the labor movements is enlarged in the "sustainable development" framework which articulates triple bottom line practices that emphasize the interconnectedness of people, planet, and profit. The social work profession has joined these efforts, expanding its notion of the person-in-environment as it advocates for the needs of individuals, families, organizations, and communities. However, some scholars have problematized "sustainability," questioning what exactly is being sustained, how sustainability is measured/evaluated, and who benefits.


Of 59 adults admitted to Bellevue Hospital, New York, between 1968 and 1979 because of hypothermia due to exposure, 24 (41%) had 32 serious infections. Nine infections were not diagnosed at the time of admission. Infected patients warmed to higher peak temperatures were more likely to be comatose and had lower lymphocyte counts. At admission, physicians gave antibiotics to only one of nine patients with occult infection but to ten of 35 uninfected patients, thus failing to identify which patients required prompt antibiotic therapy. Delay in therapy contributed to the death of two patients. Since infection is frequently masked in hypothermic patients, careful repeated evaluations should be carried out to identify early infections. Although the proper use of antibiotics in patients with hypothermia is unresolved, we believe that prompt empiric antibiotic therapy is appropriate.


This preliminary study presents screening curtains made of electro-conductive yarns introduced into woven structures, which provide similar screening abilities as those offered by commercially available metallic plates. The curtains have a major advantage of being flexible so that they are easier to install and to remove. In order to provide a lightweight solution to compare the existing solutions present at the market, one proposes using (1) a carbon yarn (200 tex) and (2) a nickel-coated carbon yarn (1420 tex) as wefts in the woven structures responsible for conducting. The fabrics were separately tested in the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) anechoic room, which is non-reflective and echo-free laboratory chamber. Transmitting and receiving antennas were installed inside of this chamber. The antennas configuration was also changed to observe the influence of these devices set-up on the screening abilities of the curtains. The preliminary results indicated that in the frequency of 628 MHz, the screening ability of the fabric made of (2) was 57.77 dB.


The increase of export value of creative industry in the middle of the declining export value of Indonesia's leading commodities during the period of 2011 to 2015 indicates that the creative industry potentially encourages the economic growth in Indonesia. This study aims to observe the linkages of creative industries, both forward and backward linkages, with other sectors in the economy. This study also examines the impacts of the increasing export on the fashion and craft sectors, as the two largest contributors to the export of creative industries, towards the Indonesian economy. Applying the Input-Output approach, the influence of the export of fashion and craft sectors towards the Indonesian economy is seen from the multiplier effects on the increasing value added, community income and labor absorption. The results show that fashion exports increased the national value added by 0.06%; community income 0.06% and employment 0.11%. Similarly, craft exports increased the national value added by 0.05%; income by 0.05% and employment by 0.11%. The largest increase is in the labor absorption; this is because the fashion and craft sectors are labor intensive sectors.


Context: * Many European countries are considering to extend recommendations for influenza vaccination to include otherwise healthy persons aged <65 years. However information about the potential impact of such extension is scarce, particularly for adults. Furthermore, the development of vaccines against RSV has progressed, and therefore insight into the RSV-associated burden is required. * Especially young children suffer from recurrent respiratory tract infections (RTI), with influenza viruses and Streptococcus pneumoniae as frequent pathogens. Evaluation of influenza vaccination with or without pneumococcal conjugate vaccination is therefore needed. Objectives: * To estimate the influenza- and RSV-associated mortality, hospitalisations and primary care burden in order to support national vaccination policies. * To evaluate the effects of influenza vaccination with or without pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on RTI in preschool children. Methods: * Using data from death registries, hospital admissions, primary care consultations, and virus surveillance during 1997-2003 in the Netherlands, the annual average influenza- and RSV-associated excesses of mortality, hospitalisations, and primary care consultations were estimated using rate difference methods. * The effects of influenza vaccination with or without pneumococcal conjugate vaccination were assessed in a randomised double-blind controlled trial among 579 children aged 18-72 months with a prior history of physician-diagnosed RTI (the 'PRIMAKid'-trial). Results and conclusions: * In young children the highest influenza-associated excesses of hospitalisations and primary visits were observed. However, information about the effects of influenza vaccination among young children is lacking and further research should first address this prior to consideration to include this group in the recommendations for influenza vaccinations. In adults younger than 65 years of age, influenza-associated hospitalisations and primary care visits roughly increased with age, with the highest excess in the 60-64-year-olds; also influenza-associated mortality was highest in this age group. * RSV-associated hospitalisation rates were highest for the youngest children, although the excess was also substantial in 50-64-year-olds with high-risk conditions and the elderly. In elderly persons, RSV-active periods were associated with excess mortality. * The PRIMAKid-trial demonstrated that influenza vaccination with or without pneumococcal conjugate vaccination reduced confirmed influenza by about 50% and AOM episodes by 57 to 71% during influenza season. This means that between 20 and 25 children are required to be vaccinated in order to prevent one influenza episode; for AOM this number is 19-22 during the influenza season. The effects on febrile RTI in general appeared less during influenza seasons and effects of vaccinations were absent outside the influenza seasons.


Dry matter production and productivity of stem currently are being widely studied in sugarcane,
reinforcing the study in question, which aims to assess the accumulation of dry matter of the aerial
segment and the productivity of stems of sugarcane crops within the first cycle, at different levels
of water replacement (WR) with and without nitrogen fertilization, through a subsurface drip irrigation
system. The assay was conducted in the experimental area of the Federal Institut Goiano,
Campus Rio Verde, GO, Brazil, in a dystroferric Rhodic Hapludox soil, cerrado phase (savannah),
and comprised experimental splits of three furrows with an 8-meter long double row. Experimental
design consisted of randomized blocks in a 5 × 2 factorial array, with four replications. Evaluated
factors comprised five levels of WR (100%, 75%, 50%, 25% and 0% of field capacity), with
and without the application of nitrogen (0 and 100 kg·ha-1 urea). Harvest occurred in May 2013
and stem productivity (SP), productivity of pointers (PP), productivity of straw (PS), harvest index
(HI), dry matter of stem (DMS), dry matter of pointers (DMP), the relationship between dry matter
of pointer and dry matter of stem (DMP/DMS) and total dry matter of the aerial segment (TDM)
were determined. The variables SP, PP, DMS and DMP had a linear growth in proportion to WR increase,
whereas HI and DMP/DMS adjusted to a quadratic model. Nitrogen fertilization affected
positively the variables SP, HI, DMS and DMP/DMS and occurred interaction to TDM; also increasing
the productivity stem and the harvest index.


Since March 1988 the temporal musculopericranial (TMP) flap has been used as our flap of choice to reconstruct defects of the anterior base of the skull that are larger than 2 3 cm, including the dura mater, in 33 patients. The primary diseases were malignant head and neck tumours ( n = 16), trauma (n = 15), meningioma ( n = 1), and teratoma ( n = 1). The dura mater was reconstructed with a unilateral TMP flap, after which the cranial and nasal cavities were closed with the opposite TMP flap. In addition, bone was grafted by sandwiching the bone between the two flaps and fixing it to the surrounding residual bone. When a large area was resected, making it impossible to use a TMP flap, a frontal musculopericranial (FMP) flap or a free flap (usually the rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap) was used to close the cranial and nasal cavities. Thirty of the 33 patients recovered with no postoperative complications. Two patients developed extradural abscesses in the anterior base of the skull and one developed mild meningitis, but they were successfully treated conservatively. When bilateral TMP flaps were used for the reconstruction, no patient had aesthetic problems in the forehead region. The TMP flap is extremely effective for the reconstruction of the anterior base of the skull because it is minimally invasive and causes few aesthetic problems in the forehead region.


In the year 2017, about 89% of the total energy consumed in the US was produced using non-renewable energy sources, and about 43% of tenant households were cost burdened. Local governments are in a unique position to facilitate green affordable housing, that could reduce cost burdens, environmental degradation, and environmental injustice. Nonetheless, limited studies have made progress on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, to guide decision-making, particularly in small communities. This study investigates density bonus options for green affordable housing by analyzing construction costs, transaction prices, and spillover effects of green certifications and affordable housing units. The authors employ pooled cross-sectional construction cost and price data from 422 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects and 11,016 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) transactions in Virginia. Using hedonic regression analyses controlling for mediating factors, the study finds that the new construction of market-rate green certified houses is associated with small upfront costs, but large and statistically significant price premiums. In addition, the construction of market-rate green certified houses has large and statistically significant spillover effects on existing non-certified houses. Existing non-certified affordable housing units show small and often insignificant negative price impacts on the transaction prices of surrounding properties. The study concludes that the magnitude of social benefits associated with green building justifies the local provision of voluntary programs for green affordable housing, where housing is expensive relative to its basic cost of production.


