Next-generation wireless communications systems need to have high throughputs to satisfy user demand, to be low-cost, and to have an efficient management as principal features. Using a high-performance, low-cost reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) as a colorless remote modulator at the antenna unit, the wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technique can be used for supporting distributed antenna systems (DASs). Each antenna unit is connected to the central unit using optical fiber and all links are used to transmit radio signals. Due to a large optical bandwidth, RSOAs are potential candidates for cost effective WDM systems. In this paper, simulations are carried out to determine optimized RSOA devices for wireless technology. New RSOA structures are fabricated and evaluated. The optimized RSOA is electrically driven by a standard Wi-Fi input signal (IEEE 802.11 g) with a 64-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) format. A large modulation bandwidth and a high electrooptic gain are demonstrated, which are confirmed by good performance when using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing techniques. Characteristics such as high linearity and large electrooptic modulation bandwidth of our RSOA are sufficient to ensure an error vector magnitude (EVM) lower than 5% with a dynamic range exceeding 35 dB in a back-to-back configuration (at 0 dBm). Uplink transmission over a 20 km of single-mode fiber is also demonstrated with EVM lower than 5% and a dynamic range exceeding 25 dB (at 5 dBm).


Background The identification of gene variants plays an important role in the diagnosis of genetic diseases. Methodology/Principal Findings To develop a rapid method for the diagnosis of phenylketonuria (PKU) and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiency, we designed a multiplex, PCR-based primer panel to amplify all the exons and flanking regions (50 bp average) of six PKU-associated genes (PAH, PTS, GCH1, QDPR, PCBD1 and GFRP). The Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM) System was used to detect mutations in all the exons of these six genes. We tested 93 DNA samples from blood specimens from 35 patients and their parents (32 families) and 26 healthy adults. Using strict bioinformatic criteria, this sequencing data provided, on average, 99.14% coverage of the 39 exons at more than 70-fold mean depth of coverage. We found 23 previously documented variants in the PAH gene and six novel mutations in the PAH and PTS genes. A detailed analysis of the mutation spectrum of these patients is described in this study. Conclusions/Significance These results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. In conclusion, benchtop next-generation sequencing technology can be used to detect mutations in monogenic diseases and can detect both point mutations and indels with high sensitivity, fidelity and throughput at a lower cost than conventional methods in clinical applications.


Religious and spiritual differences are often contributing causes of an escalating number of global conflicts, and colleges and universities face a pressing challenge to learn how to educate students to understand these differences. Students need to be prepared to live and work collaboratively with those with whom they have profound and seemingly irreconcilable disagreements regarding the role of faith. Now more than ever higher education should devote itself to creating and exploring initiatives that will integrate a respectful awareness of religion and spirituality into the curricular and co-curricular programs and activities of the campus. It would not be an overstatement for us to claim that unless colleges and universities model interfaith inquiry and dialogue, we will never arrive at a stage of global dignity that will ensure world peace. In this essay, I will survey current perspectives in American higher education regarding integrating an awareness of religion and spirituality into the academic as well as non-academic areas; outline two major initiatives and several other projects that could help advance this integration; report on a university, the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), that places this type of integration at the core of its educational mission; and suggest a set of principles for faculty members to consider in their planning to integrate religion and spirituality more fully into their courses.


The aim of this study was to describe and try to understand how temporal structures in school setting influence the performance of daily school tasks for pupils with physical disabilities. Seven pupils between 7 and 15 years of age were included. Data were collected through field observations and semi‐structured interviews with pupils and each pupil's teacher. The findings show that pupils with disabilities often did not have the time to perform regular daily school activities such as reading and writing. The pupils' time problems were to a large extent influenced by the teaching styles. Four teaching styles were identified. The number of pupils in the class seemed to influence the teacher's choice of teaching style. Variation in teaching styles also could be understood in relation to how teachers handled an educational dilemma that was discovered. Implications of the study on teaching and learning in relation to pupils with physical disabilities are discussed.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that measures the movement of water molecules in tumours may be the best way to monitor the response to treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer, shows a study that compares different types of imaging in this group of patients.

The study compared three different MRI techniques and found that diffusion weighted MRI was the most effective for detecting the effects of treatment on primary ovarian tumours and on tumours that had metastasised to surrounding tissues ( Radiology doi:10.1148/radiol.11110175).

Computed tomography has traditionally been used to assess whether patients with ovarian cancer should continue with chemotherapy after their first …


IP multicast protocols tend to construct a single minimum spanning tree for a multicast source (i.e., group), in which only a few internal nodes supply multicast traffic. In multicast networks especially with multiple multicast sources where bottleneck effects may occur frequently, frequently used multicast service leads to inefficient network utilization problems. This paper presents a new network utilization algorithm for multicasting called load distribution algorithm (LDA). The LDA algorithm uses selecting candidate path based on ant colony algorithm and multicast scheduling to distribute the contention multicast packets onto their corresponding candidate paths. The numerical results show that a multicast protocol with LDA has higher efficiency of resource utilization and meanwhile maintains less end to end delay compared with the original one without LDA.


Embedded computers contribute to almost every aspect of 21st century living, from communication and transport to utilities and manufacturing. With such a prevalence of these systems, the need to efficiently monitor, analyse and control them is paramount. Often a bespoke software application is used, but by using a general purpose application, less resources are required. Several commercial and free software utilities are available which can be used to meet this need to some extent, however most are designed for specific usecases or contain a number of deficiencies which makes their use difficult.
As such, a graphical user interface (GUI) application was produced which aimed to meet this need. The Python programming language was utilised alongside the Qt framework, resulting in a cross-platform application. The software package was designed to be modular, allowing parts of the application to be re-used when a full-featured GUI was not required. A key feature of the application was the ability to define data protocols to extract individual data fields from a steam of data, and construct output data from user-entered values. In addition, a flexible GUI was created, allowing the user to display the data in various formats, such as textual or graphical, simultaneously.
The application produced made good strides in meeting this need, and received positive feedback from users. Some minor performance improvements were identified, however the application generally performed smoothly and efficiently. It is envisaged that through increased usage of suitable, performant and intuitive generic tools such as the one produced, the efficient use of human, time and financial resources used for developing and monitoring embedded systems can be greatly improved.


In this paper, we consider distributed estimation of an unknown random scalar by using wireless sensors and a fusion center (FC). We adopt a linear model for distributed estimation of a scalar source where both observation models and sensor operations are linear, and the multiple access channel (MAC) is coherent. We consider a fusion center with multiple antennas and single antenna. In order to estimate the source, best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) is adopted. Two cases are considered: Minimization of the mean square error (MSE) of the BLUE estimator subject to network power constraint, and minimization of the network power subject to the quality of service (QOS). For a fusion center with multiple antennas, iterative solutions are provided and it is shown that the proposed algorithms always converge. For a fusion center with single antenna, closed-form solutions are provided, and it is shown that the iterative solutions will reduce to the closed-form solutions. Furthermore, the effect of noise correlation at the sensors and fusion center is investigated. It is shown that knowledge of noise correlation at the sensors will help to improve the system performance. Moreover, if correlation exists and not factored in, the system performance might improve depending on the correlation structure. We also show, by simulations, that when noise at the fusion center is correlated, even with knowing the correlation structure, the system performance degrades. Finally, simulations are provided to verify the analysis and present the performance of the proposed schemes.


Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) have received considerable attention in recent years. VANETs provide many services and applications such as Internet access Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and information dissemination. Due to dynamic changes in the network topologies, various routing protocols have been studied in the vehicular environments. However, the communications between source and destination vehicles involve many intermediate vehicles, and due to the high mobility of vehicles, these communication links become disconnected. In this paper, we propose a distributed routing protocol in VANETs with the help of roadside units (RSUs). The proposed scheme includes vehicle registration, finding the location of destination vehicle and the handover maintenance. The simulation results show that our proposed protocol is suitable for vehicles communications in VANETs.


A feature extraction method based on the geometric properties of printed numerals was descrided. After reading a single binary numerical image, determine the boundary of character on this numerical image. Then according to the structure, the features that can uniquely identify the numbers could be extracted from the printed numerals, and verify the obtained feature values of numbers to ensure that each extracted feature value of number was different from that of others. If the results showed that all the extracted feature values of numbers were not the same, it proved that the feature extraction method was feasible.


In her 2004 Critical Inquiry article "Music: Drastic or Gnostic?," Carolyn Abbate argues that much writing about music avoids music's "exceptional phenomenal presence," its "drastic" effects (a term borrowed from philosopher Vladimir Jankélévitch). Such writing, she argues is "gnostic"; that is, interested in uncovering social, cultural, or philosophical truths beneath that "exceptional phenomenal presence." Gnostic criticism is where music can become prey to nefarious philosophies; shorn from the context of performance, it can become whatever the critic wishes it to be. This indictment trains much of its focus on the work of Theodor W. Adorno, whom she regards as one of gnostic criticism's modern forefathers. In this thesis, I explore her argument as it pertain to Johannes Brahms's Fourth Symphony, which has occasioned both drastic and gnostic responses. After an introduction, I summarize her argument, present an overview of the symphony, and describe Adorno's "gnostic" reading of the piece as outlined in his 1934 essay "Brahms aktuell." Next, I examine the method of drastic criticism Abbate outlines at the end of her essay and use these methods to study a 1973 film of the piece by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. Finally, I outline some of the critiques that Abbate's article has received, both gnostic and otherwise. My general conclusion is that drastic criticism leads to a more complete engagement with the piece, despite the gnostic criticism's sometimes-penetrating insights and drastic criticism's challenging paradoxes.