Abstract Neonatal anthropometric data reflect intrauterine development and correlate with postnatal outcome. Therefore, classification of neonates by body dimensions, using gestational age-adjusted population percentiles, is clinically practiced. However, neonatal anthropometric variables are also influenced by maternal constitution and the extent of this influence is currently unknown. We analyzed small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) rates according to maternal height and weight. We used data of about 2.3 million singleton pregnancies from the German Perinatal Survey of 1995–2000. A close correlation between maternal and neonatal anthropometric data was found; SGA rates were inversely proportional and LGA rates were directly proportional to maternal height, weight, and body mass index. Neonates of small and light mothers (<155 cm, <50 kg) had, according to the presently used classification scheme, an SGA rate of 25.3% and an LGA rate of 1.7%, respectively. Newborns to tall and heavy women (>179 cm, >89 kg) had a much lower SGA rate (3.1%) and a much higher LGA rate (30.6%). Neonatal body length and head circumference depended on maternal stature in a similar way. Some neonates who are "appropriate" for their gestational age in that they achieve their genetically determined growth potential are therefore apparently misclassified as SGA or LGA.


A large percentage of bridges within the state of Pennsylvania are located over waterways. For such bridges, much of the supporting structure is positioned within the river or stream bed of the waterway. As a result, these bridges are susceptible to bridge scour, the washing away of fill around structures, which compromises the safety of the bridge. Bridge inspections have a limited frequency at which they can occur. In between these inspections, unmonitored and difficult to detect events may happen that create an immediate danger to the general public. The purpose of this research was to create a prototype system for bridge scour monitoring that would provide continuous monitoring. The technique utilized for this particular bridge scour monitoring was detection using float out devices. The float out device concept is to bury transmitters at various locations around a bridge structure. These devices would then be released due to the scour's removal of material around the device. A receiver on the bridge would receive the transmission and perform an action. A float out device system would provide an initial indication of scour severity for further investigation. To realize this technique, a prototype remote sensing system was designed to have three main components that work together to indicate bridge scour. The first component is a transmitter coupled with circuitry and encased such that it is watertight and can be buried under the materials surrounding the bridge structure. It is able to be armed such that it will remain dormant while buried and become active upon its release and rise to the surface of the water. Lastly, the communication link and time it takes the unit to rise are such that transmission of a message can consistently occur. This component in its entirety is referred to as the Sensor Unit within this document. The second component is a receiver coupled with circuitry that will be encased and installed on the bridge overpass. The receiver is able to store and interpret the RF messages sent by the Sensor Unit. Given this interpretation it is able to provide a visual indication of scour severity by interfacing with the third component described shortly. The receiver circuitry will have the capability to be powered continually. This component in its entirety is referred to as the Receiver Unit. The third component is a set of lights (LEDs) encased with its supporting circuitry. The purpose of these lights is to correspond to a particular Sensor Unit. This will allow for immediate comprehension by the inspector without having to be on the bridge. This component must be able to interface with the Receiver Unit as the light that will be lit is controlled by the Receiver Unit. This component in its entirety is referred to as the Light Indicator. This document contains documentation of the work done. This document contains all analysis leading up to the system design as well as the rationale behind design decisions made. An initial assessment of what the Scour Monitoring System would be composed of and its functionality is found in the requirements section. A less technical overview of the system designed to meet those requirements can be found in the specifications section. Following this are design sections explaining the system design in detail. Lastly, the implementation and testing of the system is presented. This document also contains all items related to the system such as Bill of Parts, Schematics, Layouts, and Embedded Software Code.


This study in order to evaluate the possibility of improving the root growth of lentil with use Mycorrhiza symbiosis with cooperation Azospirillum bacteria under rainfed conditions was conducted. A tri-factorial experiment was organized on the basis of Randomized Complete Block Design with four replicates, in which factor M was the Mycorrhizal inoculums in three levels including (not use, use Mycorrhiza Glomus intraradices and use Mycorrhiza Glomus mosseae), Factor A was Azospirillum in 2 levels including (not use and use Azospirillum brasilense) and factor L as the lentil cultivar with two levels consists of Mashhadi coarse grain cultivar and Naz fine seed cultivar.The results showed that the apply factor of Mycorrhiza, traits of root dry weight, percentage of root colonization and Mycorrhizal root dry weight at 1% level were significant. Also with apply Azospirillum Factor, percentage of root colonization trait at 1% level was Significant. The results survey the interaction between Azospirillum and Lentil cultivars showed that percentage of root colonization at the 5% level was significant. The results showed that the interaction Mycorrhiza and lentil cultivars on the percentage of root colonization at 1% level were significant. Also, three-way interaction Azospirillum, Mycorrhiza and lentil cultivars showed the percentage of root colonization trait at the 5% level was significant. Highest value for percentage of root colonization was recorded in treatment of use Azospirillum brasilense, use Mycorrhiza Glomus mosseae and Naz cultivar (46.19%).


Tissues of the spikes of Orobanche spp. contain phenols and mannitol pathways, and it seems that it is very resistant, or may be immune, to bacterial infection. Therefore extracts of 3 Orobanche species, O. cernua, O. crenata, and O. egyptiaca, were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against local isolates of crown gall (Agrobacterium) and soft rot (Erwinia) phytopathogens. Extract of O. cernua showed the highest activity against both pathogens with clear inhibition zones of 8-24 mm and 12-16 mm in diameters, respectively. When the inhibitory action of 100 mg/ml concentration of the 3 Orobanche species extract on local isolates of Erwinia was compared with each other, data revealed the ability of O. cernua to exhibit more activity than the others and disability of O. egyptiaca to inhibit any of these pathogens. Dilution experiments showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of O. cernua extract was as follows: local isolates of Agrobacterium, No. A91, A201 and A204-12,500 µg/ml and for all Erwinia isolates-27,800 µg/ml. However, MIC of O. crenata extract was 63,000 µg/ml for all Erwinia isolates. Results showed that the MIC of 12,500 µg/ml of O. cernua is equal to the effect of Streptomycin (10 µg /ml) activity against Agrobacterium isolates No. A91, A201 and A204, Ofloxacin (5 µg/ml) against Agrobacterium isolates No. A91 and A201, Norfloxacin (10 µg/ml) against Agrobacterium isolate No. A204 and Cefotaxime (30 µg/ml) against Agrobacterium isolate No. A95. However, the MIC of O. cernua and O. crenata extract to inhibit all Erwinia isolates is 27,800 and 63,000 µg/ml, which is equivalent to the effect of Tobromycin (10 µg/ml). It is concluded that Orobanche tissue could be a potential source for antiphytopathogenic bacterial agents.


Background: CNS tumors comprise 2% to 5% of all tumors. There was no epidemiological and statistical data regarding various features of brain tumors in this country. 80% involve the brain and 20% involve the spinal cord. Brain tumors cause approximately 2% of all cancer deaths. Objectives: to evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics of brain tumors. Methods: This prospective study was done at Oncology department and Neurosurgery department of Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujib Medical University from July 2006 to June 2007. Total 50 patient age 2-60 years attending the oncology department with the diagnosis of primary brain tumor were included in this study. Clinical symptoms and sign in relation to brain tumor were recorded. X ray skull and CT scan reports of all cases were evaluated. To find out the histopathological pattern of the brain tumors all histopathological reports were also evaluated. Results: Most common symptoms of brain tumor were headache (76%), mental change (64%), vomiting (52%), visual defect (46%), difficulty in movement (42%) and convulsion (36%). Astrocytoma was found in 40% patients and 30% brain tumor was associated with hydrocephalus Conclusion: This study represent the brain tumor and gives some idea about the clinicopathological aspects of the disease in our country. It will help to do further studies to evaluate the clinical, epidemiological and pathological characteristics of brain tumor DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v3i2.7054 BSMMU J 2010; 3(2): 68-71


We have carried out time resolved stroboscopic diffraction experiments on standing surface acoustic waves (SAWs) of Rayleigh type on a LiNbO 3 substrate. A novel timing system has been developed and commissioned at the storage ring Petra III of Desy, allowing for phase locked stroboscopic diffraction experiments applicable to a broad range of timescales and experimental conditions. The combination of atomic structural resolution with temporal resolution on the picosecond time scale allows for the observation of the atomistic displacements for each time (or phase) point within the SAW period. A seamless transition between dynamical and kinematic scattering regimes as a function of the instantaneous surface amplitude induced by the standing SAW is observed. The interpretation and control of the experiment, in particular disentangling the diffraction effects (kinematic to dynamical diffraction regime) from possible non-linear surface effects is unambiguously enabled by the precise control of phase between the standing SAW and the synchrotron bunches. The example illustrates the great flexibility and universality of the presented timing system, opening up new opportunities for a broad range of time resolved experiments.


Intraspecific phenotypic diversification in social organisms often leads to formation of physical castes which are morphologically specialized for particular tasks within the colony. The optimal caste allocation theory argues that specialized morphological castes are efficient at specific tasks, and hence different caste ratios should affect the ergonomic efficiency, hence reproductive output of the colony. However, the reproductive output of different caste ratios has been documented in few species of insects with equivocal support for the theory. This study investigated whether the ratios of nonreproductive and reproductive morphs affect the reproductive output of a recently discovered social trematode, Philophthalmus sp., in which the nonreproductive members are hypothesized to be defensive specialists. A census of natural infections and a manipulative in vitro experiment demonstrated a positive association between the reproductive output of trematode colonies and the ratio of nonreproductive to reproductive morphs in the presence of an intra‐host trematode competitor, Maritrema novaezealandensis. On the contrary, without the competitor, reproductive output was negatively associated with the proportion of nonreproductive castes in colonies. Our findings demonstrate for the first time a clear fitness benefit associated with the nonreproductive castes in the presence of a competitor while illustrating the cost of maintaining such morphs in noncompetitive situations. Although the proximate mechanisms controlling caste ratio remain unclear in this trematode system, this study supports the prediction that the fitness of colonies is influenced by the composition of specialized functional morphs in social organisms, suggesting a potential for adaptive shifts of caste ratios over evolutionary time.


A double-blind controlled trial of 2-cyclohexylcarbonyl-1,2,3,6,7,11b-hexahydro-4H-pyrazino[2,1-a] isoquinolin-4-one (praziquantel, EMBAY 8440, Biltricide) in the treatment of vesical schistosomiasis has been carried out in 90 Nigerian schoolchildren of both sexes aged 9--16 years. Oral doses of 1 x 30, 1 x 40, and 2 x 20 mg/kg b.w. were assessed against placebo at 1 x 40 mg/kg, and the subjects followed up for up to twelve months after treatment. The results showed that the drug is very effective against S. haematobium infections and well tolerated. There were not significant differences between the three dosage groups, and the drug had no adverse haematological or biochemical effects. It is concluded that praziquantel widely meets the requirements necessary for use in large scale control of vesical schistosomiasis.


Aim: This review aims to explore the relation between the physical office environment and employee health as found in the Nordic literature. Background: The Nordic countries have a worldwide fame for their high living and working standards. Nevertheless, they have also been facing global challenges related to demographic changes, aging population, and a rise in long term conditions which require a creative way of thinking, and innovative approaches in the ways we deliver buildings and the built environment. The built environment is a health determinant and a resource for health and wellbeing of building users. In office sector, however, there is little known regarding the design implications of the physical environment for health outcomes. A review of the literature on the current state of the art in the Nordic context could offer an opportunity to rethink office design and support dialogue on how better design can improve employee health outcomes. Methods: An explorative document analysis of recent literature on workplace environment in the Nordic context was carried out. Results: Three main gaps in the literature were identified, including (1) limited understanding of health, (2) unrecognised role of the physical work environment and design professions in relation to health, and (3) diverse research orientations. The combination of results suggests the paucity of the studies relating the physical office environment to positive health approaches. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for more quantitative and qualitative methods to give relevant knowledge for complex questions regarding the physical office environment and health outcomes of employees. Future research should enable dialogue and collaboration between different actors such as managers, human resources, occupational health professionals and designers, which can benefit the users of office building.


Regents of the University of California v. Eli Lilly established a novel interpretation of the written description requirement, referred to herein as Lilly written description (LWD), which unlike traditional written description applies to originally filed claims. The LWD test for "possession" has in the vast majority of cases been applied in a manner that is essentially redundant with the enablement requirement. However, LWD can and sometimes does function as a super- enablement requirement for patent claims reciting proteins and DNA sequences. With respect to these claims, LWD has sometimes been applied in a manner that imposes biotechnology-specific requirements of "possession" more stringent than the enablement requirement, referred to in this brief as the "species possession requirement" and the "genus possession requirement." These biotechnology-specific possession requirements have been applied in an inconsistent and arbitrary manner lacking any basis in science, and at times precluding adequate patent protection for important inventions relating to proteins and DNA molecules.Assessing the degree of disclosure necessary to support the patenting of biotechnological inventions, and achieving optimal claim scope for genus claims reciting proteins and DNA, are undoubtedly challenging and important issues that patent law must address in order to maintain adequate incentives for innovation without unduly inhibiting subsequent innovators. But the enablement requirement, which prior to Lilly was invoked as a potent and largely effective doctrinal tool for calibrating biotechnological patent claims to a scope commensurate with the disclosure, is better suited to the task. In deciding Ariad v. Eli Lilly, the en banc Federal Circuit should rule that there is no Lilly written description requirement applicable to originally filed claims.


Intelligent agents are a new emerging technology that allows for machine-to-machine contract formation. Agents equipped with a set of rules instructed by humans, surf the web, discover other agents and/or humans, and take decisions forming agreements in an autonomous way. Despite recent legislations on electronic contracting, there are no legislations governing automatic agent transactions except one preliminary attempt in the USA. In this paper, we are looking into the new legal issues that arise due to intelligent agents in automatic contracting. There are few scattered opinions in the literature and are inadequate to address these issues. So, we present a legal framework to analyze these novel issues and show why even recent legislations cannot adequately address this problem. We identify many of these issues which are rooted at the authorization management in agent delegation. Therefore, we advocate solutions that consider both legal and technical aspects. Based on current legal and business practices, we develop a conceptual model for agent authorization. We propose the use of a Contract Agent Authorization Platform (CAAP) that also supports alerts and acknowledgments, and illustrate the platform with typical use cases. We attempt to investigate the ambiguities of the existing legal framework on contracting agents that emerged due to new technical developments in the field.


Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is frequent in HIV-infected persons but their impact on pregnant HIV-infected women is understudied. We explored whether these coinfections are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and lower response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: Pregnancies in HIV-1–infected women included in the ANRS French Perinatal Cohort between 2005 and 2013 were analyzed if HBV and HCV infection statuses were available. Results: Among 4236 women, the prevalence of HBV (HBs Ag+) and HCV (RNA+) were 6.2% (95% confidence interval: 5.4 to 6.8) and 1.7% (1.3 to 2.1), respectively. HCV coinfection was strongly associated with a history of drug use; HBV coinfection was 6 times more frequent in women born in Sub-Saharan Africa than in European France. Baseline HIV viral load, CD4 count, and HIV care during pregnancy were similar in coinfected and monoinfected HIV mothers, except that 90% of HBV/HIV women were receiving tenofovir and/or lamivudine or emtricitabine. HCV coinfection was significantly associated with cholestasis [adjusted odds ratio: 4.1 (1.5–10.8), P = 0.005], preterm delivery [3.0 (1.6–5.7), P < 0.001], lower CD4 [2.6 (1.0–6.4), P < 0.001], and detectable viral load [2.3 (1.0–5.5), P = 0.06] at the end of pregnancy. HBV coinfection was not associated with any of these outcomes. Conclusions: In HIV-infected women, chronic HBV infection, mostly treated using targeted ART, had no major impact on the course of pregnancy. By contrast, chronic HCV infection was associated with a higher risk of obstetrical complications and a poorer immune–virological response to ART. It is yet unknown whether cure of HCV infection before conception can limit these adverse outcomes.


Why should floors be set under wages and working conditions by labour market regulations? This paper finds that efficiency arguments are questionable, because of the disemployment effects of strict regulation. Regulation is better explained in terms of the choices of the employed semi- and unskilled worker group. This group contains the median voter, who rationally desires strict regulation to divert rent from other groups such as the skilled workers and the unemployed. Legal origin may also be important: some countries have fallen under the influence of the interventionist French (or German) legal tradition. Given a predisposition to intervene, these countries begin with some degree of labour regulation, which then creates its own constituency of rent protectors and rent growers.