Risk factors of post- ERCP pancreatitis are well characterized in various clinical settings. These factors may worsen the outcome of acute biliary pancreatitis treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy. Our aim was to investigate the effect of patient- and intervention- related factors on the outcome of acute biliary pancreatitis treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy. The data of 69 retrospectively analyzed using multiple logistic regression method to explore factors significantly associated with the outcome of pancreatitis. We found that multi-system organ failure was associated with predicted severe pancreatitis (odds ratio [OR] 24.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35 – 434.76; p = 0.030), condition of previous cholecystectomy (OR 23.94; 95% CI: 1.58 – 361.03; p = 0.022) and the performance of access precut sphincterotomy (OR 21.34; 95% CI: 1.32 – 344.92; p = 0.031). Predictors of development of necrosis were post-sphincterotomy bleeding (OR 52.01; 95% CI: 1.67 – 1617.54; p = 0.024), the predicted severe pancreatitis at admission (OR 20.30; 95% CI: 2.92 – 141.19; p = 0.002) and female gender (OR 6.70; 95% CI: 1.00 – 44.73; p = 0.049). The single variable post-cholecystectomy state proved to be a predictor of mortality (OR 13.40; 95% CI: 1.5- ; p = 0.026). We concluded that the outcome of acute biliary pancreatitis treated by ERCP and biliary sphincterotomy of acute biliary pancreatitis is influenced by certain patient- and intervention-related factors. Key words:


Abstract Antioxidant enzymes play an important role in body defense and free radical removal. Cephalosporins are β-lactam antibiotics. In this work, the effects of cefazolin, cefuroxime and cefoperazone which are cephalosporins on some selected antioxidant enzyme and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) as lipid peroxidation product were investigated in kidney, liver, and brain tissues of albino female rats. Ninety-six albino rats were randomly divided into 16 groups of equal number (n = 6). 50 mg/kg cefazolin, 25 mg/kg cefuroxime, and 100 mg/kg cefoperazone were injected intraperitoneally to the groups (5th–8th and 9th–12th, and 13th–16th groups), respectively. The changes in glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were studied in each time point group and a time-dependent manner (at the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th hour). In addition, MDA levels were examined in all the tissues. The drugs evaluated in this study had different effects on the same enzyme in different tissues depending on time. MDA levels especially in cefazolin and cefoperazone experiments were lower in all the tissues; however, MDA levels were higher in brain and kidney tissues in the cefuroxime groups in a time-dependent manner (p < 0.05). These results revealed the complex effects of the tested drugs on different tissues at different time points. Therefore, the dose and use of these drugs should be adjusted correctly.


Background: The healthcare system's unilateral focus on clock time has given motivation to explore the diversity of time and in particular the impact of time in vulnerable patients. When living with severe incurable disease, the diversity and impact of time become prominent.Aim: Knowledge on patients' experiences of time may be helpful both in planning, organizing, preparing and performing treatment and care for patients with short life expectancy. Especially to open up the communication with the patient and his/her relatives, this knowledge is important and therefore of general interest.Theoretical frame: The philosophical and theoretical approach in this study is phenomenological. Edmund Husserl, the founder of modern phenomenology, has stated that consciousness of time is the most important area in phenomenology. Martin Heidegger, known as a master in phenomenology after Husserl, emphasizes the impact of our relationship to time with respect to being.Method: An unstructured open-ended in-depth interview has been used with support of a theme guide reflecting different aspects of time. The data consist of 26 interviews from 23 participants receiving palliative care. The study was carried out from April 2009 to February 2010 in the respondent's home or at different palliative care units in Hordaland County in Norway.Preliminary result: Time, context and care are related. The patients feeling of security for themselves and their relatives determine whether the time feels good or bad. It is evident that our relationship to time is expressed by body language. The body also communicates a rhythm, when health worker and the patients have different rhythm the care can become an unpleasant experience. Patients, relatives and health workers are in different aspects of time, normally we are prospective, when death are approaching the future become uncertain, which can entail that it is a challenge to meet in harmony in the present.


This work is aimed to develop a parameterized time–frequency analysis method combined with vibration and acoustic measurements for gear fault diagnosis. To achieve this aim, the work introduces the combined use of the residual method and general linear chirplet transform using acoustic and vibration measurements from a single stage spur gearbox. Experimental works were undertaken on a developed gearbox test rig. It was found from experiments that despite acoustic measurements were heavily corrupted by measurement noise, the use of the combined general linear chirplet transform method provided more accurate fault severity assessment compared to other commonly used diagnostic methods: continuous wavelet transform and pseudo Wigner–Ville distribution methods. The combined general linear chirplet transform method allows an accurate determination of the angular location of gear fault and a better representation of sidebands associated with the severity level of gear fault. The results demonstrate the potential of using non-contact acoustic measurement using the combined general linear chirplet transform method as an alternative sensing method for gear condition monitoring applications.


BACKGROUND
Population Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment has been advocated as a means of reducing mortality from gastric cancer. The optimum Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy to use in this setting is uncertain.

AIMS
To compare efficacy of seven days of omeprazole, clarithromycin and either metronidazole, or amoxycillin in Helicobacter pylori positive subjects detected by population screening.

PATIENTS
Helicobacter pylori positive patients from the placebo group of a population screening and treatment trial were invited to take part in the investigation.

METHODS
Patients were randomised to receive either omeprazole, clarithromycin and metronidazole or omeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin, and Helicobacter pylori eradication was verified with a 13C-urea breath test at least four weeks after completion of therapy.

RESULTS
A total of 221 patients took part in the study and 210 completed the protocol. Treatment was successful in 93/111 [84%) patients allocated to omeprazole, clarithromycin and metronidazole and in 96/110 (87%) allocated to omeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin in an intention-to-treat analysis (p=0.46). Per protocol eradication rates were 93/107 (87%) in the metronidazole, and 96/103 (93%) amoxycillin group (p=0.129).

CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant difference between the two regimens. The eradication rates achieved are comparable with previous studies in both dyspepsia and peptic ulcer patients.


Abstract  The efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive disorder in Western populations is well established. The present study compares the efficacy and safety of paroxetine with placebo in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive disorder in Japanese patients. Patients aged 16 years or older who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM‐IV) criteria for obsessive‐compulsive disorder and had a Yale–Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) score of ≥16 were randomized to receive 12 weeks' therapy in a double‐blind manner. Paroxetine 20–50 mg/day or placebo was administered following a 1 week, placebo run‐in phase. One hundred and ninety‐one patients were randomized to either paroxetine or placebo, 188 patients were assessed as the full analysis set (FAS) and 144 patients completed the 12 week study. After adjustment for the Y‐BOCS total score at baseline, reductions in obsessive‐compulsive total score at week 6 and at the end of therapy were significantly greater in the paroxetine group than the placebo group. Most of the adverse events that occurred during the study were of mild to moderate intensity. Paroxetine is effective and well tolerated in Japanese adult patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder.


Functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are a common problem in children. The Roman IV criteria adopted in 2016, devoted to the problem of constipation and biliary tract dysfunction in children are developed in accordance with age and are idendoitified by the letter code. This article presents data on the correspondence of the Roman IV criteria and ICD-10 in the combined problem of constipation and biliary tract dysfunction in children. The development of upper gastrointestinal tract pathology caused by increased intracavitary pressure associated with impaired colon motility (chronic constipation) is natural during a prolonged course of chronic constipation. The study based on a specially designed questionnaire in Russia showed that an average of 54% of children in different age groups suffer from chronic constipation, that is, almost every second child. Studies showed that the frequency of biliary tract dysfunction in children with chronic constipation accounts for 42.3 to 100% cases. The survey that we conducted among pediatricians showed that a quarter of doctors found it difficult to establish diagnosis, and 41% of pediatricians struggled with prescribing therapy for persistent constipation in children, especially constipation combined with motor-tonic dysfunction of the colon in children with biliary tract dysfunction. A total of 201 children aged 6 to 15 years (96 boys and 114 girls) were enrolled in the study. In addition to pain syndrome, cellular energy exchange disorder in the form of decreased level of intracellular antioxidant catalase enzyme and plasma antioxidant activity (PAO) was identified against the background of chronic constipation and biliary tract dysfunction in this group of children, which is evidence of decompensation of antioxidant protection in the acute stage of biliary tract dysfunctional disorders in children. The identified changes make a strong case for prescribing a drug with hepatoprotective, choleretic and antioxidant effects. The use of herbal extract of fresh artichoke leaves (Chophytol®, Mayoly Spindle, France) showed the relief of pain syndrome by Day 14 of treatment in 92% of patients (75% in the comparison group), nausea in 74% of children, constipation in 88% (50% of patients in the comparison group). It is important to detect an elevated α-tocopherol level and significantly reduced catalase level, which indicates the need to choose a drug with selective antioxidant activity, which does not change the α-tocopherol level. The introduction of the herbal extract of fresh artichoke leaves (Chophytol®) in the complex therapy of the studied patients accelerated the relief of the clinical symptoms of functional biliary tract disorders and reduced the frequency of constipation in children by 4 times as compared with the control group without significant effect on the α-tocopherol level.