Over recent decades, there has been a great influx of migrants from Iran to various parts of the globe due to various socio-political upheavals. This group has a unique characteristic before migrating to Australia, North America, and Europe. They had lived the first 20 years of their lives in the Western-oriented monarchy of Iran, and then, after the 1978 Islamic Revolution, under the Islamic anti-Western government of the country. This fascinating book investigates changes in the identity of a specific group of these migrants: first generation Iranian Muslim women in Australia. These women have experienced contact-based processes, such as acculturation and adaptation to a new social context. The focus of this study is on investigating modifications in five different aspects of identity: linguistic, cultural, national, gender, and religious. The book examines whether the attitudes of these women are influenced by socio-cultural, language, and time factors, and it identifies the core values that they continue to hold after migration.


The hardware implementations of decimal arithmetic operations, which are commonly used in financial, scientific, and internet-based applications requiring accuracy and speed, become prominent. In this paper we first analyze the column sum boundaries of n-digit parallel decimal array multipliers (PDAM). A general form of the problem is formed and a heuristic solution is found with Genetic Algorithm (GA) for 16-digit multiplication. Then, for small n-digit multipliers the GA results are proved with exhaustive search. Finally, new tight boundaries on the column sums are used in a hardware implementation of a 16-digit PDAM. Inclusion of the proposed boundaries provides an 8% speedup or 20% less area.


This thesis investigates the relationship between international
crises and the process of foreign policy decision-making. It synthesizes
from the existing literature a theory of crisis decision-making and then
tests that theory against the detailed evidence of a case study. The
thesis is divided into three major parts. The first establishes the
theory and then uses it deductively to derive a number of empirically
testable propositions relating crisis as the independent variable to
various aspects of the decision-making process as dependent ones. The
propositions add the crucial operational element to the theory: they
provide the sole means of testing it against the evidence. The second
part of the thesis consists of the case study: an account of British
decision-making during the Italo-Ethiopian conflict of 1935, including
its climax that December during the twelve days of the Hoare-Laval
Crisis. This case study meets the two essential requirements for testing
propositions and theory. First, it includes both crisis and non-crisis
situations thereby enabling one to compare crisis and non-crisis
decision-making processes. Second, it provides an example in which very
great similarities existed between the crisis and non-crisis situations.
Consequently, one can isolate and take into account those factors,
other than the distinction between crisis and non-crisis which might
have influenced the decision-making process and produced differences in
behaviour. Finally in the third
part of the thesis, the propositions
are tested against the evidence provided by the case study. These raw
findings are then analyzed in order to ascertain whether it is the
crisis/non-crisis distinction or some other factor which best explains
differences between crisis and non-crisis decision-making processes.
Because of the deductive connection between propositions and theory,
the results of this analysis can be used to evaluate the validity of
the theory itself. The ultimate conclusion reached is that it is very
doubtful whether any theory of crisis decision-making is, even in
principle, possible.


Basic income has attracted the attention of academics, policy makers, and politicians around the globe. Basic income—a no-strings-attached cash transfer made to all citizens of a country, rich or poor—has been lauded as a plan to eliminate poverty, reduce income inequality, redress imbalances in the labor market, remedy the impending problem of mass technology-induced unemployment—the "robot apocalypse"—and make possible meaningful lives for those otherwise dependent on menial work in the labor market. It has also been proposed as an efficient, nonpaternalistic, and stigma-free alternative to existing welfare state policies. This Article compares basic income to an alternative policy proposal: the regulation of maximum working hours in the labor market. This Article contends that on nearly all of these virtues, working-time regulation does better than, or at least as well as, basic income. In particular, working-time regulation makes "free time" available to a broader array of individuals, also addresses technological unemployment, and is much more conducive to pro-environmental policies. Most importantly, it is more deeply egalitarian than basic income, not only addressing income inequality but social inequality, as well. Although basic income and working-time regulation are not necessarily incompatible—indeed some have advocated the adoption of both policies—there may be other factors that effectively render them policy substitutes. Specifically, not only is working-time regulation more complementary to existing welfare-state policy than is basic income, but—already in existence in the U.S. and most other developed countries—it also does not face the challenges of political and economic feasibility that confront basic income. Thus the choice and comparison is a compelling one, of which legal, policy, and tax scholars should take note.


Cross-linked polymer particles were prepared via surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization of 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) and sodium methacrylate (SMA) using N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBA) as a cross-linker. Generated particles are zwitterionic, possessing unique isoelectric points in the pH range of 7.5-8.0, which is readily tunable through CO2/N2 bubbling. The particles were found to be highly responsive to CO2/N2 switching, dissolving in water with CO2 bubbling and precipitating with N2 bubbling at room temperature. Pickering emulsions of n-dodecane were prepared using these particles as the sole emulsifier. These emulsions can be rapidly demulsified with CO2 bubbling, resulting in complete oil/water phase separations. Nitrogen bubbling efficiently re-emulsifies the oil with the aid of homogenization. The rapid emulsification/demulsification using CO2/N2 bubbling at room temperature provides these cross-linked zwitterionic particles with distinct advantages as functional Pickering surfactants.


We consider quantum channels with two senders and one receiver. For an arbitrary such channel, we give multi-letter characterizations of two different two-dimensional capacity regions. The first region characterizes the rates at which it is possible for one sender to send classical information, while the other sends quantum information. The second region gives the rates at which each sender can send quantum information. We give an example of a channel with a single-letter classical-quantum region. We conclude with connections to other work and a conjecture on a generalization where each user simultaneously sends classical and quantum information.


An accumulation of epidemiological studies along with several lines of experimental research highlight sustained elevated resting heart rate as a significant predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, resting heart rate as a simple and inexpensive clinical parameter often remains overlooked by physicians. We therefore sought to raise awareness concerning the detrimental role of elevated resting heart rate in cardiovascular disease. Using three separate large prospective cohort studies, we examined the clinical importance of accelerated resting heart rate as a robust predictor of adverse cardiovascular prognosis. The current data supports the contention that a raised resting heart rate amplifies the risk of having several cardio-metabolic risk factors including type 2 diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome, and increased pulse wave velocity. Resting tachycardia also appeared to increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality in otherwise healthy individuals, as well as negatively predicting outcome in patients already at-risk for the condition. Notably, we observed a strong synergistic effect between inflammatory activity and concurrent elevated resting heart rate among those who experienced a cardiovascular event. Overall, these findings underline the relevance of a high resting heart rate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and in the clinical manifestations of cardiovascular mortality.


Abstract Background Age-related deficits in plantar flexor muscle function during the push-off phase of walking likely contribute to the decline in mobility that affects many older adults. New mobility aids and/or functional training interventions may help slow or prevent ambulatory decline in the elderly. Objective The overarching objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using an untethered, dual-mode ankle exoskeleton as a mobility aid to reduce energy consumption, and as a resistive gait training tool to facilitate functional recruitment of the plantar flexor muscles. Methods We recruited six older adults (68–83 years old) to evaluate acute metabolic and neuromuscular adaption to ankle exoskeleton assistance and to evaluate the potential for ankle resistance with biofeedback to facilitate utilization of the ankle plantar flexors. We also conducted a 12-session ankle resistance training protocol with one pilot participant. Results Participants reached the lowest net metabolic power and soleus integrated electromyography (iEMG) at 6.6 ± 1.6 and 5.8 ± 4.9 min, respectively, during the 30-min exoskeleton assistance adaptation trial. Four of five participants exhibited a reduction (up to 19%) in metabolic power during walking with assistance. Resistance increased stance-phase soleus iEMG by 18–186% and stance-phase average positive ankle power by 9–88%. Following ankle resistance gait training, the participant exhibited increased walking speed, endurance, and strength. Conclusions Our results suggest that dual-mode ankle exoskeletons appear highly applicable to treating plantar flexor dysfunction in the elderly, with assistance holding potential as a mobility aid and resistance holding potential as a functional gait training tool.


Designing a healthy building has become a trend between designers and architects at this time. The main objective of the scheme was to protect the health of its occupants and improve the productivity of employees if the building is an office. A building is considered healthy when the airborne pollutant on the indoor air is still within the normal range. In most cases, airborne pollutant originated from the indoor environment itself, in the form of air contamination, inappropriate application of interior design components and also related to inadequate ventilation system. Therefore a research is needed to analyze the quality of indoor air in the associated building, which includes several techniques like survey and air sampling. Thus it can be understood that the study of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) always deal with the content of indoor air that could affect health and comfort of the building occupants. This research was conducted in a clinical laboratory and the result shows that more than 60% of the occupants were satisfied with their working environment. But above 40% of the respondents were disrupted by the odour in their working environment. Moreover, several types of health disorder were also reported by the occupants.