Abstract The influence of recycled ladle slag on the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) process under production conditions was investigated in plant trials. More specifically, 25 heats with ladle slag additions and 23 heats without ladle slag additions were studied. Both steel and slag samples were collected, from which the chemical compositions were determined. In addition, several process parameters were monitored. Overall, it was found that recirculation of ladle slag during normal production conditions works fine. On the positive side, it was seen that the steel quality concerning the phosphorus and sulphur contents of liquid steel has, in accordance with previous studies, not been affected by the ladle slag additions. Furthermore, no major differences in the slag composition occur when the recycling of ladle slag to BOF is performed. Finally, in comparison to previous studies, the increased tendency for slopping when adding ladle slag could be eliminated with a change in the lance schedule. However, on the negative side, it was seen that the addition of ladle slag leads to an increased blowing time due to lower iron ore additions. Moreover, the slag weight at tapping increased due to an increased weight of added slag formers.


Lamniform sharks are apex marine predators undergoing dramatic local and regional decline worldwide, with consequences for marine ecosystems that are difficult to predict. Through their long history, lamniform sharks have faced widespread extinction, and understanding those 'natural experiments' may help constrain predictions, placing the current crisis in evolutionary context. Here we show, using novel morphometric analyses of fossil shark teeth, that the end-Cretaceous extinction of many sharks had major ecological consequences. Post-extinction ecosystems supported lower diversity and disparity of lamniforms, and were dominated by significantly smaller sharks with slimmer, smoother and less robust teeth. Tooth shape is intimately associated with ecology, feeding and prey type, and by integrating data from extant sharks we show that latest Cretaceous sharks occupied similar niches to modern lamniforms, implying similar ecosystem structure and function. By comparison, species in the depauperate post-extinction community occupied niches most similar to those of juvenile sand tigers (Carcharias taurus). Our data show that quantitative tooth morphometrics can distinguish lamniform sharks due to dietary differences, providing critical insights into ecological consequences of past extinction episodes.


: It has been found that in the presence of millimolar concentrations of calcium added into pink shadows of erythrocytes (C1/2 = 4 mM) the velocity of glucose transport increases three-fold as compared to control shadows. Calcium added from the outside does not affect the glucose transport. Intracellular calcium induces a structural transition in the erythrocyte membrane, which is revealed by spectrin aggregation (electrophoretic data). Study of temperature relationships of glucose transport velocity in the presence of different concentrations of intracellular calcium as well as of the effect of inhibition of transport with phloricin under this condition allows a conclusion that due to Ca-induced transition in the membrane new specialized carriers get involved into glucose transport.


Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) encoded by PYCR1 gene is a housekeeping enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of P5C to proline using NAD(P)H as the cofactor. In this study, we used in silico approaches to examine the role of nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the PYCR1 gene and their putative functions in the pathogenesis of Cutis Laxa. Among the 348 identified SNPs, 15 were predicted to be potentially damaging by both SIFT and PolyPhen tools; of them two SNP‐derived mutations, R119G and G206W, have been previously reported to correlate with Cutis Laxa. These two mutations were therefore selected to be mapped to the wild‐type (WT) P5CR structure for further structural and functional analyses. The results of comparative computational analyses using I-Mutant and Autodock reveal reductions in both stability and cofactor binding affinity of these two mutants. Comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to evaluate the changes in dynamic properties of P5CR upon mutations. The results reveal that the two mutations enhance the rigidity of P5CR structure, especially that of cofactor binding site, which could result in decreased kinetics of cofactor entrance and egress. Comparison between the structural properties of the WT and mutants during MD simulations shows that the enhanced rigidity of mutants results most likely from the increased number of inter‐atomic interactions and the decreased number of dynamic hydrogen bonds. Our study provides novel insight into the deleterious effects of the R119G and G206W mutations on P5CR, and sheds light on the mechanisms by which these mutations mediate Cutis Laxa.


A rigid plate end-effector at the tip of a high-speed manipulator can remotely manipulate an object without grasping it. This paper discusses a dynamic nonprehensile manipulation strategy to rotate thin deformable objects on a rigid plate with two degrees of freedom (DOFs). The deformation of the object due to dynamic effects is exploited to produce fast and stable rotation. By varying the frequency of the rotational component of the plate's motion, we show that the dynamic behavior of the object mimics either a sliding, walking, or running gait of a biped. We introduce a model to simulate this type of system in which the object is constructed of multiple nodes that are connected by viscoelastic joint units with three DOFs. The joint's viscoelastic parameters are estimated experimentally in order to model real food. Afterward, simulation analysis is used to investigate how the object's rotational behavior and its angular velocity change with respect to the plate's motion frequency. We show how the object's behavior during rotation is analogous to bipedal sliding, walking, and running gaits and then obtain optimal plate motions leading to the maximal angular velocity of the object. We also reveal that an appropriate angular acceleration of the plate is essential for a dynamically stable and fast object's rotation. We further show that the friction coefficient that maximizes the object's angular velocity depends on its gait.


Analog rice is artificial ricewhose material is not from paddy, but it is made from a variety of local flour (corn, sago and shorgum). As a new product, Rice Analog require appropriate marketing strategies through analysis of consumer perception. This research purposes are to develop a marketing strategy through identification Analog Rice segmentation, targeting and positioning based on consumer perception. The analytical method used were crosstabs analysis, cluster analysis and biplot analysis with 73 respondent. Crosstabs result indicated that consumer characteristics (age, marital status, education, income and expenses of month), associated with their impression and interested  to re-purchase. Cluster analysis was delivered into four market segments, the third target market are 31-40 years old, married, the level of income of IDR 4,500,001 to IDR 6,000,000. Biplot analysis deliver positioning for Analog Rice product therefore this rice offers "health benefits", "nutritive ingredients", and "safe to consumed". Keywords : Analog rice, consumer perceptions, marketing strategy, cluster analysis, biplot analysis .


This article examines the relevance of substantive equality in addressing maternal deaths in Nigeria. The article argues that, aside from medical causes of deaths during pregnancy or childbirth, socio-cultural factors such as the low status of women and lack of respect for their fundamental rights often aggravate maternal deaths in Nigeria. While maternal death amounts to a violation of women's rights to health and life, it is contended that the application of the concept of substantive equality, as opposed to formal equality, can be helpful in addressing some of the root causes of maternal deaths in the country. This may require the government to take some practical steps such as awareness campaigns, law reforms and gendersensitive budgeting towards improving the health of women. The article points out that the tension between international human rights law, statutory law and customary law in a pluralist state may have serious implications for women's fundamental rights, particularly the right to health. Therefore, the article argues that, in accordance with its obligations under international and regional human rights instruments, the Nigerian government needs to pay more attention to promoting and protecting women's rights, including meeting their health needs.


Background. The aims of this research were to use data gathered over the course of a 21 year longitudinal study to examine the linkages between cannabis dependence at ages 18 and 21 and rates of psychotic symptoms taking into account previous symptom levels and other confounding factors. Method. Data were gathered during the course of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). The CHDS is a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 children who have been studied from birth to age 21. As part of this study, data were gathered on cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms at ages 18 and 21. Results. Young people meeting DSM-IV criteria for cannabis dependence had elevated rates of psychotic symptoms at ages 18 (rate ratio = 3.7; 95% CI 2.8–5.0; P<0.0001) and 21 (rate ratio = 2.3; 95% CI 1.7–3.2; P<0.0001). These associations were adjusted for previous psychotic symptoms and a range of other confounding factors using a generalized estimating equation model. This analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors, those meeting criteria for cannabis dependence still had an increased rate of psychotic symptoms (rate ratio = 1.8; 95% CI 1.2–2.6; P<0.005). Conclusions. The results show that the development of cannabis dependence is associated with increased rates of psychotic symptoms in young people even when pre-existing symptoms and other background factors are taken into account.


A dynamic model that represents an exact linearization scheme with a simplified nonlinear feedback is presented. To realize this model for robotic systems, the output functions should be chosen so that a special decomposition of the total inertial matrix is satisfied. The concept of an imaginary robot is utilized to achieve the formulation and to solve the realization problem. Two illustrative examples are given in the paper, one for the Stanford arm and the other for a PUMA type of robot. An optimal robotic physical design and a control system design based on the new model are also discussed. >


The possibility of a connection among high mystery, perceived danger, and depressed preference for certain categories of environments was investigated. Past research had suggested that urban alleys and narrow canyons would exhibit such a pattern. Comparison categories, chosen to be high in mystery and low in perceived danger, were urban and nonurban nature (that is, field-and-forest settings within urban or nonurban environments), respectively. Preference ratings were obtained for settings from each of the four categories. The settings were also rated by independent raters for six predictor variables: mystery, physical danger, social danger, shadow, nature, and vertical depth. The major findings were that danger was a negative predictor of preference and mystery was a positive predictor. There was no evidence that high mystery was involved in depressed preference ratings for any of the environmental categories investigated. The distinction between physical and social danger proved useful, with only social danger related (negatively) to preference.


Mutualistic interactions are open to exploitation by one or other of the partners and a diversity of other organisms, and hence are best understood as being embedded in a complex network of biotic interactions. Figs participate in an obligate mutualism in that figs are dependent on agaonid fig wasps for pollination and the wasps are dependent on fig ovules for brood sites. Ants are common insect predators and abundant in tropical forests. Ants have been recorded on approximately 11% of fig species, including all six subgenera, and often affect the figefig pollinator interaction through their predation of either pollinating and parasitic wasps. On monoecious figs, ants are often associated with hemipterans, whereas in dioecious figs ants predominantly prey on fig wasps. A few fig species are true myrmecophytes, with domatia or food rewards for ants, and in at least one species this is linked to predation of parasitic fig wasps. Ants also play a role in dispersal of fig seeds and may be particularly important for hemi-epiphytic species, which require high quality establishment microsites in the canopy. The intersection between the figefig pollinator and anteplant systems promises to provide fertile ground for understanding mutualistic interactions within the context of complex interaction networks. 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.