Several in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated an association between curcumin, a diferuloylmethane derived from the plant Curcuma longa, and colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism responsible for the chemopreventive effect of curcumin is not well understood and most probably involves several pathways. Several studies indicate that curcumin may exert its effect by specifically inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) isoenzyme, which is up-regulated in 40 to 50% of colorectal polyps and in up to 85% of CRCs. However, other studies have suggested that curcumin may also inhibit polyps formation by COX-2 independent mechanisms (eg, inhibition of ErbB-1, AkT). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether curcumin's effect on the inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cell lines is correlated with inhibition of PGE2 synthesis and down-regulation of COX-2. HT29 cells (expressing COX-2) and SW480 (deficient of COX-2) were exposed to different concentrations (0-50 microM) of curcumin for 72 hours. Growth inhibition was assessed by Coulter counter. Cell viability was assessed by the ability of metabolically active cells to reduce tetrazolium salt to colored formazan compounds (tetrazolium salt assay). Apoptosis was measured by two independent methods: flow cyto-metric analysis and 4'-6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. Activity of COX-2 was evaluated by measuring prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration using a specific enzyme-linked immunoassay. COX-1 and COX-2 expressions were measured by Western blot analysis. There was a significant difference between curcumin effect on COX-2-expressing (HT29: inhibitory concentration 50% [IC50] = 15 microM) and COX-2-deficient (SW480: IC50 = 40 microM) cells. Similarly, induction of apoptosis was higher in cells expressing COX-2. Western blot analysis and PGE2 immunoassay showed that curcumin inhibited COX-2 protein activity and expression in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, inhibition of cell survival and induction of apoptosis by curcumin in colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines is associated with the inhibition of PGE2 synthesis and down-regulation of COX-2.


BACKGROUND
Separately addressing specific groups of people who share patterns of behavioural change might increase the impact of behavioural interventions to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections. We propose a method based on machine learning to assist the identification of such groups among men who have sex with men (MSM).

METHODS
By means of unsupervised learning, we inferred "behavioural clusters" based on the recognition of similarities and differences in longitudinal patterns of condomless anal intercourse with non-steady partners (nsCAI) in the Swiss HIV cohort study over the last 18 years. We then used supervised learning to investigate whether sociodemographic variables could predict cluster membership.

RESULTS
We identified four behavioural clusters. The largest behavioural cluster (Cluster 1) contained 53% of the study population and displayed the most stable behaviour. Cluster 3 (17% of the study population) displayed consistently increasing nsCAI. Sociodemographic variables were predictive for both of these clusters. The other two clusters displayed more drastic changes: nsCAI frequency in Cluster 2 (20% of the study population) was initially similar to that in Cluster 3, but accelerated in 2010. Cluster 4 (10% of the study population) had significantly lower estimates of nsCAI than all other clusters until 2017, when it increased drastically, reaching 85% by the end of the study period.

CONCLUSIONS
We identified highly dissimilar behavioural patterns across behavioural clusters, including drastic, atypical changes. These patterns suggest that the overall increase in the frequency of nsCAI is largely attributable to two clusters, accounting for a third of the population.


For graph classes \wp_1,...,\wp_k, Generalized Graph Coloring is the problem of deciding whether the vertex set of a given graph G can be partitioned into subsets V_1,...,V_k so that V_j induces a graph in the class \wp_j (j=1,2,...,k). If \wp_1=...=\wp_k is the class of edgeless graphs, then this problem coincides with the standard vertex k-COLORABILITY, which is known to be NP-complete for any k≥ 3. Recently, this result has been generalized by showing that if all \wp_i's are additive hereditary, then the generalized graph coloring is NP-hard, with the only exception of bipartite graphs. Clearly, a similar result follows when all the \wp_i's are co-additive.


Sapphire crystals grown by an improved Kyropoulos-like method were irradiated by gamma rays and electrons in this paper. Thermoluminescence (TL) and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of sapphire were studied. TL glow curves of sapphire were varied within the room temperature to 500°C at a heating rate of 10min•s-1. The OSL spectra wavelength covered were from 200nm to 700nm. There was a new peak at 220°C, which was produced by the irradiation of gamma rays and electrons. Two broad bands at 330nm and 410nm were found in the luminescence spectra, which were due to transitions of two charge states of an anion vacancy defect, corresponding to F+ and F color centers, respectively.


The light scattering differential cross-section by small identical spherical particles in nematic liquid crystal is numerically calculated at the infinitely rigid director anchoring with particles surface. It is taking into account the influence of the correlations between the positions of the particles.


Analysis of MTBF (main time break failure) to bearing 6304 with the application at crankshaft gasoline engine conducted to know the damage age of the bearing so that can influence the performance from crankshaft gasoline engine. To know the damage age of hence conducted by comparing bearing 6304 with the process hardening and process the carbonitriding, by examination directly through the appliance test the (test rig) that is bearing given the burden which have been determined by equal to 63 kg and then given the rotation of equal to 2800 rpm, because of limitation of appliance test the (test rig) hence this Analysis [s conducted by during 100 hour and conducted by iterasi is matching with the one which happened [at] crankshaft gasoline engine. After conducted by Analysis of during 100 hour of hence got by result from calculation that is Nominal Age (Lh): 5038 hour, Age Reliability (Ln): 5038 hour, Age Reliability (R): 0.9 or equal to 90 % as well as heat of arising out at bearing (Q): 0.968 kcal / minute. Besides this Analysis [is] also conducted by a macro photo to ball bearing is so that got by result that at ball bearing with the process hardening happened by many handicap at surface or incision, while at ball bearing with the process carbonitriding happened defect only a few at surface. And with the influence of burden and damage that happened at object test the moment conducted by test-drive of hence got by value FR (failure rate) or mount the mean failure at bearing with the process hardening is 0.25 of 100 hour as well as got by MTBF or mean time happened by the failure is 400 hour while at bearing with the process of carbonitriding FR (failure rate) is 0 of 100 hour and MTBF is 0 hour or 100 % is not happened [by] failure. From result of Analysis date of hence got by value MTBF (main  time break failure) or mean time happened by the failure at bearing with the compared to by better process carbonitriding of bearing with the process hardening. So that from the data that bearing with the process carbonitriding more according to to be used at crankshaft gasoline engine compared to at bearing with the process hardening. Keyword : Bearing, Crankshaft Gasoline engine, FR (failure rate), MTBF  (main time break failure).


Present study was designed to evaluate in Renoprotective activity of Pioglitazone and Glimepiride on Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced renal damage in diabetic rats. Ischemia/reperfusion injury, which is commonly seen in the field of renal surgery or transplantation in diabetic condition, is a major cause of acute renal failure. Type 2 Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of Streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, STZ) in overnight fasting rats followed by the i.p administration of Nicotinamide (110 mg/kg, NIC) after 15 minutes. After right nephrectomy, Piogltazone (10 mg/kg/day, p.o) and Glimepiride (0.5 mg/kg/day, p.o) were administered for 15 days. On the 16th day, ischemia was induced in contra lateral kidney for 45 min, followed by reperfusion for 24 hr. renal function marker and oxidative parameter were estimated at the end of 24 hr reperfusion. At the end of experimental period the level of malondialdehyde formation/ lipid peroxidation (LPO) in kidney tissue and serum marker Creatinine, Urea and Uric acids were significantly increased. Whereas, the activity of biomarkers of oxidative stress such as reduced glutathione (GSH), Catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were found to be decreased significantly compared to control rats. Pioglitazone improved the renal dysfunction and oxidative stress after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in diabetic rats, but Glimepiride less improved the renal marker change compared to treatment of Pioglitazone. In conclusion, Pioglitazone shows potent may improve renal function marker and oxidative stress in kidney in I/R induced renal damage in type 2 diabetic rats.


Since the 1960s, invention theory has reinvented itself. This essay aims to map and advance that process. It provides a window into the recent intellectual history of rhetorical studies and advocates continued development of sociologically informed rhetorical theories open to culture, materiality, and post-humanist understandings. I argue that invention theory has productively organized itself around two sets of dialectical tensions but remains constrained by two longstanding prejudices. The productive tensions revolve around (a) breaking with and affirming inherited rhetorical traditions and (b) conceiving invention as emplaced or dispersed. The prejudices consist of a continued logophilia and normative privileging of creativity and newness. I map the dialectics and prejudices across modern, premodern, and postmodern orientations. I then provide a revised definition and heuristic framework revolving around a concept, inventional media, which aims to capture invention's simultaneous emplacement and dispersal across processes of discovery, creativity, and rhetorical reproduction.


Slope stability is the key to ensuring the safety of foundation pit construction. This paper is on the background of metro foundation pit monitoring of the West Railway Station in Changchun City. Through the time series analysis of the pit slope deformation data, the Auto Regressive Moving Average Model (ARMA) of pit slope deformation is established. Then the orders of the model are determined by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Further, the deformation prediction of pit slope is finished using the ARMA model. By the comparison of the predictive value and the true monitoring value, it shows that using time series to analyze the deformation of foundation pit slope is reasonable and reliable. At the same time, this method is providing a new way to estimate the stability of pit slope.


A definitive global survey of the interaction of race, ethnicity, nationalism and politics, this handbook blends theoretically grounded, rigorous analysis with empirical illustrations, to provide a state-of-the art overview of the contemporary debates on one of the most pervasive international security challenges today. The contributors to this volume offer a 360-degree perspective on ethnic conflict: from the theoretical foundations of nationalism and ethnicity, to the causes and consequences of ethnic conflict, and to the various strategies adopted in response to it. Without privileging any specific explanation of why ethnic conflict happens at a specific place and time or why attempts at preventing or settling it might fail or succeed, the Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict enables readers to gain better insights into such defining moments in post-Cold War international history as the disintegrations of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and their respective consequences and the genocide in Rwanda, as well as the relative success of conflict settlement efforts in Northern Ireland, Macedonia, and Aceh. By contributing to understanding the varied and multiple causes of ethnic conflicts and to learning from the successes and failures of its prevention and settlement, the Handbook makes a powerful case that ethnic conflicts are neither unavoidable nor unresolvable, but rather that they require careful analysis and thoughtful and measured responses.


We investigate the role of lateral transport of minority carriers in the wafer for front-junction solar cells. The study is based on two silicon heterojunction solar cells with p-type amorphous (a-Si), and nanocrystalline (nc-Si) silicon as hole selective layer respectively. The solar cells feature similar certified efficiencies (23.23% and 23.45%). Unexpectedly, FF and RS at MPP of both solar cells are also similar. Fitting the JV curves in high-forward bias, and analytical calculations suggest that lateral transport is also taking place in the wafer at high injection, despite the front–junction configuration. This is supported by numerical device simulations. Both reveal that junction-related RS is lower with nc-Si(p) than with a-Si(p). The results underline the importance of analyzing JV curves over a wide voltage range to unravel different phenomena determining FF.


Training artificial neural networks requires the optimization of highly non-convex loss functions. Throughout the years, the scientific community has developed an extensive set of tools and architectures that render this optimization task tractable and a general intuition has been developed for choosing hyper parameters that help the models reach minima that generalize well to unseen data. However, for the most part, the difference in trainability in between architectures, tasks and even the gap in network generalization abilities still remain unexplained. Visualization tools have played a key role in uncovering key geometric characteristics of the losslandscape of ANNs and how they impact trainability and generalization capabilities. However, most visualizations methods proposed so far have been relatively limited in their capabilities since they are of linear nature and only capture features in a limited number of dimensions. We propose the use of the modern dimensionality reduction method PHATE which represents the SOTA in terms of capturing both global and local structures of high-dimensional data. We apply this method to visualize the loss landscape during and after training. Our visualizations reveal differences in training trajectories and generalization capabilities when used to make comparisons between optimization methods, initializations, architectures, and datasets. Given this success we anticipate this method to be used in making informed choices about these aspects of neural networks.


This work presents the co-integration of resistive random access memory crossbars within a 180 nm Read-Write CMOS chip. TaOx-based ReRAMs have been fabricated and characterized with materials and process steps compatible with the CMOS Back-End-of-the-Line. Two different strategies, consisting in insertion of an Al2O3 tunnel barrier layer and the design of a dedicated CMOS read circuit, have been developed in order to increase the cell high-to-low resistance ratio of a factor of 1000 and to reduce the sneak-path current effects by one order of magnitude. The ReRAM cells have been integrated directly on a standard CMOS foundry chip, enabling low cost ReRAM-CMOS integration. The integrated memories show a set and reset voltages of -1 and 1.3 V, respectively. The measured operating voltages are compatible for low-voltage applications.


The primary contribution of this work is the development of a generalized modeling methodology for complex tendon systems toward a long-term goal of modeling the mechanical structure of the human finger. The key feature of this model is its ability to predict how muscle forces will transmit through an interconnected tendon network based on tendon kinematics and the current joint posture, so that the transformation from input muscle forces to output joint torques and fingertip forces is accurately represented. The feasibility of this model is evaluated by using a tendon-driven robotic finger testbed. Moreover, we utilize the validated model to explore unique features of the extensor mechanism.


The achievement of a high level of logistical performance is a primary goal of manufacturing companies. In order to remain competitive, companies must constantly improve order processing to ensure short delivery times and high delivery reliability. Production planning and control is a core function of manufacturing companies and is responsible for routing production orders through the stations involved in order processing such as procurement, production and dispatch. Yet managing production efficiently and achieving a high logistical performance remains a genuine issue, even with increasingly digitalized and automated processes. The concept of the digital twin promises an improved database to enable companies to reach more informed decisions. As yet, the potential for utilizing this database has not been thoroughly explored in the context of a constant measurement of the backlog and output. In addition, there are various divergent definitions and approaches to the application of digital twins. This paper discusses the potentials of the different tasks of production control and monitoring in relation to the acquisition of dynamic data in real-time. A method is provided that continuously calculates the backlog and output. Furthermore, an example of application is presented that shows how this information can be used for production control. Our results indicate that by exploiting this information, logistic performance can be improved.


The formation and structural features of negatively charged aggregates of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOTNa) surfactant molecules in the gas phase have been investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and density functional theory calculations. Mainly driven by the interactions of alkali metal ions both with the oxygen atoms of the sulfonate group and with the succinate moiety of the AOT- anion, spatially ordered supramolecular assemblies, characterized by an internal core composed of surfactant counterions and hydrophilic head groups surrounded by the surfactant alkyl chains pointing outwards, are formed. Calculations have shown that surfactant self-organization in the gas phase is energetically favoured, the energy of formation of negatively charged aggregates from isolated AOTNa and AOT- being linearly related to the aggregation number. Information on the chelating properties of AOTNa towards clusters of inorganic salts was achieved by infusion of solutions at various AOTNa/metal salt (NaCl, NaBr, NaI, LiI, KCl, CsI, RbI) ratios in the ESI source of a mass spectrometer. A wide variety of negatively charged AOT-metal aggregates, some of them also incorporating halide (X-) ions, has been observed. Calculations have shown that the capture of a halide anion to give the AOTMX- species is favoured but the energetics of the process depends on the alkali metal and halide types. The use of energy-resolved mass spectrometry has allowed us to evaluate the stability of different complexes and to evaluate the role played by the metal ion. Overall, the present investigation supports the idea that, in the gas phase, mainly driven by electrostatic interactions, surfactant molecules are present as molecular aggregates characterized by a reverse micelle-like organization with an internal core formed by the surfactant counterions and head groups surrounded by the surfactant alkyl chains. These peculiar aggregates are able to incorporate ionic clusters in their hydrophilic core.


Dried whole blood of newborn infants on filter paper which is generally used for screening investigations for inborn errors of metabolism has been found suitable in a pilot study for demonstration of rubella antibodies. Investigation of 2522 newborn blood samples using the haemolysis-in-gel test showed lack of rubella specific antibodies of the IgG type in 236 cases. This indicates that 9.3% of mothers had no immunity against rubella. Inclusion of the test into existing newborn screening programmes would permit selective immunisations in the lying in period, discovery of rubella infections within the first months of pregnancy, and permit epidemiological studies. Financial and organisational requirements would be minimal. A considerable improvement in current rubella prophylaxis could thus be achieved.


Summary Thirty-three patients with flexor tendon injuries in 68 fingers were studied. They were 78.8% males 21.2% females. Age was range between 16 - 45 years. Patients were assigned into two zone groups; zone II & V. Twenty six fingers (38.2%) were in zone II, and 42 (61.8%) were in zone V. Primary repair was done in 42.6% and delayed in 57.4%. Both tendons (FDS*& FDP**) were repaired in 43 fingers, isolated FDP were repaired in 25 fingers. Postoperatively, only 31 fingers were managed with early active extension/passive flexion technique. The final results were evaluated by Louisville criteria and were Satisfactory (excellent and good) in 41 fingers (60.4%). The results were correlated to the involved zones, timing of the repair, type of the repair and the post-operative management program. It is concluded from this study that it is preferable to repair both tendons if possible by delayed primary repair with early mobilization when a trained surgeon and surgical resources are available.