In 1998, Testimony Films released the documentary Sex in a Cold Climate, which reported the true stories of four survivors from the Magdalene asylums in Ireland in the twentieth century. Magdalene asylums, also called Magdalene laundries and homes, were institutions of the Catholic Church that sought to reform women engaged in prostitution and those who birthed children out of wedlock by forcing the women to do hard labor. Directed by Steve Humphries, the documentary interlocks four survivors' stories of how they came to inhabit a Magdalene asylum, what occurred to them there, and how they eventually freed themselves. An Irish film festival first screened the documentary, which became the inspiration for the 2002 film, The Magdalene Sisters. Sex in a Cold Climate brought attention to the stories of women who survived Magdalene asylums, which prompted additional research and eventual justice for many of the women.


Regional labor markets are characterized by huge disparities. The literature on the wage curve argues that there exists a negative relationship between unemployment and wages. However, this literature cannot explain how disparities of these variables between regions endogenously arise. In contrast, the New Economic Geography analyzes how disparities of regional goods markets endogenously arise, but usually ignores unemployment. Therefore, this paper discusses regional unemployment disparities by introducing efficiency wages into the New Economic Geography. This model shows how disparities of regional goods and labor markets endogenously arise through the interplay of increasing returns to scale, transport costs and migration.


Indian edition of - Benei, Veronique (2008) Schooling passions: nation, history, and language in contemporary western India. Stanford University Press, Stanford. ISBN 9780804759052 This book explores an important yet often overlooked aspect of nationalism—its embodied and emotional dimensions. It does so by focusing on a neglected area, that of elementary education in the modern state. Through an ethnographic study of primary schools in western India, Veronique Benei examines the idioms through which teachers, students, and parents make meaning of their political world. She articulates how urban middle- and lower-class citizens negotiate the processes of self-making through the minutiae of daily life at school and extracurricular activities, ranging from school trips to competitions and parent gatherings. To document how processes of identity formation are embodied, Benei draws upon historical and cultural repertoires of emotionality and language-use. Her book shifts the normal focus of attention away from apocalyptic communal violence—she looks instead at everyday or 'banal nationalism'. Attentive to the formulation of 'senses of belonging', she explores the sensory production and daily manufacture of nationhood and citizenship, as well as how nationalism is nurtured in a nation's youth. Historians, sociologists, students of politics and nationalism as well as educationists will be enriched by this careful and detailed study of the often ignored nuances involved in the making of communities such as Hindus and Muslims within the framework of the Indian nation.


The field of business intelligence (BI) has become increasingly important in both research and practice in recent years. However, research on the business value of BI is still scarce. This study investigates the factors influencing how BI creates business value. Through an exploratory study, we conducted interviews with 16 BI experts from different industries. The experts highlighted four significant drivers of BI-based business value creation: (1) building a business case, (2) formulating a BI strategy, (3) data governance, and (4) organizational adaptability. In addition, this study outlines how BI creates business value. Research gaps and suggestions for future research are also presented.


In this work, we present efficient algorithms for constructing sparse suffix trees, sparse suffix arrays, and sparse position heaps for b arbitrary positions of a text T of length n while using only O(b) words of space during the construction. Attempts at breaking the naïve bound of Ω(nb) time for constructing sparse suffix trees in O(b) space can be traced back to the origins of string indexing in 1968. First results were not obtained until 1996, but only for the case in which the b suffixes were evenly spaced in T. In this article, there is no constraint on the locations of the suffixes. Our main contribution is to show that the sparse suffix tree (and array) can be constructed in O(nlog 2b) time. To achieve this, we develop a technique that allows one to efficiently answer b longest common prefix queries on suffixes of T, using only O(b) space. We expect that this technique will prove useful in many other applications in which space usage is a concern. Our first solution is Monte Carlo, and outputs the correct tree with high probability. We then give a Las Vegas algorithm, which also uses O(b) space and runs in the same time bounds with high probability when b = O(√ n). Additional trade-offs between space usage and construction time for the Monte Carlo algorithm are given. Finally, we show that, at the expense of slower pattern queries, it is possible to construct sparse position heaps in O(n + blog b) time and O(b) space.


The study was carried out to examine the optimum dose of Nitrogen on Broccoli in Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung Campus during Sept, 2015- Jan, 2016. Six treatment Viz. 50, 100,150,200, 250, 300 kg/ha of Nitrogen with same level of P and k (160:100 kg/ha) and FYM (20 t/ha) were used in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Effect of treatments on plant height, leaf area and head weight plant-1, yield ha-1 were significant and other parameters (leaf number, SPAD reading, plant spreading) were not affected by the treatments. Treatment that received 300 kg N ha-1 gave the maximum yield ha-1 (14.77 ton) which was followed by treatment that received 250 kg N ha-1 (10.60 ton), 200 kg N ha-1 (8.11 ton), 150 kg N ha-1 (7.432 ton), 100 kg N ha-1 (5.96 ton) and 50 kg ha-1 (4.24 ton). Treatments 250 kg N ha-1, 200 kg N ha-1, 150 kg N ha-1 and 100 kg N ha-1 were statistically at par while 50 kg produced the least yield ha-1. Application of 300 kg N ha-1 gave the higher result with respect to plant height (17.75 cm), leaf area (699.32 cm2), leaf number (7.77), SPAD reading (68.71), plant spreading (70.21 cm), compared to other treatments while minimum result obtained from application of 50 kg N ha-1. Hence, we can conclude that the total head production increased with increased N Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 6(3): 270-273


Inactivation of both brain and cardiac Na+ channels is modulated by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) but in different ways. Previous experiments had shown that phosphorylation of serine 1506 in the highly conserved loop connecting homologous domains III and IV (LIII/IV) of the brain Na+ channel alpha subunit is necessary for all effects of PKC. Here we examine the importance of the analogous serine for the different modulation of the rH1 cardiac Na+ channel. Serine 1505 of rH1 was mutated to alanine to prevent its phosphorylation, and the resulting mutant channel was expressed in 1610 cells. Electrophysiological properties of these mutant channels were indistinguishable from those of wild-type (WT) rH1 channels. Activation of PKC with 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) reduced WT Na+ current by 49.3 +/- 4.2% (P < 0.01) but S1505A mutant current was reduced by only 8.5 +/- 5.4% (P = 0.29) when the holding potential was -94 mV. PKC activation also caused a -17-mV shift in the voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation of the WT channel which was abolished in the mutant. Thus, phosphorylation of serine 1505 is required for both the negative shift in the inactivation curve and the reduction in Na+ current by PKC. Phosphorylation of S1505/1506 has common and divergent effects in brain and cardiac Na+ channels. In both brain and cardiac Na+ channels, phosphorylation of this site by PKC is required for reduction of peak Na+ current. However, phosphorylation of S1506 in brain Na+ channels slows and destabilizes inactivation of the open channel. Phosphorylation of S1505 in cardiac, but not S1506 in brain, Na+ channels causes a negative shift in the inactivation curve, indicating that it stabilizes inactivation from closed states. Since LIII/IV containing S1505/S1506 is completely conserved, interaction of the phosphorylated serine with other regions of the channel must differ in the two channel types.


In this paper the opinions from dental hygienists and dentists are described concerning the question whether patients could visit the dental hygienist without being seen by a dentist first (access without referral). Eight of ten dental hygienists have a positive attitude towards the idea of access without referral. Dentists were much more sceptical about this idea. There are different opinions about which treatment, what kind of patients, which age groups etcetera a dental hygienist could treat without referral from the dentist. When access without referral becomes relevant, pilot studies are advised before implementing the concept of access to the dental hygienist without referral from the dentist.


Imitation continues to play a significant role within the fashion industry, but not in the way that Thorstein Veblen and Georg Simmel, who wrote over one hundred years ago, suggest. Increased inequality in incomes, the adoption of an ethics of labour over leisure, and the creation of celebrities within the music and movie industries, who appear proximate to a broad demographic of consumers, means the social elite are no longer the predominant trendsetters and exemplars of sartorial tastes. More fundamentally, globalisation has reduced interpersonal connections and increased feelings of isolation within many individuals. Correlatively, periods of the past, which offer security, stability and status, have become an increasingly important source of sartorial – and cultural – imitation, as evidenced by the growing popularity of retro and vintage clothing styles. An awareness of the role played by heritage and history in the consumption of fashion is therefore important for researchers in academia and industry.


It has been shown that the transmission control protocol (TCP) connections through the congested routers can be modeled as a feedback dynamic system. In this paper, we design a variable structure (VS) based control scheme in active queue management (AQM) supporting explicit congestion notification (ECN). By analyzing the robustness and performance of the control scheme for the nonlinear TCP/AQM model, we show that the proposed design has good performance and robustness with respect to the uncertainties of the round-trip time (RTT) and the number of active TCP sessions, which are central to the notion of AQM. Implementation issues are discussed and ns simulations are provided to validate the design and compare its performance to other peer schemes' in different scenarios. The results show that the proposed design significantly outperforms the peer AQM schemes in terms of packet loss ratio, throughput and buffer fluctuation.


Drawing upon the stimulus–organism–response framework, this study investigates contextual and environmental stimuli effects (streamer attractiveness, para-social interactions, and information quality) from a live streaming commerce context on viewer's cognitive and emotional states (cognitive assimilation and arousal) and their subsequent responses (hedonic consumption, impulsive consumption, and social sharing). Based on 300 valid survey data, we found 1) the three stimuli have direct effects on cognitive and emotional states, and cognitive and emotional states have direct effects on three responses, 2) the streamer attractiveness and para-social interaction effects on the three responses are mediated by arousal. However, cognitive assimilation only mediates the information quality effect on the three responses. These findings provide insights into how live streaming stimuli influence consumer's cognitive and emotional states, in turn influencing consumer behavior in a live streaming commerce context.


On the one hand, inflation is an extremely convincing scenario: it solves most cosmological paradoxes and generates fluctuations that became the seeds for the growth of structures. It, however, suffers from a "naturalness" problem: generating initial conditions for inflation is far from easy. On the other hand, loop quantum cosmology is very successful: it solves the Big Bang singularity through a non-perturbative and background-independent quantization of general relativity. It, however, suffers from a key drawback: it is extremely difficult to test. Recent results can let us hope that inflation and LQC could mutually cure those pathologies: LQC seems to naturally generate inflation and inflation could allow us to test LQC.


It is well known that, in distributions problems, "Fairness" rarely leads to a single viewpoint (see Young (1994) and Moulin (1988) among many others). This paper provides, in this context, interesting basis in defense of intermediate agreements when two prominent proposals, representing different sets of "Equity Principles", highlight a discrepancy in sharing resources. Specifically, we formalize such a conflicting situation by associating it with a "natural" cooperative game, called the Bifocal Distribution game, to show that both the Nucleolus, introduced by Schmeidler (1969), and the Shapley value, proposed by Shapley (1953), agree on recommending the "average of the two focal solutions". Finally, applying our analysis to bankruptcy problems, which have been analyzed extensively by Thomson (2003) and Moulin (2002), provides new "reasonable" solutions.


The wide deployment of more and more sophisticated services and application over Internet imposes to careful project solutions for face the threats that this spreading involved. Unfortunately, the computer networks were de-
signed neglecting the problem of security, since they ware thinking as \open systems" where anyone could use them as it liked, and malicious users was not considered.
The lack of security requires to study alternative solutions that integrate the existing network technologies. The interest in computer network security is growing in the last year and new ideas have been proposed.
In this thesis we present a cooperative approach to network security. By sharing information about evidence of anomalous user's activities it is possible to improve the e®ectiveness of the overall system by a careful prevention
and detection of attacks. In this way the cooperation is able to overcome the intrinsic design limits of existing computer networks. By analyzing several collaborative systems, we de ne a general framework for the design and implementation of a reliable cooperative solution.
Based on this framework, we implement two systems that share common project's principles: a cooperative DoS detection system and a new secure routing protocol for wireless networks.
The results prove the goodness of design and the capability of framework proposed to be extended to several problems of network security.


Facebook has been the most powerful social network on the planet. With around a billion active users, Facebook presented a unique opportunity to connected and earned the loyalty of your ideal audience. Through creating Facebook plan and policy to set goals using Facebook strategies, like understanding the Facebook posting algorithm to achieve maximum interaction with Facebook business page via making my page significantly more appealing to audience using many ways like employ third-party Facebook applications which integrated beautifully with WordPress, Facebook advertising, payment gates, and I have been built a plan to manage the strategies and analysis business. Lastly completed my interaction with customer when connected Facebook page with my Wordpress website to build a shop using Woocommerce plugin and all the limitless possibilities provided by Wordpress to used it for selling, and the Facebook for marketing the brand to achieve all the goals.


AbstractObjectivesThe relationship between work-life conflict and self-rated health is widely researched but whether the association differs according to educational level has received less attention. This study investigated the association of work-life conflict with self-rated health taking gender, education, working conditions and socio-demographic characteristics into account.MethodsThe cross-sectional data came from the ELSA-Brasil (2008-2010), a cohort study of civil servants 35-74 years old from six states of Brazil. Complete information was available for 12121 individuals (48% men). Work-life conflict was measured by four indicators representing different aspects, i.e. work-to-family time-based, work-to-family strain-based, family-to-work and lack of leisure time. Multiple logistic regression analyses stratified by gender and educational level were performed.ResultsMore frequent work-life conflict was associated with poor self-rated health in all the indicators. The magnitude of association was greater for women and the same occurred with the higher educated respondents. An exception is in the family-to-work indicators where it affected lower educated women more than higher educated.ConclusionsThere is an association between work-life conflict and self-rated health and it differs according to work-life conflict indicator. Stratifying by gender and educational level presents an important addition to research in the field of work-life conflict.


Tourism makes a major contribution to most economies particularly
developing economies. In developing countries, tourism is important as a
means of earning hard currencies and creating employment. Therefore
the means of stimulating tourism and promoting potential destinations is
worthy of investigation. In this thesis the focus is on investigating the use
of images of nations' culture and heritage to promote those destinations in
the developing world to affluent western tourists.
An extensive literature review is undertaken in the thesis to demonstrate
and understand the relationship between place and its portrayal to give
expectations in the minds of tourists. There are many means of portraying
the images, notably television, the Internet and paper based brochures
which are the subject of this thesis. This review led to the construction of
the hypothesis that if images are realistic depictions of place then
expectations will be closer to experience. If this gap is small then it is
further hypothesised that satisfaction will result. To explore and test this
hypothesis a positivist research approach is pursued. The research
method used is principally that of case studies in which three countries
(Egypt, India and Turkey) are taken as representative of
developing/emerging nations. First, the use of images to promote travel to
these countries is tested by conducting a content analysis of "quality
broadsheet" newspapers. Then a questionnaire based survey is
undertaken to understand how people from affluent backgrounds perceive
samples of images emphasising culture and heritage and how they identify
the images with place. Next, samples of first time tourists to Egypt, India
and Turkey are surveyed before experiencing the destination and again
after visiting the destination. Then to add depth, samples of the tourists
surveyed were interviewed and invited to discuss their experiences.
The findings of the content analysis resulted in evidence to support the
premise that images of culture and heritage are used to promote
destinations to affluent potential tourists. From the first survey, results
showed that on the whole potential tourists correctly associated images
with the destination. Further, it was found that images judged to be
realistic, raised expectations in the minds of potential tourists. Then from
the pre and post visit survey, factor analysis was used to create measures
of expectations of place and measures of experience of place. The gap
between the measures of experience and expectation was then computed
and found to be negatively correlated with satisfaction. The in depth
interviews gave similar findings to the quantitative analysis and by
triangulation helped to validate the research.
Thus the hypothesis that accurate representation of place based on
culture and heritage imagery leads to expectations which are close to
experience is accepted. Further, it was found that if the
expectation/experience gap is small then satisfaction is likely to result.
These findings give valuable tools, whether company based or in national
development agencies, to ensure that the accuracy of portrayal of cultural
images to promote destinations to affluent consumers and thus ensuring
satisfaction is more likely, which in turn results in an increase in the
potential for return visits.


From the point of view of a profit-maximizing firm, the optimal number of working hours depends not only on the marginal productivity of hours but also on the marginal labour cost. This paper develops and assesses empirically a simple model of firms' decision making where productivity varies with hours and where the firm faces labour costs per worker that are invariant to the number of hours worked: i.e. quasi-fixed labour costs. Using Belgian firm-level data on production, labour costs, workers and hours, and focusing of the estimation of workers/hours elasticities of isoquant and isocost, we find evidence of the declining productivity of hours, but also of quasi-fixed labour costs in the range of 20% of total labour costs. We also show that industries with larger estimated quasi-fixed labour costs display higher annual working hours and make less use of part-time contracts. The tentative conclusion is that firms facing large quasi-fixed labour costs are enticed to raise working hours (or oppose their reduction), even if this results in lower labour productivity.


A large number of transport processes in physics, chemistry, and engineering are described by a convection–diffusion equation. This equation is notoriously difficult to solve due to the presence of convection-related first-order gradient differential operators. We describe a new and efficient numerical method for solving the convection–diffusion equation for laminar flows within channels of arbitrary cross section. It is based on reducing the convection–diffusion equation to a set of pure diffusion equations with a complex-valued potential for which fast and numerically stable solvers are readily available. Additionally, we use an eigenvector projection method that allows us to compute snapshots of full concentration distributions over millions of finite elements within a few seconds using a conventional state-of-the-art desktop computer. Our results will be important for all applications where diffusion and convection are both important for correctly describing material transport.


Prevailing mathematical models of alluvial channel evolution generate smooth, idealized longitudinal profiles. Alluvial channel longitudinal profiles in nature, however, have substantial multiscale spatial and temporal variability. In this paper we quantify the spatial and temporal hydrologic and geomorphic variability of a 90‐km‐long reach of the San Pedro River (San Pedro River) in southeastern Arizona and compare that variability to numerical models designed specifically to honor the spatial and temporal variability of alluvial channel systems in nature. A key motivation of this work is the power law frequency size distribution of wet and dry reaches observed in the San Pedro River. We demonstrate that such a distribution is consistent with self‐affine fractal variations of the depth to bedrock and the channel longitudinal profile. At large spatial scales, spatial variations in depth to bedrock control the accommodation space for groundwater, which, in turn, controls spatial variations in surface water discharge. At small spatial scales, the longitudinal profile controls spatial variations in surface water discharge by changing the distance between the channel bed and the water table. These results underscore the complex spatiotemporal behavior of dryland alluvial rivers and the tight coupling that is possible between hydrologic and geomorphic processes in such systems.