Background and aims Activity, with erythema and scale of skin, and damage accrual over time, including extensive scarring, dyspigmentation, and alopecia, is often devastating for CLE patients. Recent studies indicate that DLE patients are at increased risk of developing depression, which has been correlated with worsening disease activity, with an estimated over 35% of patients not receiving any care for their mental condition. Study objectives were to better understand unmet need among patients diagnosed with CLE, and to quantify the psychological and mental health implication of patients diagnosed with CLE. Methods Administrative health insurance claims data from 1/2010-9/2015 were analysed to identify CLE patients, defined as having at least two claims with associated ICD-9-CM as 695.4 that dated 30+ days apart in a one-year period. Patients were followed from the first CLE claim for a minimum of 1 year until disenrollment. Prevalence of depression and anxiety and use of antidepressants and anxiolytics were assessed. Results 20 794 commercially-insured and 3426 Medicare beneficiaries with CLE were identified (Table 1). Of the commercially-insured, 32.0% were diagnosed with either depression (21.7%) or anxiety (21.3%), and 40.1% filled prescriptions for antidepressants (32.2%) or anxiolytics (24.6%). Findings for Medicare CLE patients were similar (Table 2). Abstract 155 Table 1 Patient demographic characteristics. Abstract 155 Table 2 Depression and anxiety:prevalence and medicatin use. Conclusions The clinical burden, along with the psychosocial implications of CLE, pose a large burden on the healthcare system and individual patients. Given the lack of efficacious treatments for active CLE and the high impact of this disease as observed in this current analysis, there is currently a large unmet need for new targeted therapies.


INTRODUCTION
Prolonged exposure therapy is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder that is underutilized in health systems, including the military health system. Organizational barriers to prolonged exposure implementation have been hypothesized but not systematically examined. This multisite project sought to identify barriers to increasing the use of prolonged exposure across eight military treatment facilities and describe potential solutions to addressing these barriers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
As part of a larger project to increase the use of prolonged exposure therapy in the military health system, we conducted a needs assessment at eight military treatment facilities. The needs assessment included analysis of clinic administrative data and a series of stakeholder interviews with behavioral health clinic providers, leadership, and support staff. Key barriers were matched with potential solutions using a rubric developed for this project. Identified facilitators, barriers, and potential solutions were summarized in a collaboratively developed implementation plan for increasing prolonged exposure therapy tailored to each site.

RESULTS
There was a greater than anticipated consistency in the barriers reported by the sites, despite variation in the size and type of facility. The identified barriers were grouped into four categories: time-related barriers, provider-related barriers, barriers related to patient education and matching patients to providers, and scheduling-related barriers. Potential solutions to each barrier are described.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings highlight the numerous organizational-level barriers to implementing evidence-based psychotherapy in the military health system and offer potential solutions that may be helpful in addressing the barriers.


Purpose: To assess the clinical and functional outcomes of olanzapine treatment for schizophrenia in a 1-year naturalistic study of inpatients and outpatients in Japan. Methods: We used data from a large (N=1850), prospective, observational study of Japanese schizophrenia patients who were initiated on olanzapine. Clinical and functional outcomes of inpatients and outpatients were contrasted using chi-square tests, t-tests, and mixed models for repeated measures controlling for baseline demographics. Results: At study entry, 43.2% were outpatients and 56.8% were inpatients. The mean (± SD) dosage for olanzapine was 11.4 ± 5.7 mg/day. Outpatients were significantly younger and more likely to be female. The most common reason for switching to olanzapine was poor medication efficacy (outpatients: 71.8%, inpatients: 74.3%), followed by medication intolerability (outpatients: 21.5%, inpatients: 28.0%). Most outpatients (63.8%) and inpatients (71.6%, p=.003) completed the study. Outpatients and inpatients experienced clinically and statistically significant improvements in global symptom severity, positive, negative, depressive, and cognitive symptoms, health-related quality of life, paid work, and social activities. Many outpatients (60.9%) and inpatients (50.5%, p<.001) demonstrated symptomatic response, with 51.0% of outpatients and 32.8% of inpatients (p<.001) experiencing remission. Mean weight gain was 2.06 kg, with 26.5% of patients experiencing clinically significant weight gain (≥ 7%). Discussion: In this 1-year naturalistic study, inpatients and outpatients who initiated treatment with olanzapine experienced significant improvements in their clinical and functional outcomes. One-fourth of patients experienced clinically significant weight gain. Current findings highlight the favorable benefit to risk profile of olanzapine for the treatment of schizophrenia in Japan.


BACKGROUND In Indonesia, cleft lip correction surgery is often done as a social program in remote areas with limited resources. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ketamine, a cheaper and more accessible alternative, as a local analgesia in infraorbital block and to determine the possibility of ketamine as an alternative local analgesic drug for intraoperative and postoperative periods. METHODS This was a randomized controlled trial in children aged 2 months to 5 years who underwent cleft lip correction surgery at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in 2016. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: ketamine and bupivacaine. Standard general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation was performed in each group. Bilateral intraoral infraorbital block was performed using ketamine 1% 0.5 ml or bupivacaine 0.25% 0.5 ml. Postoperative evaluation includes pain scores based on the face, leg, activity, cry, and consolability (FLACC) scale and analgesic duration. RESULTS A total of 36 subjects were enrolled in this study, with 18 in each group. Both groups received the same total amount of fentanyl addition intraoperatively (p = 1). The postoperative FLACC pain scale scores between the two groups were not different, with p>0.05 in every measurement. The mean duration of postoperative analgesia in the ketamine group was longer than the bupivacaine group (15–13.49 hours, p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS Infraorbital block with 1% ketamine 0.5 mg/kg was similarly effective for intraoperative and postoperative analgesia but had a longer duration than that with 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5 ml in ambulatory cleft lip correction.


In this paper, a summary of Genetic Algorithm methods developed recent years applied in chemical reaction kinetics was presented. The applications of the Genetic Algorithm in reduction of the chemical reaction kinetics, estimation of the chemical kinetic parameters and calculation of the chemical kinetic equations were expounded here. Eventually, the confronted problem and developing trend of the application of Genetic Algorithm methods in chemical kinetics were reviewed.


The Neoproterozoic is a remarkable era in Earth's history with dramatic variations in climate and biota, possibly resulting in global glaciations events (eg. "snowball earth", Kirschvink, 1992) and the first appearance of metazoans (Conway Morris, 1993). Its been speculated (Kirschvink, 1992; Hoffman and Schrag, 2002) that snowball events are in part triggered by a predominance of continents at middle to low latitudes. It appears that the rapid increase in diversity of life in the Cambrian followed a Neoproterozoic diversification of evolutionary lineages (Conway Morris, 1993, 2000; Budd and Jensen, 2000), which seems to be related to the break-up of the supercontinents Rodina and Pannotia (Dalziel, 1997). Hence, a reconstruction of the tectonic evolution in the Neoproterozoic is pivotal for understanding the major biological and climatic events occurring during this important era of Earth's history. The success of this task requires a multidisciplinary approach with accurate geological, geochronological, paleontological, palaeomagnetic and geochemical data. This project focuses on a small piece of the Neoproterozoic tectonic puzzle: Reconstructing the Neoproterozoic to Devonian tectonic evolution of the Northwestern Terrane (NWT) of Svalbard, using zircon U-Pb geochronology, in order to place Svalbard in its global tectonic framework.Svalbard's Caledonian and older bedrock consists of three main exotic terranes separated by north-south trending strike-slip faults. The Southwestern and the Eastern Terranes has been correlated with the East Greenland Caledonides, whereas the origin of the Northwestern Terrane (NWT) remains enigmatic This is partly due to the complex, polyphase metamorphic history of the pre-Devonian basement, as well as to the lack of fossil-bearing rocks in the NWT. In an attempt to understand the tectonic development of the NWT, a U-Pb ion microprobe study of zircons from gneisses, granitoids and migmatites from the Smerenburgfjorden Complex and Richarddalen Complex has been carried out. Field evidence supported by age dating indicates that an early Neoproterozoic or older metapelitic protolith was intruded by ca. 960 Ma granites. This Neoproterozoic and older basement was later involved in Silurian deformation with subsequent granitoid genesis and migmatization at 420-435 Ma. Inherited zircons in granites and migmatites indicate that two different protoliths were involved in anatexis: one dominantly of Grenvillian-age and another of early Mesoproterozoic to Paleoproterozoic age (1100-1900 Ma). The latter ages are similar to the detrital ages in the Krummedal supracrustal sequence from East Greenland, which is the parent to Grenvillian and Caledonian age granitoids in East Greenland. Lithological and geochronological similarities between the two widely separated areas indicate that the NWT had its origin in the vicinity of East Greenland (Eastern margin of Laurentia) prior to Caledonian orogenesis.