: This study analyzes the application of Supply Chain Operations Reference Model(SCOR). The purpose of this study to determine the application of supply chain model byusing the SCOR model by measuring the performance of the supply chain management at PT.INDOTURBINE based model of Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR). This study isa category of business research which uses quantitative and qualitative research methods. Thepopulation in this study were all kind or kinds of turbine parts of various brands with asample of the data delay in delivery of turbine parts. Data mismatch turbine parts in the fieldfor the period of 2011 to 2014 for customers Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), which has thelargest percentage. Technical analysis used in this research is to use the metric system forassessing the performance of the supply chain which consists of three levels, namely level 1,level 2 and level 3. These results indicate that conditions in the supply chain of PT.Indoturbine less efficient because the metric measurements of PT. Indoturbine especiallyPOF and OCFT value is below the industry median value Benchmark Data Advantage. Thecomparison is as follows: Value POF by 64.03% while the value of POF Advantage DataBenchmark by 71.8% while the value OCFT for 92 days while the value OCFT AdvantageData Benchmark by 90 days


The Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model (DMM) and its extensions provide powerful new tools for interpreting the ecological dynamics underlying taxon abundance data. However, like many complex models, how effectively they capture the many features of empirical data is not well understood. In this work, we expand the DMM to an infinite mixture model (iDMM) and use posterior predictive distributions (PPDs) to explore the performance in three case studies, including two amplicon metagenomic time series. We avoid concentrating on fluctuations within individual taxa and instead focus on consortial-level dynamics, using straight-forward methods for visualizing this perspective. In each study, the iDMM appears to perform well in organizing the data as a framework for biological interpretation. Using the PPDs, we also observe several exceptions where the data appear to significantly depart from the model in ways that give useful ecological insight. We summarize the conclusions as a set of considerations for field researchers: problems with samples and taxa; relevant scales of ecological fluctuation; additional niches as outgroups; and possible violations of niche neutrality.


(02/11/2019) Elastic deformation behaviour of Palaeogene clay from Fehmarn Belt area Palaeogene clay samples were obtained by high quality boring and sampling techniques (Geobore S-system), during the extensive site investigations for building a bridge in the Fehmarn Belt area to link between Rødbyhavn in Denmark and Puttgarden in Germany. The Palaeogene clay is rich in smectite and of high to very high plasticity. Comprehensive and advanced laboratory tests were done by Fugro-McClelland (in Netherlands) and by Danish Geotechnical Institute (in Denmark) on Palaeogene clays. Some of their data are included in this study. Ten Palaeogene clay samples were selected and used in this study. Results of odometer tests done by Jessen et al. (2011) show that when Palaeogene clay is mounted in an odometer cell without access to water and loaded to its in-situ vertical effective stress and then saturated with its native salt water, the clay absorbs water and swells. This behaviour indicates that the Palaeogene clay in nature should expand at its mean effective in-situ stress. A study by Krogsbøll et al. (2012) provides some important clues about the deformation behaviour during unloading and swelling of the Palaeogene clay. In this study, we mainly focused on the elastic properties of the Palaeogene clays. Elastic wave velocities are influenced by the elastic stiffness and the density of a material. We used geotechnical and elastic wave velocity data to model the elasticity and then to relate it to mineralogy and BET surface area. We measured the mineralogy, BET surface area, bulk density, porosity, water content and saturation, elastic wave velocities, electrical resistivity and strain caused by mechanical loading. They were used together to interpret the geotechnical data. We aimed to see which physical property is a main controlling factor for the elasticity of the studied Palaeogene clay and whether we can explain the deformation behaviour from elasticity alone.


Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) regulates multiple aspects of spinal motoneuron (MN) development, including gene expression, target selection, survival, and synapse elimination, and mice lacking either GDNF or its receptors GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) and Ret exhibit a 25% reduction of lumbar MNs at postnatal day 0 (P0). Whether this loss reflects a generic trophic role for GDNF and thus a reduction of all MN subpopulations, or a more restricted role affecting only specific MN subpopulations, such as those innervating individual muscles, remains unclear. We therefore examined MN number and innervation in mice in which Ret, GFRα1, or GDNF was deleted and replaced by reporter alleles. Whereas nearly all hindlimb muscles exhibited normal gross innervation, intrafusal muscle spindles displayed a significant loss of innervation in most but not all muscles at P0. Furthermore, we observed a dramatic and restricted loss of small myelinated axons in the lumbar ventral roots of adult mice in which the function of either Ret or GFRα1 was inactivated in MNs early in development. Finally, we demonstrated that the period during which spindle-innervating MNs require GDNF for survival is restricted to early neonatal development, because mice in which the function of Ret or GFRα1 was inactivated after P5 failed to exhibit denervation of muscle spindles or MN loss. Therefore, although GDNF influences several aspects of MN development, the survival-promoting effects of GDNF during programmed cell death are mostly confined to spindle-innervating MNs.


The Beverage Guidance System has established dietary recommendations for daily intake of commonly consumed beverages including water, tea, coffee, milk, non-calorically sweetened beverages, and calorically sweetened beverages. As obesity in America continues to be a growing problem, this guidance becomes of increasing importance due to many beverages' potential links to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), Cardiovascular disease (CVD), and numerous other harmful health effects. However, the growing popularity of "better for you" beverages is causing a shift in the market, with consumers pushing for healthier beverage alternatives. Beverages simultaneously present advantages while posing concerns that need to be evaluated and considered. In this review, health effects of nonalcoholic beverages are discussed including various aspects of consumption and current trends of the beverage market such as the novel Soft Seltzer category as an alternative to Hard Seltzer and various mashups. A variety of advisory boards and agencies responsible for dietary guidelines in various countries suggest drinking water as the preferred practice for hydration.


Abstract Breast cancer (BC) patients in China suffered from a variety of psychology stress such as perceived stress and anxiety, posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a positive factor could promote their psychology health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on promoting PTG, decreasing perceived stress and anxiety of Chinese BC patients. A randomized controlled trial of 60 BC patients (Stages I–III) was conducted. They were randomly divided to the 8-week MBSR group or usual care (UC) group. PTG inventory, Perceived Stress Scale of Chinese version (CPSS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) evaluated the PTG level, perceived stress and anxiety at three times(before intervention-T1, after intervention-T2 and follow up at 3 months-T3). A repeated-measures analysis of variance model was used to compare each outcome measure of two groups at the three times. There was one patient discontinued the intervention and one lose to follow up in MBSR group, finally 58 BC patients completed the research. There was no difference between two groups before the intervention. The results showed significant improvements in MBSR group comparing with the UC group that PTG level was much higher after the 8-week intervention and the follow up (F = 34.73, p < .00). At the same time, CPSS (F = 14.41, p < .00) and STAI (F = 15.24, p < .00) scores were significant decreased at T2 and T3. The results showed that MBSR promoted the level of PTG and decreased perceived stress and anxiety state of Chinese BC patients, and the results persisted at three months after intervention. The research preliminary proved that MBSR was suitable to Chinese BC patients. MBSR should be recommending to BC survivors in China.


This study investigated the effects of cooperative-control of the start of injection (SOI), excess air ratio (λ), internal exhaust gas recirculation (I-EGR), and intake air temperature (IAT) on the combustion and emission characteristics of gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines, especially regards to the combustion stability and knock characteristics. And optimizing the GCI engine combustion and emissions through the cooperative control of multiple parameters is the innovation of this research. The results showed that advancing the SOI and increasing the I-EGR ratio can significantly expand the low-load limit, but the heating effect of 20% I-EGR only worked when the SOI was earlier. An appropriate increase of λ could increase the maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE) to 40.06%, but resulted in high-knock probability and high NOx emissions. Rising the IAT was more effective than advancing the SOI in improving combustion fluctuations, but the knock probability and knock intensity were more sensitive to the early SOI. When the SOI varied from 26 °CA BTDC to 30 °CA BTDC, λ was 1–1.5, the I-EGR ratio was 5%–20%, and the IAT was 40–50 °C; the GCI engine can obtain the balance among high thermal efficiency, high combustion stability, low knock probability, and low emissions.


Supervised learning-based methods yield robust denoising results, yet they are inherently limited by the need for large-scale clean/noisy paired datasets. The use of unsupervised denoisers, on the other hand, necessitates a more detailed understanding of the underlying image statistics. In particular, it is well known that apparent differences between clean and noisy images are most prominent on high-frequency bands, justifying the use of low-pass filters as part of conventional image preprocessing steps. However, most learning-based denoising methods utilize only one-sided information from the spatial domain without considering frequency domain information. To address this limitation, in this study we propose a frequency-sensitive unsupervised denoising method. To this end, a generative adversarial network (GAN) is used as a base structure. Subsequently, we include spectral discriminator and frequency reconstruction loss to transfer frequency knowledge into the generator. Results using natural and synthetic datasets indicate that our unsupervised learning method augmented with frequency information achieves state-of-the-art denoising performance, suggesting that frequency domain information could be a viable factor in improving the overall performance of unsupervised learning-based methods.


Interdisciplinarity has become an inherent component of most research and education developments nowadays. It brings with it new challenges, from how to share a common language to how to avoid becoming generalists, as well as new opportunities in solving more complex problems through disciplinary complementarities. This is particularly true in building research, where a high diversity of skills, mindsets and approaches is needed to bring further advances to the field. This talk will discuss some specific initiatives at EPFL on growing a culture of interdisciplinarity and building synergies between traditionally distinct fields, especially in relation to the built environment. To provide building designers with the means necessary to assess critical parameters in a successful design and efficiently combine qualitative and quantitative criteria in the solution search process, we need to work from what we have and from what we need. This is true at the human occupant's as much as at the urban environment's scales : the recurring question one has to address in any of these contexts is how to best balance the resources we have available (solar radiation, energy, climate, natural or built surroundings) to fulfill, at minimum and beyond, our human needs, which range from well-being and comfort, to health and emotional delight, but also to social quality.