In this paper, self-designed electrospinning equipment was used to make a series of electrospinning experiments with materials of polypropylene. The influences of the receiver area, the upper plate area, and the overlapping area between the receiver and the upper plate, on the melt spinning electric field, the spinning efficiency, and the fiber diameter, were investigated respectively. The results showed that when the other parameters were kept unchanged, with the increase of the receiver's diameter, the electric field strength and spinning efficiency increased, and the fiber diameter increased at first and then decreased; the bigger the overlapping area between the receiver and the upper plate, the more stable the vertical spinning path.


This report documents principles, techniques, and strategies that are used in the development of fatigue-mitigation plans for transit operators. It includes a "how to" component on the design, implementation, and evaluation of fatigue-mitigation plans. The fatigue-mitigation plans may be used by senior managers, operations managers, safety officials, medical personnel, risk managers, human resource personnel, policymakers, and legal advisors.


The banks of Brine Pool NR1, a brine-filled pockmark in the Gulf of Mexico, are host to a population of Bathymodiolus childressi, a hydrocarbon seep mussel with methanotrophic endosymbionts. The mussel community surrounds the pool, covering an area of -540 m2 and can be divided into two distinct zones separated by a transitional area. The inner zone extends inward from the edge of the pool --1 m. The water among the mussels in this zone has high methane concentrations (>200 imol/L) and moderate oxygen concentrations (nondetectable to 161 pxmol/L). Hydrogen sulfide was rarely detected in this zone. The outer zone extends -1 m inward from the outer edge of the mussel bed. This zone also has high methane concentrations in the water among the mussels (>200 jimol/L), but lower average oxygen levels and areas with very high levels of hydrogen sulfide. The two zones are linked with a transitional area, the middle zone, ranging in width from 1 to 4 m, where intermediate environmental conditions are found. The inner zone was relatively homogenous, while spatial heterogeneity was high in the middle and outer zones, both in the characteristics of the mussel population and in their environment. Size-frequency distributions indicate that the inner zone is an area of active recruitment, with very little recruitment occurring in either the middle or outer zones. Physiological condition indices of the mussels were significantly higher in the inner zone than in the outer zone in some years. Comparisons of growth parameters also indicate better growth conditions in the inner zone. Physiological condition and growth did not change between the first two years of the study. However, a significant change in both was detected between 1994 and 1995, suggesting that this deep-sea community is exposed to an unexpected temporal variability in environmental conditions.


The impacts of soft-breakdown (SBD) on the char- acteristics of deep sub-micron NMOSFETs were investigated. It is shown that the BD location plays a crucial role in the post-BD switching function of the device. When BD occurs at the channel, the turn-on behavior of the drain current would not be significantly affected, which is in strong contrast to the case of BD at the drain. Nevertheless, significant increase in gate current is observed in the off-state when the gate voltage is more negative than 1 V. Its origin is identified to be due to the action of two parasitic bipolar transistors formed after SBD occurrence at the channel.


Given the fact that the effectiveness of safety management systems (SMS) have reached a no‐improvement plateau in most organisations in Hong Kong, those involved in SMS would agree that change is needed to give safety a continuous improvement momentum. The concepts, principles, tools and practices of total quality management (TQM) can be the means to obtain such a change. This paper is an attempt to apply the TQM concepts and techniques in a systematic manner into a SMS. First, the problems of a compliance‐oriented SMS adopted by most organisations in Hong Kong are summarised. Then, the needs and rationales for the establishment of TQM‐based safety management briefs, which will ultimately determine the backbone of a SMS, are illustrated. Next, a systematic process for developing and implementing a SMS that incorporates TQM principles is outlined. Finally, practical strategies for the implementation of a TQM‐based SMS in Hong Kong are suggested.


Planning of hydroelectric systems is a complex and difficult task once it involves non-linear production characteristics and depends on numerous variables. A key variable is the natural streamflow. The streamflow values covering the entire planning period must be accurately forecasted because they strongly influence energy production. Currently, streamflow prediction using Box and Jenkins methodology prevails in the electric power industry. This paper suggests a fuzzy prediction model based on fuzzy clustering as an alternative for streamflow forecast. The model uses fuzzy c-means clustering to explore past data structure, and a median and pattern recognition procedures to capture similarities between streamflow history and data used for prediction. Computational experiments with actual data suggest that the predictive clustering approach performs globally better than periodic auto regressive moving average models, the current streamflow forecasting methodology adopted by many hydroelectric systems worldwide.


Introduction: Postoperative atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia following bypass surgery with significant morbidity, mortality and increased healthcare costs. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and timing of atrial fibrillation, identify the risk factors covering preoperative and intraoperative periods, evaluate rate of return to sinus rhythm by disharge, and explore the impact on postoperative outcomes in a large group of patients operated in a single center by a single surgeon. Patients and Methods: Between January 2011 and January 2012, 418 patients on preoperative sinus rhythm were operated for ischemic heart disease and associated complications (left ventricle aneurysm repair and ischemic mitral insufficiency) in a single center, by a single surgeon. The preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative variables were studied. Results: The mean age of the patients were 61.92 ± 10.05, and 77.5% were male. Atrial fibrillation developed in 68 (16.3%) patients. The incidence peaked at second day. Patients with atrial fibrillation were older (p< 0.001). Gender, preoperative comorbidities, ejection fraction, left atrial diameter, preoperative beta-blocker use, leukocyte count, type of operation and intraoperative variables did not affect its occurence. Intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were longer (p< 0.05). 95.5% (n= 65) of patients were in normal sinus rhythm at discharge. Conclusion: Postoperative atrial fibrillation is a popular subject with unknowns and controversial results which may lead to wrong interpretations. We believe that every center has its own risk factors related with the population of that region. Discussion will last, but simple precautions and close monitoring will help to minimize adverse outcomes.


ASEAN Economic Ministers signed the Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons (MNP) in 2012. This is a new instrument potentially facilitating the free flow of goods, services, investment, and skilled labour, thus contributing to the establishment of an ASEAN single market and production base. The objective of this paper is to assess the benefits and limitations of this new instrument. The MNP Agreement is an independent Mode 4 services agreement. Actual commitments cover business visitors (seven ASEAN Member States, or AMSs), intra-corporate transferees (all the AMSs), and contractual services suppliers (three AMSs). In general, the commitments add value to predated agreements (namely, AFAS 8 and AANZFTA) for many AMSs in terms of wider sectoral coverage and/or new categories of commitment. However, the commitments vary widely across countries regarding sectoral coverage, committed categories of MNP, and lengths of initial periods of stay. A stand-alone MNP Agreement may result in Mode 4 commitments inconsistent with Mode 3 commitments. Furthermore, the current agreement does not cover non-services sectors at all.


One of the ways of thinking God in contemporary philosophy is reflecting on violence. In fact, reflecting on violence implies always at the same time to refer to the difficulty of thinking about the co-implication of law and violence, a typical prerogative of divine action. From this perspective, political theology is concerned with the status and the possibilities or impossibilities of representing violence in a given political order. Three are the classical texts in the backdrop of this reflection on the hiatus between law and violence: Walter Benjamin Critique of Violence of 1921, Carl Schmitt's Political Theology of 1922 and Derrida's Force of Law of 1989. The article examines another paradigm, that of Ernesto Laclau. The article concludes that only a non-presentable idea of God as a negative fundament allows for a non-authoritarian political idea. But this non-presentable character is only made possible by revolutionary politics.


The case of a girl with Binder syndrome (maxillonasal-dysplasia) is reported. The girl has a peculiar face due to severely depressed nasal bridge, the nasofrontal angle is absent and the nose is hypoplastic with flattened alae and nasal tip; the upper lip has a convex contour with poorly developed philtrum. The premaxillary is hypoplastic. Lateral and postero-anterior cephalometric findings are presented.