Research over the last 30 years has begun to explore the intrinsic relationship between biology and quantum mechanics, leading to the new science of quantum biology. The convergence of these 2 seemingly disparate disciplines has revolutionized current thought on biophysiology and overall health and wellness. Important concepts covered in this review are the sensory and intuitive intelligence of the heart, the phenomenon of coherence, heart rate variability (HRV) and the creation of heart rhythms, the dynamic role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the bidirectional communication network between the heart and the brain. Neurocardiology and psychoneurophysiology come into play, as well as electromagnetic fields (EMFs), biofield physiology, and quantum mechanics. This paper provides an overview of the heart as a physiological and sensory organ at the seat of innate intuitive intelligence. The energetic nature of the heart co-creates the ability to build resilience, and establishing emotional self-regulation is the basis for achieving systems-wide coherence and optimal states of wellbeing for people and those that surround them, both human and animal.


This paper examines the assumptions underpinning one of the constitutive elements of the modern concept of art: the idea of aesthetic autonomy. I argue that the orientation of recent art practice towards what has come to be termed 'site-specificity' is best understood a progressive relinquishment of the principle of aesthetic autonomy. I develop this position through a close analysis of the work of Miwon Kwon. The paper is intended as a case-study that investigates the problematic relation between historical and philosophical enquiry.


Progesterone receptor analysis has been used to enhance the prognostic usefulness of estrogen receptor analysis in breast cancer. Immunocytochemical assays for both steroid receptors have been shown to correlate with established biochemical techniques but lack long term clinical follow-up studies to validate their use. One hundred fifty- two patients were followed for up to 10 years after primary surgical treatment. Steroid receptor analyses, using both biochemical and immunocytochemical techniques were performed on their tumor specimens. Patients with estrogen or progesterone receptor positive tumors had longer survival than patients with negative tumors. This difference was most clearly demonstrated with immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen receptors (p = 0.04). The two methods for progesterone receptors gave very similar results. Use of multivariate analysis revealed that ER by immunocytochemical analysis was the only significant predictor of prognosis when all four variables were considered simultaneously (p = 0.04). This study suggests that immunocytochemistry gives comparable results to biochemical analysis for progesterone receptors but that immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen receptors was the stronger single prognostic indicator of the four.


PURPOSE
Our study examines the frequency and further characteristics of psychiatric emergencies in the ambulance service of doctors on call in the city of Hamm.

METHODS/PATIENTS
All emergency documentations of the year 2000 were retrospectively examined and evaluated with regard to psychiatric disorders according to the ICD-10. In Hamm (181, 197 inhabitants) there were 3812 emergency calls for doctors on call in the examined period.

RESULTS
Due to internal emergencies, psychiatric diseases were diagnosed twice as often. Alcoholic intoxications (32.8 %), suicide attempts (16.8 %) and alcoholic withdrawal-syndromes were mostly diagnosed in psychiatric emergencies. Most patients were male. The average age was 41.7 years.

CONCLUSIONS
In the education for doctors on call, the training in the subject psychiatry is very low. Therefore the education and training of the diagnostic and therapy of psychiatric disorders must be intensified in the acquiring of the certification for ambulance service. acquiring


Background
Stillbirths are reported as one of the most neglected tragedies in global health, with around 2m stillbirths occurring annually and the majority occurring in low- and middle income countries (LMICs). Many antenatal stillbirths are due to preventable conditions such as maternal infections and non-communicable diseases. Almost half of all stillbirths occur during the intrapartum period, with many linked to obstetric complications. Known risk factors for stillbirths overall include young or advancing maternal age, fetal infection, maternal hypertensive conditions, perinatal asphyxia, history of previous stillbirth, obstetric complications, intrauterine growth restriction and abruptio placenta/placenta praevia. Common non-clinical risk factors include lack of education, socioeconomic deprivation and substandard antenatal care.
Methods
A single site prospective observational study conducted over three-months was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital in Kano, Nigeria. Eligible participants were mothers presenting at the site in labour and their babies.
Demographic and clinical data were collected by paper-based questionnaires. Data were collected on living environment, health and medical history, pregnancy history and pregnancy/birth factors. Each mother answered pre-delivery questions, with potential follow-on questions dependent on birth outcome. Further data points were collected from clinical observations. Photographs were taken of stillborn babies to support data collected and to aid the UK team on classifying degrees of maceration in an attempt to identify antenatal and intrapartum fetal death.
Findings
Higher odds of stillbirth were associated with low levels of education, a further distance to travel from home to the hospital, living in a shack, maternal hypertension and having had a previous stillbirth after adjusting for all sociodemographic and health features. Higher odds of intrapartum stillbirth included; shoulder presentation, compound presentation and breech presentation compared to cephalic presentation. Other birth related factors associated with higher odds of stillbirth included reported birthing complications, duration of labour being >=18 hours), antepartum haemorrhage, prolonged/obstructed labour, vaginal breech delivery, emergency Caesarean-section delivery, and signs of trauma to the neonate.
ConclusionsIdentified risk factors associated with stillbirths are relatively amenable to intervention and a lot of work has been conducted globally, so the development of intervention with sufficient funding should be a relatively rapid process.
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The Kliphoek Granite is a mesocratic, porphyritic post-tectonic granite in the western Namaqualand sector of the Mesoproterozoic Namaqua-Natal Belt. It was mapped as one of 26 different types of granite of the Spektakel Suite by Council for Geoscience geologists. The granite is differentiated from other members of the suite on grounds of its greenish colour, dark-brown weathering outcrops and stubby phenocrysts. Its composition is that of a lesser evolved, shoshonitic monzogranite with no evidence of metamorphism. It has been dated at 1078 ± 5 Ma and 1060 ± 9 Ma. The granite is mined for dimension stone (Verde Bitterfontein).


The metavolcano-sedimentary sequences, at the southeastern of Espinhaco ridge, present difficulties for distinction of Rio das Velhas Supergroup, till now. Besides of very similarities it is possible to separate the Rio Mata Cavalo Group from the last one. It is constituted by metamafic-ultramafic unit derivated from tholeitic basalts, and a chemical-clastic cover. These sediments present gold and Platinum Group Minerals/Elements associated mainly with Banded Iron Formations. Hydrothermal origin is attributed to noble metals concentration. The prospecting and mineral exploration was done only for gold in the study area. The obtained results permit to suggest the use for an Upper Unit, composed by chemical-clastic sediments, and a Lower Unit, which comprises the volcanic rocks as belonging to Mata Cavalo Group. So, this Group presents in Upper Unit magnetite-rich BIF with gold associated to supergene enrichment.


Objective. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been increasingly used for investigating the function of different areas of the cerebellum. Experimental studies have shown variable effectiveness of different types of coils in cerebellar TMS. Our objective is to systematically investigate the effects of coil type on the electric field (E-field) induced in the cerebellum. Approach. Induced E-fields of cerebellar TMS were modelled using individualised head models of 15 subjects. A double-cone, a figure-of-8 and a round coil were modelled, and E-field measurements were performed to validate the coil models. The E-fields induced in anatomical models are statistically analysed to investigate the effects of the coil type and placement on the stimulation strength, depth and focality. Main results. The E-field measurements showed that the applied thin-wire approximation is valid and useful for computational modelling of TMS coils. Inter-subject analysis of the induced E-fields showed that the round coil systematically produced the weakest E-fields. The difference between the double-cone and figure-of-8 coils was not systematic; instead, the most efficient coil type depended on the targeted region of the cerebellum. Further, despite inter-subject differences, the double-cone coil appeared more suitable for stimulating deeper regions of the cerebellum, whereas the figure-of-8 coil produces more focal stimulation, hence providing precise stimulation of regions closer to the scalp surface. Significance. The double-cone, round and figure-of-8 coils have different advantages over each other in different situations. The choice of the coil geometry and placement should be made with care for the desired stimulation outcome. Moreover, inter-subject anatomical differences affect the E-field induced in the cerebellum, and anatomical modelling using magnetic resonance imaging data can enhance the precision of cerebellar TMS.


Anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is one of the standard surgical techniques for the treatment of cervical spinal disorders including degenerative diseases, trauma, infection, and tumor. However, the surgical outcomes of ACDF can be deteriorated by the development of adjacent segment degeneration or disease in the postoperative time course. In this article, the biomechanical background, incidence, risk factors, prevention, and management of this disorder are discussed. The incidence rate of adjacent segment degeneration or disease varies according to different reports. The risk factors are reported to be a level of fusion, the number of fusion levels, the preexistence of degenerative changes at the adjacent segments, and the alignment of the entire cervical spine and the fused segments. Although adjacent segment disease can be a sequel of the natural aging of the patients, a comparative study with control population revealed that patients who underwent ACDF had significantly higher incidence of disc degeneration at the adjacent segments than the control population. Adjacent segment diseases can be prevented by the use of motion preservation techniques including artificial disc replacement and decompression surgery without fusion. It can be managed by repeated ACDF, expansive laminoplasty, and artificial disc replacement, although the efficacies of these revision surgical procedures remain to be tested in the larger case series.


The problem of parking systems on the street is a classic problem that occurs from year to year, many solutions are offered in solving the parking problem on the street. The problem is not only related to traffic jams due to in and out of vehicles from the parking spaces but also the parking management issues become polemic at this time. A prototype of parking management monitoring system tries to provide solution in managing parking by using image processing based smart camera. In a prototype the system test performed on day and night conditions, to anticipate the very contrast difference intensity of pixels during the day or night so as to develop vehicle detection program using adaptive brightness thresholding. The results show that the program has been running quite well to identify vehicles during day and night timeframe.


Abstract Beypazarı, one of the oldest towns in the province of Ankara, has a rich culture reflecting a strong Ottoman influence. Traditions and customs are given much attention, and this can be seen in the dress of women. This is especially the case with brides, who are dressed elaborately in richly decorated clothing. Bindallıs embroidered with gilded silver thread may be received as gifts and are highly valued in families.


The physical and mental wellbeing of workers is of paramount importance and is directly related to productivity in any organization thus an meaningful investment in human capital should insist on improving the health of workers in any work place (Loekppke et al, 2009).HIV/AIDS is an immunodeficiency virus that has had great negative impact on work populations both in the developing and developed world (Grassly et al, 2003). Waggoner, et al (1999), defined organizational performance as the ability of a firm to fulfill and meet its mission through sound management, strong governance and persistent rededication to achieving results. Companies have to be profit driven, customer focused, adaptable, entrepreneurial and sustainable in order to achieve their goals and mission. Bomet County is located in the beautiful sloping Western part of Kenya, in an administrative region within the Great Rift Valley. It covers an area of 1592.4 square kilometers with a mean monthly temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall ranges between 1,100 and 1,500 Millimeters, weather conducive to tea growing (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013).The objective of the study was to establish the perceived effects of HIV/AIDS on performance in the tea factories of Bomet County. Bomet County has five tea factories (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013). The study sampled 51 management level personnel in the five tea factories, 51 being 50% of the target population identified through stratified random sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. The study found out that the perceived effects of HIV/AIDS in the tea factories of Bomet County were among others, a high rate of abseentism and lowered output. HIV/AIDS did not however have a large impact on customer care or quality of product. The study recommended development and full implementation of HIV/AIDS policy, enhancement of social support and programs for management of staff within the factories living with HIV/AIDS and that the same should be extended to communities living in the County as part of corporate social responsibility of the tea factories.


Numerous studies show that prosocial behavior leads to positive emotional outcomes for the actor, yet does it matter, who the beneficiary is? The present paper explores differential effects of helping acts towards close versus distant recipients on subjective well-being and the role that basic psychological needs play in this relationship. Two studies using event-recall (N = 127) and interventional (N = 305) designs in Russian samples were conducted to test our hypotheses. Study 1 showed that performing acts of kindness towards family and friends (compared to a control condition) led to higher satisfaction of the needs for relatedness and morality, while helping strangers increased only the latter. Study 2 failed to unconditionally replicate the prosocial-happiness link; however, when the need for competence was controlled for, helping both types of recipients was shown to provide higher event-level well-being outcomes. The positive effect of prosocial acts toward strong ties was mediated by relatedness and morality satisfaction, while when the recipient was a stranger, the effect was accounted for by fulfilling the needs for morality and autonomy. No significant event-level well-being differences were detected between those helping close versus distant others and no differences in positive affect, negative affect or life satisfaction emerged between the three conditions. The paper provides support for the importance of the self-perceived impact for the success of kindness interventions. We conclude with a discussion of implications for kindness interventions towards different recipients.


Persson, Katarina, Per Alm, Bengt Uvelius, and KarlErik Andersson. Nitrergic and cholinergic innervation of the rat lower urinary tract after pelvic ganglionectomy. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 43): R389–R397, 1998.—The possible coexistence of nitric oxide (NO) and acetylcholine in the rat major pelvic ganglion (MPG) was examined by double immunohistochemistry using antisera raised against NO synthase (NOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The smooth muscle responses of the isolated bladder and urethra were recorded after bilateral cryoganglionectomy of the MPG, focusing on the possible development of denervation supersensitivity. In the MPG, NOS immunoreactivity (ir) was seen in a large number of cell bodies, but it was not as abundant as ChAT-ir cell bodies. Double immunolabeling showed that all NOS-ir cell bodies also displayed ChAT-ir. In ganglionectomized bladders, the electrical field stimulation (EFS)-evoked contractile response was markedly reduced. When compared with control bladders, detrusor strips from ganglionectomized rats were more sensitive to carbachol as revealed by a lower negative logarithm of the drug concentration eliciting 50% relaxation (6.5 6 0.04 vs. 5.9 6 0.07). In the urethra, the NO-mediated relaxant response to EFS was practically abolished by ganglionectomy, whereas no difference was found in sensitivity to 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1). SIN-1 produced an equal increase in tissue levels of guanosine 38,58cyclic monophosphate in urethral preparations from control and ganglionectomized rats. The results suggest that the NOS-ir nerves that mediate inhibition of rat urethral smooth muscle tone originate from the MPG and contain ChAT. No denervation supersensitivity to nitrergic stimulation was observed in the urethra after ganglionectomy.


Background While opioid analgesics play a central role in managing cancer pain, opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is one of the most common side effects. Naldemedine is a peripherally-acting µ-opioid receptor antagonist being developed to treat OIC. Methods Studies consisted of a 2 week randomised double-blind placebo-controlled treatment period (DBT) followed by a 12 week open-label extension (EXT). In DBT, cancer patients with OIC, defined as ≤5 spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) 14 day before randomization, were randomised 1:1 to oral naldemedine 0.2 mg QD or placebo. Patients who completed DBT could receive naldemedine in EXT. The primary endpoint of DBT was SBM responder rate (percentage of patients with ≥3 SBMs/week and an increase from baseline of ≥1 SBM/week) in the naldemedine group compared with placebo. The primary objective of EXT was to assess long-term safety. Results A total of 193 patients were randomised in DBT, and 131 patients were enrolled in EXT. In DBT, significantly higher SBM responder rate was observed in naldemedine compared with placebo (71.1% vs 34.4%, respectively; p<0.0001). Naldemedine improved change from baseline in the frequency of SBMs (5.16 vs 1.54, p<0.0001), SBMs with a feeling of complete evacuation (2.76 vs 0.71, p<0.0001) and SBMs without straining (3.85 vs 1.17, p=0.0005) per week. Incidences of adverse event (AE) reported during treatment period in DBT were 44.3% and 26.0% in naldemedine and placebo, respectively. Diarrhoea was the only AE observed in ≥5% of patients in either group (19.6% vs 7.3%). No clinically meaningful changes in opioid withdrawal scores and pain intensity were observed in both groups. In EXT, 107 patients completed a 12 week treatment with naldemedine 0.2 mg QD, and the safety profile was similar to that in DBT. Conclusions Naldemedine improved the symptoms of OIC and was generally well tolerated.


This paper presents results of experimental investigations on unignited horizontal hydrogen jets in air in presence of co-, cross- and counter-flow. Hydrogen concentration distributions are obtained as functions of distance to the hydrogen release nozzle. The H 2 -jet variables are two nozzle diameters, 1 mm and 4 mm and two H 2 -jet mass flow rates, 1 g/s up to 5 g/s. A propeller fan is used to provide forced ventilation, compared to the case with no ventilation three different airflow velocities up to 5 m/s were studied systematically. It was found that any forced ventilation in co-, cross- and counter-flow direction reduces the size of the burnable mixture cloud of the H 2 -jet compared to a free jet in quiescent air.


We present four benchmark databases of binding energies for nonbonded complexes. Four types of nonbonded interactions are considered:  hydrogen bonding, charge transfer, dipole interactions, and weak interactions. We tested 44 DFT methods and 1 WFT method against the new databases; one of the DFT methods (PBE1KCIS) is new, and all of the other methods are from the literature. Among the tested methods, the PBE, PBE1PBE, B3P86, MPW1K, B97-1, and BHandHLYP functionals give the best performance for hydrogen bonding. MPWB1K, MP2, MPW1B95, MPW1K, and BHandHLYP give the best performances for charge-transfer interactions, and MPW3LYP, B97-1, PBE1KCIS, B98, and PBE1PBE give the best performance for dipole interactions. Finally, MP2, B97-1, MPWB1K, PBE1KCIS, and MPW1B95 give the best performance for weak interactions. Overall, MPWB1K is the best of all the tested DFT methods, with a relative error (highly averaged) of only 11%, and MPW1K, PBE1PBE, and B98 are the best of the tested DFT methods that do not contain kinetic energy density. Moving up the rungs of Jacob's ladder for nonempirical DFT, PBE improves significantly over the LSDA, and TPSS improve slightly over PBE (on average) for nonbonded interactions.


Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors can develop various immunological complications; however, few cases of immune thrombocytopenia occurring in association with the administration of these agents have so far been reported. We herein report the case of a 62-year-old Japanese man with non-small-cell lung cancer who developed immune thrombocytopenia and hypothyroidism during nivolumab therapy. After the second administration of the drug, his peripheral blood platelet count rapidly decreased to 1.6 × 104/μl with a petechial rash and symptoms associated with a low thyroid function. Nivolumab-induced immune thrombocytopenia and hypothyroidism were suspected based on the presence of platelet-associated IgG, an increased level of autoantibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase and an enlarged thyroid gland. The patient eventually made a full recovery after treatment with oral prednisolone and levothyroxine. Further investigations and the accumulation of data are necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying the autoimmune responses that occur in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.